Having always had a desire to learn about The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, I jumped at the chance to attend this “Women of Manresa” silent retreat. Patterned exactly like the retreats given for men at Manresa House of Retreats in Convent, LA, the women who attend this retreat are able to share in the knowledge and joy of learning to pray using the Ignation Prayer Structure of Contmplation or Meditation. Personally, I loved it! As a retired math/science teacher, this way of praying using a template of sorts and more direction on the “how” of praying really hit a cord with me. I obviously needed a little help in my prayer life and this retreat gave it to me! Our spiritual director for this retreat was Fr. John Brown, SJ. His personal stories and explanations were not only very instructive, but really entertaining as well!
As he mentioned, though, until all the weekends are filled, try to attend retreats given by different men, as their approaches and stories will be different and thus what you can take away and use on a personal level will grow each time you attend a retreat. I am already looking forward to my next “Women of Manresa” retreat next year. Thank you, Lord, for opening up this path to me.......for the greater glory of God!
If you love Jesus and the Jesuits, this is the retreat for you! I enjoyed the peaceful grounds at the Cenacle to meditate on how I can say yes to God and grow closer to the person He created me to be. We delved into the history of our faith and the beauty of our Catholic traditions. I feel the Women of Maresa Retreat strengthened my soul and drew me closer to Our Lord. I learned it’s not about what the church can offer me, but how I can give myself more freely to the Lord because He made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
The men of Manresa have enjoyed a long history of retreats dedicated to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Those retreats have spanned generations and have allowed men to taste the wisdom and fruitfulness of Jesuit spirituality. In a rather bold initiative, The Cenacle on the Lake Retreat House has begun to offer similar retreats for women. I was blessed to attend one of those retreats in May 2023 which was directed by Jesuit Father Mark Thibodeaux. It was an anointed three days of prayer, silence, and guided reflection. The stories and personal reflections shared by Father Mark touched me deeply and enabled me to open my heart more easily to God. I have long believed that the greatest gift the Jesuits have to offer the Church is their dedication to preaching and teaching the Exercises. Gifted preachers like Father Mark will ensure that St. Ignatius’ work will continue to flourish as the Spiritual Exercises are made more readily available to women as well as men, lay as well as religious.
My Women of Manresa retreat experience was much more than I could have anticipated. It gave me the time and space to lay down my burdens, step away, and just be with Jesus. The eleven talks inspired me, like Mary, to “treasure up and ponder” the words and actions of Jesus. Our God is one of surprises, and the insights that He shared with me on my retreat are the gifts and blessings that I took home with me. The Lord is calling me to greater depths in our relationships, and my retreat has inspired me to forge ahead and see what He has in store for us. I cannot say enough about the gifts of our retreat director, Fr. Mark Thibodeaux. I walked away feeling like I had been in the presence of Jesus – he is genuine, joyful, and in love with Jesus! He shared his gifts with me and all the retreatants, and I fell in love with Jesus all over again!
My first day back at work after a Women of Manresa Silent Retreat was not what I expected. I thought all the catch-up work would be overwhelming, but I calmly made my way through several piles of work and emails without stress. This retreat truly renewed me. The Spiritual Exercises offered new ways to encounter Christ, from reading the Word of God differently, to placing myself in the scenes of the scriptures. In the silence I was able to stop my inner-voice, and listen to what Jesus had to say, while enjoying the beautiful grounds and sounds of nature at the Cenacle on the Lake. I look forward to going back yearly for more Ignatian spirituality!
For many years, my husband John has looked forward to his retreat at Manresa and has come home rejuvenated. I would envy him as he would talk about his one-on-one experience with God through the St. Ignatius exercises. Just recently I was given the opportunity to attend the Women of Manresa Retreat at the Cenacle. At first I was a little concerned about my volunteer activities and calming my every day thoughts for three days, but as I found out I could do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. After settling in my my room, turning off all electronic devices and enjoying the beautiful spaces around me I was able to quiet my thoughts. Imagine having three days like this, with beautiful surroundings, comfortable accommodations, delicious food and the opportunity to deepen your love and relationship with God.
At the beginning of the retreat the Spiritual Director gave us a sheet with topics for each Conference using the St. Ignatius Spiritual Exercises. On the sheet he suggested Scripture passages to read for reflections or other meditations from the Exercises. It is designed to help you listen to the Holy Spirit and to be open to God’s graces and calling in your life.
At the end of each Conference/Spiritual Exercise there are questions you can meditate on. This is where a journal comes in very handy for you to write down your thoughts about meditating on questions like “What is God asking of me? What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What will I do for Christ?”
Just imagine what it would be to have a conversation with Jesus, Mary or your favorite saints. How precious is the time in my day when I can be quiet and listen. I’m in my own little world when I do this. I now realize that I take care of my physical health, but not my spiritual health.
The ladies as a group had the opportunity to attend Mass, pray the rosary, and pray the Stations of the Cross together.
I no longer envy John because I now have the opportunity to be spiritually rejuvenated myself at the Women of Manresa Retreat. I came home feeling like a new person. This is so important to me that I’m looking forward to going each year. Just try it once and you will be hooked on this special place!
Please email it to aharbison@arch-no.org.