News and Other Stories from OIS
Ignatian Pathways Episode 10 (Ignatian Wisdom from the OIS Interns)
Coming to you live from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry, this episode introduces Rachel and Kelly, our inaugural OIS Mission Interns. They give vivid expression to discernment and to finding God in creation and in daily life, and how God led them to where they are now as graduate students in theology and ministry—and they ace every question Dr. Dave throws at them.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 9 (God Lives in the City)
Pope Francis was convinced that "God lives in the city." We chat with three YACs—leaders of the Young Adult Community at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown. Annie, Abby, and Richard share about how they find God in the beauty and life of a major city like Washington, D.C., and why young adults should go on retreat, engage in faith sharing, and what song in their Spotify library captures their experience of God.
“How God Sees Me: Reborn from Within”
Recently, the San Ignacio School of the Bronx, organized by Alec Hufford, SJ, and in collaboration with OIS’s Ministerio Hispano Ignaciano, held a beautiful Day of Prayer and Reflection in which twenty mothers of the school's children participated.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 8 (God In All Things: Music and Laughter)
It is said that joy is an infallible sign of the presence of God. This final episode live from the Ignatian Family Teach-in, was full of joy! In this episode, filled with laughter and hope and insight, Sr. Erin, Kascha, and Moira share about their ministry and work, about the importance of intergenerational witness at the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, and how spirituality (especially Ignatian spirituality) helps us press on. It comes back to the basic idea of finding God in all things, including in the most ordinary: a good meal, a nap, in what we notice of nature and creation, in pop culture, in sports, and certainly in the things that bring us joy. God is in these details, and finding God in all things helps us press on together and recharge our charism batteries when we need to.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 7 (It’s About the Journey)
What does it mean to press on in the life of faith and justice, and what might it mean to seekers and those new to the Ignatian tradition? Three dynamic leaders: Clarissa Aljentera of the Ignatian Solidarity Network, Michael Libunao-Macalintal of Regis High School, and Jeffrey Miguel Echenique Wallace of Gwynedd Mercy University all offer rich insights that unlock how to live the mission of Ignatian spirituality rooted in Ignatius's own life story and the dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises: Be curious, sit with the itching question, and be surprised. It's about the journey. They also share about their heroes and exemplars in the life of faith and justice.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 6 (The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice)
A hallmark of Jesuit education today is its orientation to "the service of faith and the promotion of justice." We explore memory, practices of discernment and prayer, and the meaning of Jesuit education—both at the secondary and university level. We also take a moment to appreciate the significance of the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice for our students and for ourselves, and explore the unique insights that our students offer to the meaning of Ignatian Spirituality today.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 5 (Our House is the World)
Here's an episode with an actual Ignatian family! John and Clara are a married couple deeply engaged in the Ignatian family as key staff in Jesuit Refugee Service USA and American Jesuits International respectively. They both share about the Ignatian and Jesuit mission to be with others and to be at home in the world, and to face our world with hope as we pursue faith and justice. As they echo, our house is the world, and Ignatian Spirituality helps us stay grounded and at home in the world by keeping us attentive to our feelings, aware of our history, and focused on seeing Jesus.
Special thanks to our guests: Clara Sayans, Outreach Manager, Jesuit Refugee Service USA, and John Byrd, Communications Manager, American Jesuits International.
A Heart Like Yours Retreat, at Loyola Jesuit Center
Recently, more than forty participants from communities in New Jersey, Long Island, Brooklyn, and The Bronx gathered at the Loyola Jesuit Center to take part in the retreat “A Heart Like Yours.” During this grace-filled weekend of prayer and encounter, participants were invited to contemplate the love of Christ through the spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, allowing themselves to be inwardly formed by that heart which loves, consoles, calls, and sends.
“Listening to God like Ignatius” at Loyola on the Potomac
This past April, thirty-two participants from communities in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland took part in the retreat “Escuchando a Dios como Ignacio,” held at Loyola on the Potomac in Faulkner.
Ignatian Prayer and Reflection Day for Couples St. Ignatius Parish, Chestnut Hill, MA
On Saturday, May 2, St. Ignatius Loyola Parish hosted an Ignatian Prayer and Reflection Day for Couples under the theme “Listening to the heart to choose the path together.” Nine couples participated in this formative and spiritual gathering focused on communication and Ignatian discernment.
