About us

HISTORY

Our Story

From 1917 to 1925 men who wanted to make an Ignatian retreat had to travel by boat to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1923 these laymen banded together as “The Laymen’s Retreat League” to establish a Jesuit retreat house in the Detroit area. They raised the funds to purchase property on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Quarton Road. The first retreat took place September 23-26, 1926.

When the house burned down in 1934, laymen raised funds in the middle of the Great Depression to build it anew. Since then the house has been expanded six times, and the spiritual programs likewise have been expanded from weekend retreats for men to a variety of spiritual offerings and experiences for men and women. In 1960, the laymen turned over full control of Manresa to the Jesuits, but today a mostly lay Board of Directors continues to oversee the welfare of the house.

Manresa was the first and perhaps the only retreat house to be established, owned and administered by laymen, who subsequently invited Jesuits to serve as their retreat directors and spiritual guides.

Origin

The seeds of Manresa were planted by a group of laymen who had their first retreat experiences at St. Stanislaus Retreat House (now Jesuit Retreat Center) in Cleveland, Ohio. Their initiative was fostered by two Jesuits, Fr. John Donoher, SJ (1921-25) and Fr. William Cogley, SJ (1925-45). And God gave the increase. The original group of men formed an association called “The Laymen’s Retreat League.” Together they purchased land in what is now Grosse Pointe Park and planned to build a retreat house there. After four years of hard work it became clear that the site was less desirable. In March, 1926, the Laymen’s Retreat League sold the property, to the Edsel Ford Estate, and with the approval of the Provincial of the Chicago Province, Fr. Jeremiah O’Callaghan, SJ, in July of that year bought the “Deepdale Estate” of William Murphy. The 39-acre estate on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Quarton Road. had been developed by William Murphy, one of the builders of the Penobscot Building in Detroit. The beautiful, rustic setting, divided by the main branch of the Rouge River included the main house, tile barn, caretaker’s house, barn and silo built in the shape of a lighthouse. A waterwheel-powered pump house fed water into an underground sprinkling system throughout the vast gardens.

Ownership and management of the property and all the activities of the retreat house remained under the management of the Laymen’s Retreat League. The actual transfer of the property to the Jesuits took place decades later.

In these early days the Retreat Office was located in the Gabriel Richard Building in downtown Detroit. The manor house on the new property was promptly made ready for retreats and Fr. Cogley directed the first retreat with 16 men September 23-26, 1926.

Initially it was a great struggle to meet the costs and to recruit retreatants. But with Fr. Cogley’s leadership and the enthusiasm of the retreatants the new venture picked up momentum. The full capacity of the house was 23 retreatants. To help make ends meet, Fr. Cogley worked a big garden and raised cattle to keep the table supplied. The outdoor Way of the Cross, the Lourdes shrine, and the handsome gateway at the entrance soon enhanced the property.

Disaster Strikes

When the depression came in the early 1930’s, expenses became almost insupportable. Then on March 22, 1934, the manor house caught fire and burned to the ground. Determined to carry on, the retreatants raised funds to build a new structure on the same site. Under the guidance of Henry Brennan of the W.E. Wood Co., the new structure was completed August 27, 1936. Fr. Marshall Lochbiler, SJ directed the first retreat for 31 retreatants, the capacity of the new facility.

Growth and Development

In 1945 Fr. Gerald Fitzgibbons, SJ took over as director. The number of retreatants grew and in 1951 the present chapel wing was built. This added rooms on the second floor and raised the capacity to 42 retreatants. In 1952 Fr. Clement Singer, SJ, became director. And as the number of retreatants continued to grow, the possibility of a second retreat house in the Detroit area was considered. Eventually it was decided to increase Manresa’s capacity even more.

Expansion

Named Director in 1963, Fr. Bernard Wernert, SJ moved the offices from downtown Detroit to the Manresa facility and formed a building committee to plan for a new addition. On Palm Sunday, April 3, 1966, ground was broken for the substantial new wing which included a basement assembly room. On May 21, 1967, 1400 people celebrated the dedication of this extension which brought the number of retreat rooms up to 70. Funds saved by Fr. Singer and his predecessors covered the cost of the building and all its furnishings.

Youth / Funding / Women

When he came to Manresa, Fr. Wernert found youth retreats flourishing under the guidance of Fr. Paul Cavanaugh, SJ. From 1961 to 1969 these midweek and evening retreats filled the house. As the new wing was finished, Manresa’s retreatants initiated a fundraising campaign to build a separate youth retreat house on the property. Changes in the Church and society called into doubt the wisdom of having a separate facility for boys. The many donors who had contributed to the campaign, all but six, decided to leave the money with Manresa, thereby providing a fund that has helped sustain Manresa in the years that followed. Youth retreats, however, have continued to flourish at Manresa particularly through high school “Kairos” retreats. The Second Vatican Council brought about several changes at Manresa, the most noticeable being the offering of retreats for women.

