RETREATS
Conference Retreats at Manresa last 3 or 4 days during which a retreat director will offer reflections to people as a group. The conferences or talks are about the spiritual life in general, and the retreats are for either men or women.
Some of these retreats, however, are Topical Retreats which are addressed to specific groups with specific needs, and these retreats are sometimes coed.
We also offer silent Individually Directed Retreats where the retreatant and director meet one-on-one for a period of 3 to 8 days. You may usually make these on the days of your choice from September to May; during the summer they are limited to three scheduled sessions. If you want to register for any of the retreats, toggle to the Upcoming Events link below.
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Conference Retreats are a series of talks presented to a group of people by a retreat director to prepare them for individual reflection and prayer. It typically lasts three or four days, over a weekend or in midweek. The retreats usually follow the themes of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. They are sometimes called preached retreats because the conferences somewhat resemble preaching, or group retreats because the director speaks to a number of people at the same time rather than to individuals one at a time.
Among those attending these conference retreats are often parish or family groups or members of some other association. Many return annually at about the same time each year. As a rule, however, any man may take part in any men’s retreat and any woman may take part in any women’s retreat, whether or not the person belongs to a group scheduled for retreat at particular time.
Besides the conferences, other offerings often available during a retreat are:
- Mass
- Healing Services
- Rosary
- Reconciliation
- Morning Prayer
- Video Presentations
- Benediction
- Faith Sharing
- Stations of the Cross
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Praying with Scripture
- Lessons in Prayer
Retreats are open to Christians of all denominations and others having a grounding in Christian teaching. Retreatants may attend whichever of these activities help them, or they may use their time otherwise as is most spiritually profitable for them. See also:
FAQ about Conference Retreats Registration: There are several ways to register for a conference retreat. First, CLICK on the List of Events, and click on the link under the date of the retreat you wish to register. Another way is go to the General or Retreat Calendar on the Menu to the left. Third method is go to the list of upcoming retreats to the right and select a retreat date you are interested to sign up.
Click on the date of the retreat you are interested in and you will be presented with the information about the retreat and a “Register” button to register. Complete the registration process as instructed.
Retreat directors adapt the Exercises in different ways. Sometimes the adaptation is such that we may speak of Topical Retreats.These are retreats that complement Ignatian spirituality rather than explicate it, and some retreats are special in the sense that they address particular audiences, needs, times or themes. Among such retreats that are usually offered at Manresa are:
- Men in Recovery Retreat Dates
- Palm Sunday Retreat for Men Dates
- Women in Recovery Retreat Dates
- Al-Anon Women Retreat Dates
- Mother’s Day Weekend Retreat Dates
- Religious Sisters Retreat Dates
- Caregivers Retreat Dates
- Charis Retreat Dates
- Christian Meditation Retreat Dates
- Christian Yoga Retreat Dates
- Hispanic Retreat Dates
- Holy Week Retreat for Men and Women Dates
- Inner Healing Retreat Dates
- Married Couples Retreat Dates
- Urban Parish Silent Retreat Dates
Perhaps among our topical retreats is one that will help you.
Registration: If you want to register for one of these retreats, click on the link of the date on the list and you will be presented with more information about the retreat and a “Register” button to register. Complete the registration process as instructed.
An afternoon to re-acquaint with God
Many people have said that they wished there were an opportunity for some kind of spiritual tune-up between their annual retreats. Twelve months is such a long time to go without some kind of revitalization. Manresa is now offering afternoons for those who have experienced a retreat to renew their retreat experience and an opportunity to introduce a friend or family member to Manresa.
The day will include a talk or discussion, time for private prayer/devotion, Mass and a dinner to round out the evening. Our first sessions have been very well received. Here are some comments from some of the attendees:
- – I didn’t realize the beauty of Manresa. I never had a chance to see at this time of year.
- – I appreciated the time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
- – This opportunity to enjoy the serenity of Manresa has reinvigorated the promises I made while I was here last spring.Thank you for the chance to touch base.
- – It was very nice to spend the day in prayer, reconciliation and then attend Sunday Mass. I remembered my experience during my retreat here and it gave me the impetus to be more ready when I come next year.
- – My friend invited me to come and see Manresa for myself. He was after me for many years. I am glad I took the few hours this Sunday to do this. I will be back in the spring for retreat. No wonder he loves this place. It is easy to know that God is close.
The program starts at 2:00 PM on a Sunday and lasts until 7 PM. You can arrive as early as 1:30 PM. The cost for the afternoon is $30, payable upon arrival. There is no charge for members of the Lay Retreatants League.
Make plans to join us on any of the dates shown below. Give yourself the opportunity to meet God in the serenity you know, and bring a friend. You can register today by calling the office or you can register on line.
Our next opportunities will be:
Individually directed retreats involve three parties, the Lord, the retreatant and a spiritual director. They are based upon the principles of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises.
The Lord desires to draw closer to each of us in a relationship of love, and invites and inspires us to come aside to a secluded place and rest a while for that purpose (Mk 6:30-32).
