The Lay Retreatants League

Introduction
The banner of each Manresa Matters reminds us that our Mission is to "help people grow spiritually through prayer, reflection, guidance and teaching." Our continuing operations confirm our historical recourse to conference retreats as the cornerstone of our effort to fulfill that Mission. However, each passing year makes clearer there are several challenges which impair our ability to sustain that ministry; the most important include:

the aging population of the retreatant base,
the aging population of retreat group leadership, and
demographic changes in the Archdiocese affecting traditional groups.

Year-over-year declines in conference retreat attendance comprise the obvious sign that different approaches and outreach efforts are needed. Additionally, a survey of those attending workshops, seminars and special offerings reveals a significant portion of these attendees do not attend conference or individually directed retreats during the year. In other words, we are finding discrete rather than overlapping populations when retreats are compared with seminars and similar offerings.

We have solicited comments and ideas from various participants to enhance the Manresa experience at conference retreats and other offerings. Of all the various ideas discussed in many forums, one seemed to surface which appeared viable and addressed the need to bolster conference retreats, that of forming a "League" of seasoned retreatants. Such a league, while significantly different in scope and responsibility from the one formed to establish Manresa in 1926, would recall an historical affiliation with those who dedicated so much effort to Manresa's founding.

In the beginning, everyone was a recruiter as the job of building up the base fell to the members of the Laymen's Retreat League. We are simply returning to that functional alignment with an extension to include all who come on a retreat to Manresa by forming the Lay Retreatants League.

Many retreatants have indicated they get a great deal out of their retreat experience but expressed frustration they cannot sustain the experience much beyond the retreat. The vision of (1) further spiritual encounter at Manresa, and (2) an extension to include service, we believe, will help sustain their Ignatian experience. Ignatius would agree it is important to those who come that an experience of the Exercises, whether at a weekend conference retreat, a day of reflection, a workshop or a seminar, does not end with the event itself.

As for the vision's first element, Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier and the rest of their original community would attest that while a retreat experience is an essential part of the development of a person in holiness, it cannot be the sole ingredient to achieve spiritual maturity. Regular teaching, worship, prayer, devotion and spiritual guidance are all activities these saints and the Church Fathers would recognize as fundamental to an everyday life of holiness. Manresa has a diverse palette of offerings throughout the year which are designed to extend the retreat experience and deepen an understanding of Christ's call in each of our lives. Days of reflection, workshops, seminars, spiritual direction and the Ignatian Internship Program offered at Manresa form a core of solid teaching and spiritual guidance which will manifest in a deeper prayer life and meaningful retreat experiences, also in retrospect.

The vision's second element, that of service, is another critical component of the League by providing an outlet for what St. Ignatius would consider a natural outcome of the Exercises, bringing Christ to the world. Many do that already as they invite people to come to Manresa for a weekend conference retreat. An invitation to come helps to introduce others to a spirituality they can cultivate for the rest of their lives, entirely entwined with Christ. The League's structure would also promote service opportunities through hospital and nursing home visits, transportation for the elderly, work with youth groups and schools and participation in many other arenas. There are active Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Ignatian Volunteer ministries in the area which could serve to direct and focus a League effort. The link to conference retreats would identify Manresa as an active participant in the community at large and in so doing, introduce the community to the spiritual and practical fruits of the Exercises.

Vision
Establish a Lay Retreatants League comprised of those who attend conference or individually directed retreats at Manresa. The League will undertake three separate functions:

Promote retreat attendance among parishes, organizations and within members' own families (a new direction) while developing leaders to promote and sustain conference and individually directed retreats into the future.
Encourage retreatants to attain year-round spiritual enrichment in addition to the experience of a conference or individual retreat.
Support the expansion of Manresa into the community by participating directly in various service projects coordinated with other Jesuit and Archdiocese of Detroit organizations.

Manresa Benefits: Furthering the Mission of extending the Ignatian Charism of the Exercises to the larger community in the Archdiocese of Detroit by:

increasing participation at conference retreats,
increasing participation in other spiritual programs which support the Mission (i.e., days of reflection, workshops, etc.),
providing a cadre of people who understand the Mission and who can undertake leadership recruitment roles,
providing a volunteer structure that will extend the ministry of Manresa to the community through a service component,
providing a forum to recognize volunteers who help to achieve the Mission, and
instituting new avenues of communication to the retreatant population.

League Membership Benefits: Deepening the members' relationship with Manresa and others in the community and providing a platform with wider options to support spiritual growth. Additionally, League members would receive:

a copy of the Annual Yearbook,
advanced registration for their retreat,
free admittance for a Day of Reflection,
roster recognition in the Annual Yearbook,
discount (additional 10% if already senior, over 65) on all Manresa workshops, days of reflection and Bible studies,
distinctive lapel pin and membership card, and
an invitation to attend a Memorial Mass and breakfast for League members.

Charter Year
To be sure, the reconstituted League is in its neophyte stages. Much work has to be done to organize the effort and link to other service-oriented groups to fulfill the mission of the League. The fiscal year beginning July, 2010 is designated the League Membership Charter Year and all who join during this fiscal year will be considered Charter Members of the Lay Retreatants League. Years from now, will some retreatant look at our history and see the League as a turning point? Only you and others like you who get involved can fulfill that vision.

Become a Charter Member
Join simply by filling out the form below or by calling the Front Office. Annual dues are only $30.


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