The Jesuit Institute team are pleased to offer this exciting opportunity to experience the full Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in a combination of prayer in daily life and two residentials. Engaging in the Spiritual Exercises in this way offers the opportunity to complete the journey in around six - seven months with the same spiritual director throughout.  Whilst this is an individual journey, those taking part will be companions throughout the experience of the Exercises. The residentials will be at moments when a retreat environment might enrich the prayer experiences at that point on the journey.

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What are the Spiritual Exercises?

The Spiritual Exercises are a creative and flexible programme of prayer centred on the life of Jesus Christ written by St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). If you have taken part in an online or residential individually guided retreat, or a week of guided prayer or a retreat in daily life, then these experiences are inspired by and drawn from the Full Spiritual Exercises. Although some will do the Full Spiritual Exercises in 30 Days at a residential retreat centre, others will choose to do the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life (also known as the '19th Annotation') over a period of nine months to a year or more. The Hybrid Exercises offers a blended experience.

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How it works

Those taking part will need to be available for residential sections and some online meetings as a group as detailed below. Between these sessions/residential retreats, the participant will make time to pray each day, and meet with their spiritual director once a week online.

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Saturday 22nd Jun 2024     Opening Day for the Group (online)

Jun – Aug 2024     Weekly meetings with your spiritual director in daily life to prepare for the Exercises.

Sun 11th – Sun 18th Aug 2024     Residential Retreat (6 days) Manresa House, Birmingham

Aug – Oct 2024      Weekly meetings with your spiritual director in daily life.

Sun 27th Oct – Fri 1st Nov 2024     Residential Retreat (4 days) Manresa House, Birmingham

Oct – Dec 2024     Weekly meetings with your spiritual director in daily life

Dec 2024    Final gathering of group online – next steps etc. (Date to be confirmed)

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Cost of the Hybrid Spiritual Exercises

Donations help us continue our work of making Ignatian spirituality available to as many people as possible.  

The Suggested Donation for making the Hybrid Exercises is £1200.

You can make a one-off donation or if you would like to split your donation across the time of making the retreat you are also very welcome to contribute in this way.

*Note: we do not want money to be a barrier to participating, so please give what you feel you can afford.

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We will send information about donating if you are accepted on the retreat.

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Application information

Please note, the application process may take up to six weeks. For questions about the application process, please email eharrison@jesuit.org.uk

Closing date for applications: 31st May 2023. We may close applications earlier if we have filled the places.