Thursday, September 24, 2009

“The Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius


“The Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius, presented in the form of the 19th Annotation Retreat for Daily Life, has begun for the new 2009/10 year. LIS has been blessed with a record number of retreatants who have committed to the 9-month program of daily scriptural prayer, weekly individual spiritual direction, and monthly group faith-sharing.

This year, 88 individuals have begun this life changing process, more than doubling the number of retreatants from last year! Of this number, 36 English speaking individuals will be a part of the Wednesday night group (27 are new to LIS and 9 are enrolled in the ISFP Program) and 8 Korean speaking retreatants will be meeting on Mondays. The Korean participation has been made possible by Associate Dr. Regina Hur, who painstakingly translated LIS’s 19th Annotation curriculum into her native language. Additionally, 44 retreatants are undertaking the Spiritual Exercises as part of the Los Angeles Archdiocese Diaconate Training Program. These participants (18 English speaking and 26 Spanish speaking) will attend groups located in Los Angeles.

All classes are directed by Sr. Barbra Ostheimer, S.N.D., Brother Charles Jackson, S.J., Fr. Stephen Corder, S.J., and a team of dedicated LIS Lay Associates.

Final Vows




On September 9, 2009, Rev. Stephen Corder, S.J. and Rev. Felix Just, S.J. celebrated their Final Vows in the Sacred Heart Chapel, located on the Motherhouse campus of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. This beautiful event was attended by approximately 230 friends and family members, and was followed by a lovely dessert reception. Congratulations and blessings to Fr. Steve and Fr. Felix!

Regional Summer Seminar on Formation for Hispanic Ministry


From September 13-16, David Robinson, S.J., of the Loyola Institute was a participant in the second Regional Summer Seminar on Formation for Hispanic Ministry, held at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. The group represented a number of dioceses and programs from Southern California and Nevada, and undertook a wide-ranging discussion of the critical issues facing those who minister to the Hispanic community in the areas of catechesis, spiritual formation, and parish/pastoral leadership, among others. The Seminar displayed the broad spirit of collaboration and collective creativity that infuses the plans and aspirations of so many who serve in Hispanic contexts. Initial plans were formulated for next-step projects and future conversations, in order to enhance cooperation across diocesan lines, and among geographically separated programs with similar goals. The spirit throughout was animated and optimistic, looking beyond the restrictions imposed by current budget and program limitations in order to nurture a rich future for Hispanic ministry and the evolution of diverse communities.