Fairfield University launched its new Center for Ignatian Spirituality in late November. The center will offer retreats, including the full Spiritual Exercises, and it will train spiritual directors.
During the program, University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, SJ, remarked:
Ignatius’ experience as we know was one of a profound one-on-one relationship with God. He came to believe that God was in fact educating him, personally, “from above,” leading him purposefully step-by-step, from the life of a soldier, to that of a pilgrim, a student, a missionary, an administrator, and on and on throughout his life. It was this experience of God’s immediate guiding presence in the life of each one of us that Ignatius wanted everyone to appreciate—he believed it was true for everyone, and that through a guided spiritual direction—everyone could be brought to this appreciation, and through this, to a deeper discernment of what each one of us is called to do in our lives. It is this rich, indeed critical, experience that is the essence of the Spiritual Exercises, and it is this experience that is the overarching, animating principle of Jesuit education.
Read the full story on the Center for Ignatian Spirituality.
