Made in daily life
What are the Spiritual Exercises?
In the 16th century, St Ignatius of Loyola set out his ‘Spiritual Exercises’ – sharing the way he had found to God. Initially these were offered as a 30-day silent retreat. Since that time, this way has become hugely influential – promoting a way to God based on everyday life. This retreat is at the heart of Jesuit Spirituality – the Jesuits today being the largest Catholic Order of priests and religious.
More recently the Jesuits have promoted a wider use of the Exercises. From about the 1980s, the Exercises have been offered to a growing number of lay people and others from different Christian traditions. The most common way for laypersons to go through the Exercises now is through a “retreat in daily life”, a five-seven months programme of prayer and reflection made in ordinary life. This form of the Exercises Ignatius called the 19th Annotation and is the form on offer here.
What is undoubted is the influence the Exercises can have. Many people have found undertaking the Spiritual Exercises to be life-changing, getting to know Jesus in a new and intimate way while providing fresh purpose to their lives.
Who is this for?
No special experience is necessary – simply the desire to know God more deeply, to find my purpose more clearly. However, the undertaking is a substantial one, requiring time and an openness to prayer.
For this reason, there is an ‘introductory time’ – time to allow an informed decision before a commitment to the retreat as a whole. The programme starts with four introductory weeks to see if this is for me – [1st-22nd October].
Course Dates:
1st October 2025 – 6th May 2026
Meetings: Each Wednesday evening 7.30pm – 9.00pm
St William of York Church
Ecclesall Road,
Sheffield S11 8TL
More information and booking:
Alessio Salvadori
0114 266 4500 / 07766712343
[email protected]
