The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola are a practical and deeply personal journey through the central truths of the Catholic faith. Through guided meditations, examination of conscience and prayer, retreatants are invited to reflect upon God, the meaning and purpose of life, the person of Jesus Christ and our eternal destiny.

The aim is not simply to learn more about the faith, but to encounter God more deeply, find peace of heart, become free from worldly attachments and discern His will with greater clarity.

This five day retreat presents a shortened form of the full Spiritual Exercises while preserving their essential silence, structure and spiritual dept

Each day will include four or five conferences given by the priests leading the retreat, followed by generous time for private prayer and reflection.

The retreat will be conducted in silence, apart from individual meetings with the retreat guides.

Participants will also be offered:

• Daily Mass celebrated in Latin
• The possibility of Mass in the Tridentine Rite upon request
• Daily Rosary
• Regular opportunities for Confession
• Individual spiritual conversation with one of the priests
• Time for personal prayer, reflection and peaceful walks.

There will be daily Mass celebrated in Latin, with the option of Mass to be additionally celebrated in the Tridentine Rite upon request. The Rosary will be said daily.

This retreat is for any man seeking to deepen his spiritual life, make an important decision, rediscover a sense of direction or simply spend meaningful time with God.

You may be coming with a particular question. You may feel spiritually restless or overwhelmed. You may simply know that you need to stop.

Whatever brings you, the exercises provide a trusted path towards greater freedom, peace and clarity.

The retreat will be preached by the Monks of St Joseph’s Abbey, Flavigny. The monastic community was established in 1988 by Dom Augustin Marie Joly, who entrusted it with a specific apostolate of preaching spiritual retreats for men. In 2021, the community founded a new priory in Solignac, France.

The monks have decades of experience guiding these retreats at Flavigny, at their priory in Solignac, and at locations throughout the United Kingdom, such as at The Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst and beyond.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Friday

• Arrivals are welcome from 3pm
• Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 5:30pm, followed by the first conference

Wednesday

• Departures from 5pm

We are conveniently situated an hour’s drive from Manchester Airport, which is well-connected internationally, and we are 40 minutes’ drive from Preston station, which is a 2-hour train journey from London.

We will aim to arrange either a pick-up or shared transport with other course participants, either from Manchester Airport itself, or from Preston train station, which has a direct connection to Manchester airport.