You MUST attend an information session to begin the registration and preparation process
JCU has been a pioneer in offering an eight-day silent retreat to college students. The retreat is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola which has profoundly influenced the lives of countless people since the sixteenth century. The following frequently asked questions/answers may help you decide if this retreat is for you. You may also contact Paula Fitzgerald, Associate Director of Campus Ministry and Coordinator of Retreats at (216) 397-4709 or pfitzgerald@jcu.edu.
WHO may go on the retreat?
Any member of the JCU community – students, staff, faculty and administrators may attend the retreat. If you have already made the retreat at JCU you may make it again if there is space available.
WHY should I go on this retreat?
There are as many reasons to go on this retreat as there are people who attend it. Some of the reasons others have made this retreat include: wanting to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, desiring to spend quality time in prayer and reflection, wanting to learn more about your self in relationship to God and to others, preparing to make a significant decision, and responding to the movement of the Spirit.
WHAT will I do on retreat?
This retreat is more about “being” than doing. You will spend time each day in prayer and reflection (usually 3-4 set “prayer periods” of at least 30 minutes) and you will meet with your spiritual director (see below). You are also encouraged to enjoy individual leisure time (music, puzzles, art) and exercise each day. Eucharistic liturgy is offered each day and there will be opportunities for sacrament of reconciliation.
What are the Spiritual Exercises and what does a spiritual director do?
Spiritual Exercises refers to the handbook written by St. Ignatius based on his own personal spiritual experience and that of others to whom he listened. It is an organized series of spiritual exercises that invite individuals to meditate on Christian faith and to contemplate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Although ultimately God is “directing” your retreat, each person is assigned a spiritual director (members of the JCU faculty/administration or the Cleveland community). A spiritual director is someone who is committed to prayer, and has training and experience with Ignatian spirituality and Scripture. You will meet with your spiritual director each day for approximately 30-45 minutes. Your director will listen to your reflections about how God is present in your life. S/he will offer Scripture passages and other materials for your prayer and reflection.
What about the silence? Is it true that I can’t talk at all?
You will be speaking with your director at daily meetings and also have the opportunity to pray aloud at daily liturgy. Silence is not the focus of the retreat, but it is a necessary component of a fruitful retreat. God speaks to us in many ways, and at times God speaks to us through our conversations with others. However, the 8-Day Retreat is a privileged time when we can tune out the noise and distractions of our regular routines in order to more intentionally focus on our relationship with God. Whether in the dining room or the chapel, walking on the paths, or reading in the lounge, our focus should be on God, not on the other retreatants.
In order to be open to the ways and times that God wishes to communicate with each person, all retreatants are asked to maintain an atmosphere of silence for the duration of the retreat. In this setting silence is an attitude of making space for God in your life. Silence invites you to give your attention to all the ways that God can speak to you without the distractions of noise, gossip, and business. The silence and solitude is not a withdrawal from, but an opening to; we are not leaving the world but allowing ourselves to be present to it, to be touched by it, and thus better come to realize our place in it.
Is prior retreat experience necessary?
Although prior retreat experience may be helpful it is not necessary. The only “requirements” are: a desire to deepen one’s relationship with God, a generosity and openness to how God may wish to meet you on the retreat, and a willingness to share some of your prayer reflections with a director.
How much does it cost?
Through the generosity of the Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus and other generous benefactors, JCU is able to subsidize almost the entire cost of the retreat. Although the actual cost per person is approximately $400/person we request a fee of $75/person. As with all of our programs, additional financial assistance is available.
Where is the retreat held?
Jesuit Retreat House in Parma, OH (approximately 35 minutes from JCU). Transportation to/from the retreat center can be arranged upon request. You will have your own bedroom with shared bathrooms in the hall. All meals are included.
