Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Interesting

Saint Louis University to Host National Ignatian Spirituality Conference This Summer
Event Details: July 24 - July 27
ST. LOUIS -- A national conference to educate and encourage those who practice Ignatian spirituality as well as those involved in works rooted in Ignatian spirituality will be held July 24-27, at Saint Louis University. The conference is sponsored by Saint Louis University, the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus and the St. Louis Center for Ignatian Spirituality. The conference, "Ignatian Passion: The Challenge of the Cross in the 21st Century," will feature major presentations and small group workshops. Keynote presentations will explore the role of Christ's Passion in the Spiritual Exercises, as conceived by Ignatius' experience at LaStorta; what Ignatian passion looks like today; and what formation and foundation are needed by people who follow Ignatius in order to be sent on mission. Five hundred lay people, Jesuits, clergy and other religious men and women interested in Ignatian spirituality are expected to attend. Held every third year since 1999, this is the fourth national conference on Ignatian spirituality hosted by Saint Louis University.
Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
"The Third Week of the Exercises, when the retreatant accompanies Jesus on his way to Calvary, is a rich spiritual image for Christian believers in our passion-laden world," said A. James Blumeyer, S.J., director of the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Kansas City, Mo., and chairperson of this conference since its inception. "This conference will offer companionship and conversation about the suffering we see and know in our lives and in our world today. What better way to make our Ignatian heritage real and to invite those of like mind to share in the heart of Christ."
About the Speakers:
Keynote speakers include David Fleming, S.J., editor of the Review for Religious and an internationally known Ignatian writer and speaker from St. Louis; Marie Schwann, C.S.J., a spiritual guide, retreat director and instructor on staff of the Sioux Spiritual Center in Howes, S.D.; and a sister-brother duo, Dr. Eileen Burke-Sullivan, S.T.D., associate professor of theology at Creighton University, and Kevin Burke, S.J., academic dean and associate professor of systematic theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.
Workshops Planned:
Thirty small group workshops will provide participants with opportunities to share their specific experiences and works in Ignatian spirituality and to network with others from throughout North America.
In response to 2005 conference participants' suggestions, three workshop "tracks" have been developed. Some workshops will be presented for those who are relatively new to Ignatian spirituality and its practices. Others will be geared for those more experienced in this spirituality and conducted in a seminar format. Others will have wide appeal for any conference participant.
Workshops will explore topics that include the principles, psychology and practice of Ignatian spirituality, especially related to the Third Week; ethics and spiritual direction; and the Eastern flavor of the Passion and suffering.
To Attend the Conference:
Cost for the conference is $225 (before May 1). After May 1, the cost is $240. The conference is subsidized by the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus and Saint Louis University.
For registration information, call (314) 977-7065 or visit: www.slu.edu/conferences/isc/.
About SLU:
Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,000 students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Through teaching, research, health care and community service, Saint Louis University is the place where knowledge touches lives. Learn more about SLU at http://www.slu.edu/.

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