Morning of Reflection to Celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola

"The Pilgrim"
Ignatius of Loyola
1491-1556

July 31 ~  Celebrating the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola via a Morning of Reflection organized by the Ignatius Volunteer Corps of Chicago is fast becoming my annual mid-summer treat to myself.  I so enjoyed the first retreat hosted last year at St. Ignatius College Prep that I looked forward to attending this year; the theme was "Pragmatic Mysticism: Ignatius Loyola and the God of Now" led by Fr. Pat McGrath, SJ.  During the break it was a pleasant surprise to run into fellow Sacred Heart alumna, Sr. Mary Bernstein, RSCJ who currently is working at Josephinum Academy.  On a sunny morning in July it was a pleasure to enter the gate of St. Ignatius College Prep and walk past the beautiful flowers into Tully Hall. To learn more about this great venue with its meaningful location and why I like it so much click here.   

Kudos to Christine Curran, Chicago Regional Director of IVC and Jackie Fitzgerald, Program Associate and their many helpers who once again organized a very successful and enjoyable morning followed by a delicious box lunch. 

Celebrating the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola ~ IVC Morning of Reflection

Saint Ignatius

On Thursday, July 30th, the Ignatian Volunteer Corp of Chicago hosted a Morning of Reflection to celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola led by Bill Creed, SJ at St. Ignatius College Prep in Tully Hall.  

The theme: "Reflecting on our Images of God" drew 110 participants from all over Chicago and as far away as Naperville.  As we gathered in Tully Hall we began our morning with coffee and light refreshments.  This time gave us all an opportunity to meet and greet veteran and new volunteers, IVC alums, reflectors and friends of IVC.  A few representatives from Loyola Press were on hand too with a number of books and resources on Ignatian spirituality available for sale. 

Many thanks to Christine Curran, Chicago Regional Director of IVC and Jackie Fitzgerald, Program Associate who did an outstanding job getting this first (hopefully annual) retreat organized.  

The venue was very meaningful to me for a couple of reasons.  First, most every Sacred Heart alum knows that Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat's brother Louis was a member of the Society of Jesus. Many of those same alums with ties to Chicago have ancestors that attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart (now Woodlands) founded in 1858 which was located in Holy Family parish for over forty years. Today, many of our current alums from Sacred Heart Schools Chicago are students at St. Ignatius College Prep.

In small groups we gathered at our assigned tables to begin our morning with an opening prayer "Teach Me to Listen" (adapted by John Veltri, SJ) and then it seemed that the next few hours we spent with one another listening to Fr. Bill Creed and sharing in small and large groups went by all too quickly.  We concluded our day by celebrating the Eucharist followed by a tasty lunch.  The participants at my table all agreed that we enjoyed the time reflecting and in prayer with each other. We also look forward to IVC Chicago making this an annual event.

Micah 6:8: This is what God requires: Act justly, love tenderly, walk humbly with your God

A few photos of the beautiful St. Ignatius College Prep campus...
Note: The statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located in Holy Family Church

Prayer on the Feast of St. Ignatius

July 31st - Today is the Feast of St. Ignatius ~ 

Dearest Lord, Teach Me to be Generous

By St. Ignatius

DEAREST LORD, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve Thee as Thou deservest; to give, and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to seek reward, save that of knowing that I do Thy Will, O Lord. Amen

The prayer above was taken from the book: SPECIAL DEVOTIONS Compiled for Children of the Sacred Heart - Revised Edition 1956

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat on St. Ignatius

Ignatius of Loyola  (1491 - 1556)

July 31st - Today is the Feast of St. Ignatius ~ 

“A virtue that characterized Saint Ignatius was union with God and prayer; it is from that union, the result of serious prayer, that one draws strength and light.”

                                                                         
(St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, Conference, 1834)