Men's Retreat
Spiritual Exercises
of St Ignatius
31st March - 5th April 2025
A 5-day version of the Ignatian Exercises for men
Led by the Benedictine Monks of St Joseph’s Abbey, Flavigny (France)
This five-day retreat for men is a shortened form of the full Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. As is proper for the Spiritual Exercises, the retreat is a silent one (with the exception of one-to-one meetings with the retreat guides).
The Exercises are a synthetic and practical presentation of the central truths of the Catholic faith—God, the meaning of life, the eternal destiny of mankind, the life of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race—in the form of meditations, examination of conscience and prayers.
The aim of the Exercises is to find peace of heart, to free oneself of worldly attachments and to discover the will of God for the salvation of the soul.
Retreat structure
Each day is framed by 4 or 5 talks given by one or other of the two priests who are preaching the retreat, with time for private prayer after each talk.
The retreat is conducted in silence.
The priests will be available for one-to-one conversation and confessions on a daily basis.
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.
Meet our retreat guides
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 been offering these retreats at both Flavigny since 1988 and at Solignac since 2021, as well as at other locations in the UK and elsewhere.
For questions about the spiritual exercises, the monks can be contacted at [email protected]
About the venue
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.
Timings
Monday
- Arrivals from 3pm
- Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 5pm and the first conference at 5:30pm
Saturday
- Departures from 5pm
Cost (per retreat)
Single room (en-suite): £550 p.p.*
If you would like to attend this retreat but are unable to pay the full cost, please contact [email protected] to discuss subsidies.
*Cost includes full board from Monday dinner to Saturday lunch inclusive.
“I am deeply grateful for this experience“
“The ability of the course leaders to recognise the direction that God was taking us and the insight to go with it made this retreat stand out”
Please register below (includes £100 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue & Getting to us:
If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]