The retreatant is seeking a more intimate relationship with the Lord and perhaps the Lord’s will in some particular area of life. The retreatant responds willingly under grace to God’s call. She or he sets aside the normal occupations and preoccupations of daily life, and takes the time to grow quiet, to center, and to listen for what the Lord will say. Retreatants need experience in prayer, the ability to enter into silence, enough self-awareness to recognize his or her inward movements and feelings, and moments of consolation and desolation in prayer. Retreatants also need enough openness and trust to share these experiences with the director.
The spiritual director is the “spiritual companion on the journey” with the retreatant . . . the journey being led by the Lord. The director listens to and encourages the retreatant in daily meetings to give voice to his or her experience in prayer and to come to a deeper understanding of that experience. Together they try to discover the movements of the Holy Spirit, to discern the direction God appears to be leading, and to choose topics for prayer that seem the most appropriate at that moment.
On a typical day, the retreatant may spend up to four prayer periods in meditation and then share the prayer experience with the director. For Roman Catholics the Eucharist is a focal point of the day. The remainder of the day is spent in other activities designed to deepen awareness of God and our relationship with God. These activities are solitary and contemplative and may include journaling, reading, listening to music, or walking and resting on Manresa’s 39-acre grounds.
The number, nature and length of periods of prayer will depend upon each retreatant’s needs and ability, as will the length of the retreat itself. Most people make retreats of five to eight days. A retreat should be a minimum of three full days because it takes some time to slow down and get into the silence.
To inquire further contact us.
To apply for a retreat of eight days or fewer select the dates most convenient to you and register by clicking the link below. Among other considerations, acceptance of the application will depend upon the availability of rooms and an appropriate director for the time chosen.
May to August Sessions
Each summer, May to August, we set certain dates aside for individually directed retreats. We invite experienced men and women, Jesuits and others, to form a team so that amid this variety of directors each retreatant may have a compatible person to walk with them through the Spiritual Exercises. The dates allow for eight-day retreats as well as retreats of shorter duration. Retreat arrival begins at 5:00 PM on the first day of the summer retreat session. Dinner is available at 6:00 PM, with the retreat itself beginning at 7:30 PM. The retreat ends at 10:00 AM on the last day of each dedicated session. Those who wish to make a retreat shorter than eight days should stay within the respective start and end dates and times.
Our 2020 summer schedule is as follows:
Session I
May 12-21, 2020
Session II
June 8-17, 2020
Session III
July 20-29, 2020
Session IV
August 15-24, 2020
For summer session retreats of eight days or less you may register online by clicking on one of the sessions above. Or you may download the appropriate application form. May (Session I), June (Session II), July (Session III), August (Session IV), fill it out, and mail it to;
Fr. Peter Fennessy at Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, 1390 Quarton Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304.
Cost for Individually Directed Retreats:
– May through August (within dedicated session dates and times only): $80/day
– All other times throughout the year, based on calendar and director availability: $85/day
Summer sessions fill up quickly so we recommend that you register early.
September to April Sessions
From September to April individuals may generally choose the dates they wish for individually directed retreats, provided staff is available and no youth retreats are in session.
For September through April retreats apply online here, or you download this form this application form , fill it out, and mail it to Fr. Peter Fennessy at Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, 1390 Quarton Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304.
Cost for September through April Individually Directed Retreats: $85 per day.
To inquire further about individually directed retreats call the Office at (248) 644-4933 Ext. 0.
St. Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus, underwent a profound experience of God during his stay in the little town of Manresa in Spain in 1522. His heart’s desire was, as a lay person, to share with other lay people this same experience. As time went on he wrote a small book to assist in doing this. He called this book of directions The Spiritual Exercises. It was intended to help the person who directed another in a structured thirty-day or even 10-month long program of prayer and contemplation.
All Jesuits make the full thirty-day Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius also provided for people to make the Exercises over a 10-month period. Over the centuries the Jesuits have adapted the Exercises into shorter individually-directed retreats of six to eight days, and into conference or group retreats of a few days’ duration, in which the director presents various themes of the Spiritual Exercises to a group of people, who pray on their own over the material presented. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are usually experienced in these shorter adaptations, but some people are moved by grace to give themselves to the full Spiritual Exercises in the form of the 10-month Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life retreat or in the more intense Thirty-Day Retreat.
Some of the major themes normally addressed in the four weeks or phases of the Exercises are:
Week 1
- God’s unconditional, ever-faithful love.
- Sin: our failure and the failure of the human family to respond with love to God’s love.
- God’s ever-greater love, mercy and forgiveness.
Week 2
- The person and life of Christ.
- Our call to discipleship, ministry and friendship with Jesus.
- Knowing Christ more intimately, loving Him more ardently, following him more faithfully.
Week 3:
- The ultimate expression of God’s love.
- The suffering and death of Jesus for us.
Week 4:
- The victory of Jesus over death.
- His sharing His joy with us.
- Being missioned by Jesus.
- Being empowered by His Spirit.