Fr Bob Gilroy SJ has led arts-based Ignatian retreats around the country ever since he discovered the connection between art and prayer while lying in a hospital bed awaiting a kidney transplant at age 24. Now 54 years old, Fr Gilroy works at Bread of Life Ministries in Sacramento, Calif., training spiritual directors to use art in their ministry.
What is the face of the Apostleship of Prayer in Asia? This was the main question delegates at the 5th Apostleship of Prayer Asian Conference had to address as they gathered to discuss how to re-create the apostolate.
Fr Paul Nicholson SJ has written a book of spiritual exercises for the four weeks leading up to Christmas, entitled An Advent Pilgrimage.
Jesuit journals around the world have published an exclusive interview with Pope Francis. The interview was conducted by Fr Antonio Spadaro SJ, editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit journal, over the course of three meetings held in August 2013 in Rome. His questions were consolidated from those sent by several major Jesuit journals including La Civiltà Cattolica, Thinking Faith and America.
Ignatian News Network provides a behind-the-scenes look at Hearts on Fire, an Ignatian retreat programme for young adults, which is offered by the Apostleship of Prayer in the United States. The day and a half retreat, for single or married people aged 18 to 39, is led by young Jesuit priests and scholastics. In this experience, the retreatants are led through the Spiritual Exercises and are given one-hour guided meditations.
Since several days Manila is gripped by Typhoon Maring (Trami), resulting in widespread displacement and hardship. The help given by the Jesuit-led Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan to many families made homeless by flooding reminds me of a story, told reputedly by the Hindu philosopher Radhakrishnan.
Three Filipino Jesuits came up with an interactive version of the Spiritual Exercises for Ateneo de Manila University’s Ignatian Festival in July. Using installation art, Br Eric Esteba SJ, Sch Alvin Laput SJ and Sch Eric S Escandor SJ developed CONTEMPLATIO, a 45-minute prayer exercise designed mainly for young people who want to deepen their faith and enrich their Ignatian identity.
Sogang University undergraduate Sol Jee Ahn was at MAGIS and World Youth Day 2013 with a group of 27 pilgrims from Korea. She shares with us how MAGIS helped her feel closer to God and loved as a child of God.
In September, 20 pilgrims from Australia will walk the 640 km pilgrim route taken in 1522 by Íñigo López de Loyola (who later became Saint Ignatius of Loyola) from his home in Spain’s Basque country to Montserrat and Manresa.
July 31 is the feast of St Ignatius Loyola, who died in 1556. Ignatius is known as the founder of the Society of Jesus but, as his feast day approaches, I am reminded that he founded the Society in concert with two others – Francis Xavier, who we in this Conference hold especially dear for he crossed the known world to Japan and reached the shores of China, and Peter Faber (Pierre Favre). The three – Ignatius, Francis and Peter – shared a room during their studies at the University of Paris, and co-founded the Society of Jesus.