The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

We have an opportunity for you to learn more about the Spiritual Exercises, and deepen your own spiritual journey.  The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius Loyola to help people deepen their relationship with God. For centuries, the Exercises were most commonly given as a “long retreat” of about 30 days in solitude and silence.

In recent years, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Spiritual Exercises as a program for laypeople. The most common way of going through the Exercises now is a “retreat in daily life,” which involves a monthslong program of daily prayer and meetings with a spiritual director. The Exercises have also been adapted in many other ways to meet the needs of modern people. Over the past three years, the Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine has accompanied more than 50 people here in Maine in this spiritual journey.

Consider joining other men and women from Maine in “making the Exercises” this year. The priests here at Our Lady of Hope welcome the chance to speak with you about it. You can also find helpful information at the Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine’s website. Our parish and the Jesuit Community are members of the Partnership). Applications for this year’s retreat, which runs from October 2022 – June 2023, are now available here.