Certificate Program
The Certificate in the Ministry of the Spiritual Exercises is a three-year program being offered by Amoris Christi and Jesus Youth. The program is designed for those with experience in spiritual direction and who would like to grow in their capacity to direct others through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The program is centered around supervised practica and is enriched through classes, readings, and discussions.
The Spiritual Exercises in their full form are offered as either a 30-day residential retreat or a non-residential retreat accommodated for ‘everyday life’ over 28 weeks. The Exercises are also offered in the abbreviated formats of the 3, 5, and 8 day retreats. Priests, deacons, religious, and lay leaders can offer these retreats to their directees, parishioners, young adult group members, and others and so allow the Holy Spirit to transform their communities of faith from within, as more and more disciples are healed, transformed, and sent out with renewed zeal.
Prerequisites for Admission
The Certificate is designed for those who have experience in spiritual direction and who have themselves made the Spiritual Exercises in either the 30-day or the 28-week format.* Participants must have already discerned a sense of being gifted and called to contemplative spiritual direction, with a desire to grow in the depth and fruitfulness of this call through the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises.
* Those who have not had the opportunity to make the full Spiritual Exercises but who are interested are encouraged to contact us in order to explore possibilities.
Cost for Interns
With gratitude for the generosity of our benefactors, the subsidized cost of the Certificate for each intern is $1,390 per year, over three years. This amount shall include the cost of room and board during the two or three summer internships at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, as well as other program-related expenses. It shall not include the cost of their travel or books.
Feeders and Application Process
Applicants have come from a wide variety of ministries and backgrounds. For the most part, they tend to be priests gifted in spiritual direction, graduates of spiritual direction schools, or those who have been mentored in spiritually accompanying others through avenues such as Jesus Youth or campus ministry.
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Because of the limited residential requirements, international applicants are welcome. Through a process of mutual discernment in prayerful conversation, applicants must be approved by Fr. John Horn, S.J., Fr. Thomas Pulickal, and Dr. Carol Razza before being accepted into the program.
USML Doctor of Ministry Concentration
Interns have the opportunity to earn a doctoral degree simultaneously through a partnership with the Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) degree program at the University of St. Mary of the Lake. 12 of the 30 credits required for the doctorate may be earned through this certificate program (with some additions). Participation in this program requires a collaborative application process that involves USML and additional prerequisites specified by the university. More information may be found by contacting Fr. John Horn, S.J. at jhorn@svdp.edu.