Walking with Creation in Oceanside, NY
As part of the initiatives of tof the Office of Ignatian Spirituality (OIS), on Saturday, April 11, approximately thirty-five people from St. Anthony Parish in Oceanside, NY, along with others from Long Island communities, participated in the retreat “Walking with Creation” presented by OIS’ Ministerio Hispano Ignaciano.
Lenten Journey with the Apostolic Preferences for Young Adults
Recently, young adults from Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Richmond, Virginia, participated in the program Lenten Journey with the Apostolic Preferences for Young Adults. This journey began on February 24 and concluded on Saturday, March 28, following a process that included four weekly hybrid sessions and culminated in an in-person retreat at the Roslyn Retreat Center.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 4
Why should someone go on a retreat? In this live conversation from the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, we talk with Shevaun Low and Jim Palmer, from Gonzaga Eastern Point Retreat House and Loyola on the Potomac Retreat House, respectively, two of the four retreat houses in the East Province. They offer some beautiful answers to this question, and insights into what to expect on a weekend retreat, especially at their retreat houses. Fittingly, our episode takes place amidst the din of a busy Ignatian Family Teach-in, so our conversation symbolically invites the listener to tune into God's grace and filter out the background noise—which is exactly what retreats do. This conversation reinforces the importance of prayer for a life of justice, and that when you decide to make a retreat, it is not actually your decision, but a response to God's invitation to be still and rest in God's presence. Learn more about why you should "retreat yourself" in this great episode.
Special thanks to our guests: Shevaun Low, Executive Director, Gonzaga Eastern Point Retreat House, and Jim Palmer, outgoing Executive Director, Loyola on the Potomac Retreat House.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 3
Coming to you from the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, this mini-reunion of Regional Coordinators of the Contemplative Leaders in Action program focuses on how Ignatian Spirituality helps us press on. We explore the importance of noticing and savoring in Ignatian Spirituality, and muse on the ways that young adults today have a profound window into these dimensions of Ignatian spiritual practice. The conversation covers topics such as Ignatian spirituality and our professional lives, the opportunities that digital culture offers to engage in noticing and savoring, and heroes in faith and justice.
Special thanks to our guests: Beth Brin, University Minister for Formation and Outreach, Regis University and Roxanne de la Torre, Pastoral Associate, Father William J. Bergen SJ Office of Ignatian Spirituality and Faith Formation, Church of St. Ignatius Loyola.
Ignatian Pathways Episode 2
In this "Fordhamtastic" episode, we bring together staff and students who are engaged in Ignatian retreat ministry: Stephanie Roddy, Director of Spiritual Retreat Ministries, Fordham University; Laura Oldfather, Catholic Life Assistant, Fordham University; Kaitlyn Squyres, Fordham University. Roddy, Laura, and Kaitlyn share about how Ignatian Spirituality helps them find God on and off-campus, amidst work as a coach, on the subway commute, and even in academic studies and research. They share tidbits on how to discern so that we know that God is present in these aspects of life. They also talk about how Ignatius is relatable to them as young adults. We land on a slogan of a Fordham favorite pizza joint: love is it, and God's love can lead someone to give up watching hockey, and to grow in authentic love of God, neighbor, and self. Listen now.
The Love and Serve Retreat (Amar y Servir)
OIS’s Love and Serve (Amar y Servir) retreat, presented by Ministerio Hispano Ignaciano, is a two-day Ignatian retreat designed for all those who serve in parish ministries. Recently, the parish community of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Richmond, Virginia, experienced a profound encounter with God through this retreat. Read more.
Listen to Our Newest Podcast: Ignatian Pathways
Welcome to OIS's new podcast, Ignatian Pathways. This is a space that will gather voices from across the Ignatian family to share about the many pathways to God that we have all discovered through Ignatian spirituality. This series is intended for anyone, those who have practiced the way of Ignatius for years and those just beginning to dip their toes into the waters of Ignatian spirituality. Listen now!
St. Ignatius, An Entrepreneur of Faith: A Conversation With Hallow
Join us for an exciting conversation with Fr. Joe Laramie, SJ, and with Nathan Crankfield of the Hallow app to explore how we can find God in all things and cultivate a healthy digital age spirituality. Dr. Dave de la Fuente, Associate Director for Ignatian Young Adult Ministries, will moderate. Register now.