Living the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life Retreat
(AKA: the 19th annotation) 

In-Person and On-Line Options!

 

Our Lady of Bethesda Retreat Center now offers the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola as a nine-twelve month retreat in your daily life.

The 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and renewal. St. Ignatius envisioned that the Spiritual Exercises could be done in a variety of formats, depending upon one’s state in life and availability of time. The "Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life" is based on his 19th introductory note in the text of the Spiritual Exercises, where he explains that a person can make the Spiritual Exercises in their daily life amid their ordinary occupations.

This retreat is intended for anyone who is serious about deepening their spiritual life and is willing to dedicate time daily and weekly to a regiment of prayer and self-examination.

COSTS
Program fee: $1000 (includes Application fee of $30)
The program fee includes a weekly meeting with your Retreat Director (either in-person or on-line,) and materials intended to assist your spiritual progress. The application fee is non-refundable. Once accepted, the application fee will be applied to the balance, and the particiapant can either pay the remainder in full or discuss a schedule of payment with the Retreat Director.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Follow the link below to apply for the program and begin an interview process that will make sure it is a good fit for you. Space is limited. Applications will be accepted and interviews conducted on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply soon so that we can get you started. 

Apply Now

For more information contact Fr. Robert Presutti, LC at [email protected]

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Here is more information to help you decide if this is right for you:

What are the “Spiritual Exercises”? 

The Spiritual Exercises refers to a specific retreat experience, as envisioned by St. Ignatius of Loyola, which is intended to help the retreatant walk through a process of personal conversion to God. The retreat involves set periods of: silent reading of Sacred Scripture, prayerful reflection on the “eternal truths” and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; deep and penetrating self-examination; and a pathway of offering one's life in faithful discipleship to Jesus Christ.

 

What are the “Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life” (aka “the 19th annotation”) 

St. Ignatius envisioned that the Spiritual Exercises could be done in a variety of ways and formats, depending upon one’s state in life and availability of time. Some of the formats include a full 30 day personal retreat done in seclusion away from one's ordinary life, or as an 8-day (or 6-day or 3 or 4 day weekend silent retreat.)

 

Who can and should do the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life?

Anyone who is serious about deepening their spiritual life and is willing to dedicate time daily and weekly to a regiment of prayer and self-examination.

 

What are the requirements? What am I committing to with the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life?

• Daily: you would spend 45-60 minutes in mental prayer (meditation or contemplation) upon a set theme. You would also spend some time in "examen prayer" at set moments during the day.
• Weekly: you would meet with a retreat director to discuss the development of your prayer experience of the past week, agree on themes and materials in the coming week, and seek common listening to what the Lord is doing in your life. This meeting could be in person at Our Lady of Bethesda retreat center or virtually.
• Monthly: you could join an optional hour-long live group session with others doing the spiritual exercises. This would be a supervisor-led discussion on a theme relevant to the spiritual exercises. This session would be live for those who can attend in person and virtual for those who cannot.

 

How long does the retreat last? 

The Spiritual Exercises were originally given for 30 consecutive days. This version of the Spiritual Exercises is tailored to your personal situation and needs and the length depends upon you and how much time you can dedicate each week. Along the way, you and the retreat director will discuss the development of the retreat and its eventual closure. For most people, the retreat lasts between 9 and 12 months, though it can be shorter or longer depending upon your situation and needs. 

 

Applications will be accepted and interviews conducted on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply soon so that we can get you started.

Apply Now

 

For more information please contact Fr. Robert Presutti, LC at  [email protected]