Golden Jubilee/New Leadership

On September 12, 1976, Manresa celebrated its Golden Jubilee with an outdoor Mass, presided over by Bishop Walter Schoenherr. Over 1200 people attended. All of this was reminiscent of the grand Corpus Christi celebrations held by Frs. Cogley and Fitzgibbons in the early days of Manresa.

In 1977 for reasons of health Fr. Wernert retired from his 14 years of service to Manresa and Fr. Eugene Simon, SJ, became the new director. In 1979 the dining room was enlarged and joined to the new wing. The chapel was air-conditioned. A “cave” chapel was built on the second floor in an area designated for a future elevator shaft. The kitchen and store rooms were enlarged. In 1980 the Jesuits received a new dining room, and Our Lady of Manresa, a one-of-a-kind statue donated by Peter Grande, came to the Manresa grounds.

In 1981 the Sacred Heart Court was added, and the Board initiated a campaign to build the Administration Wing. The next year the new wing, with its Wernert Lounge and administrative offices, was dedicated by Archbishop Szoka. The new main entrance is graced with a statue to the Holy Spirit, the gift of a Jewish family. In 1987 the chapel was enlarged and enhanced with new sanctuary furnishings.

More Recent Developments

Fr. John McGrail, SJ served as director in 1990, followed by Fr. James Riley, SJ who served for four years. During this time the lay Advisory Board became a full Board of Directors. In 1995 the two-year Internship in Ignatian Spirituality, which had been functioning at Colombiere Center in Clarkston for 15 years, became an intrinsic part of the Manresa apostolate. This has now become the Seminar in Ignatian Spirituality and the Internship in Spiritual Companionship.

In 1995, Fr. James Serrick, SJ became Manresa’s new director. The Board of Directors then initiated a study of the whole physical plant with special attention to current fire and safety codes, and launched a campaign called “Manresa 2000,” which raised funds for the improvement and upgrading of the whole retreat house facility during the summer of 1997. This work included a new kitchen, an integrated fire and smoke alarm system, fire escapes from the second floor, a new elevator to all floors, new heat controls in all the rooms, air-conditioning of the whole building, and rooms for the physically disabled. The former waterwheel-powered pump house was converted to a small, rustic chapel. On the first floor of the main building, a statue of Our Lady of Montserrat has become the focal point of a chapel, while a “cave chapel” is located on the second floor.

New Millennium

The turn of the century brought new developments at Manresa. In 2001, Manresa celebrated its 75th anniversary with an outdoor thanksgiving liturgy and reception. Thanks to an anonymous donation, retreatants’ rooms on the second floor were re-carpeted and furniture was replaced in 2003, as well as repairs to the slate roof and new carpeting is installed in the hallways and offices on the first floor.

In 2004, the first Spirit of Manresa Gala was held at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham as a fund-raiser. A year later, an emphasis on individually directed retreats was initiated and more women were recruited to serve on the board of directors.

Fr. Serrick left Manresa in 2007 after 14 years of service. Fr. Walter Farrell, SJ served as acting director until 2008 when Manresa welcomed Fr. Gregory Hyde, SJ as its new director. In 2014, Fr. Fran Daly, SJ was named director and Sr. Linda Sevcik, SM, was named Executive Director in 2020.

Summary

Manresa is the home for many different types of Ignatian ministries. Forty conference retreats, with a capacity of 57 persons per retreat, bring in approximately 1,300 men and women each year. More than a dozen programs and individually directed retreats take place throughout the year, and our Jesuits and trained spiritual directors give ongoing spiritual direction to many people. Each year the Internship in Spiritual Companionship and other educational programs train people of various Christian denominations and backgrounds. Days of Reflection take place throughout the year.

The Future

God continues to bless the retreat apostolate at Manresa. Our conference retreat program continues to draw men and women near and far, encourages the participation of younger retreatants and strives to fill each retreat so that as many people as possible may take advantage of the graces to be found here.

People may continue to make individually directed retreats during our scheduled summer sessions and at other times most convenient to them. The Internship continues to foster the growth and formation of persons in their call to minister to God’s people. Manresa’s facilities are available during the week for use by groups desiring to “get away” to a quiet place for various types of meetings, seminars and workshops.

To enrich the ministries of Manresa lay and religious people trained and nurtured in the Ignatian charism have been welcomed as colleagues in ministry with the Jesuits, and together we will work for Manresa’s goals. Together we can strive to live the motto of St. Ignatius, “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” (For the Greater Glory of God) and with God’s grace Manresa will continue to thrive.

Follow Us
Contact Us

1390 Quarton Road
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

Mass Times

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM

Office Hours

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Closed 12:00-12:30 PM for lunch