The Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality offers parish retreats that focus on Ignatian prayer and discernment.

Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium, has invited each of us to a “renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ” on an “unfailing daily basis.” He has also spoken of the “necessity of discernment of spirits” for Christians.

St. Ignatius and Company

What Are Parish Retreats?

During Catholic parish retreats, the whole parish is invited to strengthen their faith together as a community, as well as to revisit their individual relationships with God to open up their minds and hearts to His word.

The retreat leader will guide your parish through a series of prayers, meditations and reflections throughout a day or week-long retreat. The focus of these exercises depends on the selected theme of the parish retreat.

Parish Retreat Themes

We offer parish retreats focused on the following four themes:

  1. Ignatian Prayer – Seeking the face of Christ in meditation and contemplation (the most foundational theme)
  2. The Examen Prayer – Praying through the day in order to find God in all things
  3. Discernment of Spirits – Become aware of and respond to influences of good and evil in the spiritual life
  4. Discerning God’s Will – Principles and techniques for seeking and finding God’s will and making decisions based on it
  5. Discovering Your Personal Vocation – his workshop will help you to discover God’s extraordinary gift: your Personal Vocation

If this is your first parish retreat, we’d recommend beginning with the Ignatian Prayer theme. Contact us to discuss the best retreat theme for your parish.

Retreat Formats

The retreats are held primarily in your church, with the possibility of using extra space in a parish hall or conference room. We offer the retreats in two formats:

  1. The first is an intensive retreat that runs from Friday evening at 7 PM until Saturday afternoon at 4 PM. It includes two conferences on Friday evening from 7 to 9:30 PM, and three to four conferences on Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM. There is time available between conferences for personal prayer, discussion, Mass and confessions.
  2. The second format is over four days, from Sunday through Wednesday evening. The conferences and prayer time would run from 7-8:30 PM each evening. We could also offer the same conferences in the morning for the early crowd, before or after daily Mass.

Please consider bringing your parishioners into this vital contact with the Lord. It is a gift that will change the course of their lives and continue to bear fruit for years to come.

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

The Disciples to Jesus

To schedule a retreat, please contact the Lanteri Center. We’d be happy to discuss the theme and format that’s best for your parish.

The George family laughing at the 2023 OMV Gala

Celebrate Seminarians at the OMV Gala!

Join us for the OMV Gala on April 27, 2024! The joyful annual celebration honors and thanks Oblates of the Virgin Mary seminarians, brothers and priests who have dedicated their lives to service.

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