For Immediate Release – Nov. 12, 2009

Our 2009 Newsletter

Download

For Immediate Release – May 26, 2009

A Billion Year Odyssey

Please join us this Sunday, May 31, at 2:00 pm for the Stations of the Cosmos opening at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre, in Guelph, (5420 Hwy #6 North, R.R. #5).

This one-of-a-kind spiral meditative walk and display represents 13.7 billion years of mankind�s cosmic and evolutionary journey. The Stations of the Cosmos show key milestones in the universe�s development at proportionate distances along the length of the spiral, accompanied by photographs that celebrate God�s magnificence as revealed in Creation.

“The Stations represent what priest and historian Thomas Berry call a 'new story� to guide the world into a less destructive ecological age”, says Marianne Karsh, coordinator of ecology projects at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph.

Karsh spearheads the project and adds, the Stations integrate a scientific account of the emergence of the universe with an understanding of its inherent sacredness. The first station located near the centre of the spiral, represents the flaring forth of the universe, while other stations adjacent to the walk show traditional and ecological Stations of the Cross, as well as the emergence of major world religions.

“We hope that many people will come and see this truly stunning display and learn more about Guelph�s place of peace”, says Jim Profit, executive director of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre.

The Stations will be blessed and opened following a Land Blessing ceremony earlier in the day. Visitors can also see a new Peace Pole erected at the Centre and stroll many of the newly opened trails on the 650-acre property while enjoying light refreshments.

Those wishing to buy certificates can call 519.824.1250 x 224 or .

–30–

For Immediate Release – Dec. 10, 2008

Give A Green Gift!

The Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph (IJC) has what it believes is the most unique Christmas gift of all.

For a very modest outlay of $20, you can give a square metre of land just north of Guelph’s city limits in perpetuity to a loved one or friend.

The $20 donation to the IJC’s Plant an Old Growth Forest Project helps to protect and preserve land on 40 hectares alongside the Guelph Lake Conservation Area, where Marden Creek meets the Speed River. The square metres are part of an ambitious project to recreate some of the old growth forest that used to cover vast areas of south-western Ontario.

Bill Barrett from Guelph International Resource Centre (GIRC), one of the project partners, says the $20 gift will endow the lucky recipient with a certificate of permanent ownership of one square metre of the project.

“"Our Old Growth Forest will take generations to complete, but once re-created will stand for centuries”, he said.

The Old Growth Forest will be legally protected under a conservation easement that forever restricts how the property will be used. Funds raised from donations and gifts will support the design, planting and nurturing of the new forest using ecological restoration techniques. They will also contribute to the development of an education program that will turn the growing forest into a living classroom. A portion will also be set aside in a legacy fund to ensure long-term support for our growing forest through the centuries.

“Setting ourselves the task of growing an old growth forest close to the city and in a highly urbanized setting is an exceptionally positive challenge. Given that most of the news we hear about global ecology is bad, this project gives us an opportunity to support an initiative of real and lasting beauty”, said Bill.

Those wishing to buy certificates can call 519.824.1250 x 224 or . They can also log onto www.oldgrowthforest.ca and click the link marked “How do I make a donation?”

–30–

For Immediate Release – Nov. 18, 2008

Great Lakes Community Shared Agriculture Conference 2008

More than 175 farmers and small-farm advocates will gather at the Great Lakes Community Shared Agriculture Conference 2008 in Orillia, Ontario, from November 21 to 23 to share and learn about issues related to farming under a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) model.

CSAs provide an alternative structure in agriculture that reflects an urgent need for new agricultural development models to integrate cultural, environmental and social justice values. With the significant interest in “eating local”, CSAs are a growing market segment in Canadian small farms.

The Jesuit owned Ignatius Jesuit Centre, has played an integral role in bringing this conference to Ontario. Executive Director Jim Profit, S.J. says: “The Jesuits began farming in 1913 to provide food for the hundreds of men in training on the property. Today we continue to farm this land using the CSA model.” He adds: “That model supports our beliefs in social and ecological justice and provides a great connection for hundreds of local residents to our farm. Contributing to the organization of this conference has allowed us to be a conduit to sharing knowledge among CSA farmers.”

The content for the conference was crafted by Ontario CSA farmers under the theme, Seeding the Future—Growing Together, ensuring those attending will receive technical information they can apply to their operations. Canadian CSA pioneer and leader Dan Wiens is the keynote presenter at the conference. Outside Winnipeg, Manitoba, Dan runs Wiens Shared Farm, a CSA where urban and suburban residents receive weekly deliveries of seasonal produce.

“There always seems to be lots of young people and new farmers interested in CSAs”, says Caitlin Hall, a second year CSA farmer and conference organizing committee member. “At the conference they can network, learn what others have experienced in running a CSA, and save themselves a bit of work in the future.”

Organizing partners for the conference include the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph, the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, Heifer International, Canadian Organic Growers and the National Farmers Union-Ontario.

–30–

For Immediate Release – Nov. 5, 2008

The Green Legacy Program and Willow Road Public School Students Plant Trees

Three hundred students from Willow Road Public School in Guelph will plant trees at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre on Thursday, November 6, and Friday, November 7, in an effort to encourage responsible land stewardship.

Please join us from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. north of the Loyola House Retreat and Training Centre at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph at 5420 Hwy #6 North, R.R. #5 in Guelph.

The days of planting are a collaborative effort between Willow Road Public School, the Green Legacy Program, and the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph.

Green Legacy Nursery Manager, Rob Johnson, is excited that the students of Willow Road Public School are “investing in their future health and helping to mitigate climate change”. Of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre Johnson says, “The Jesuit Centre has planted thousands of Green Legacy trees on their property and is an excellent land steward.”

“The Ignatius Jesuit Centre has been planting trees with Wellington County’s Green Legacy Program since its inception in 2004”, Ignatius Land Manager, Craig Chamberlain says. He adds, “The program has allowed us to plant thousands more trees than we could have ever done independently.”

The Green Legacy Program grows trees with communities and then plants them with various community groups. The 2,000 trees to be planted at the Jesuit Centre are a mix of hardwood and softwood. They will be planted in a section of retired pasture and cropland.

–30–

For Immediate Release – Oct. 27, 2008

Fr. John Veltri, S.J., dies peacefully at his home in Pickering.

Fr. Veltri is best known for his years of service as a spiritual director to visitors of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph.

–30–

For Immediate Release – October 28, 2008

Local Resident Receives Jesuit Leadership Award

Dr. P. Peloso [left] receives award from Director Fr. James Profit S.J.

Guelph, Ontario —October 28— The Ignatius Jesuit Centre has awarded the inaugural Ignatius Loyola Award to Guelph resident, Dr. Peter Peloso. The award recognizes an individual or group whose action in the world flows from their faith commitment. The recipient’s actions demonstrate leadership, innovation and a positive impact in the Wellington - Waterloo community.

Dr. Peloso, a retired orthodontist who resides in Elora, Ontario has spent more than 40 years committed to the work of the Jesuits in Guelph. Peter was trained as a Spiritual Director by well-known Jesuit, John English, and went on to become one of the founding members of the Canadian Christian Life Community (CLC).

CLC communities are a group of committed Christians that follow the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola’s teachings and use his teachings to impact the world through communication, education and social justice works.

Peter has traveled throughout Ontario, particularly in the northern regions, to promote and assist with the development and support of new CLC communities.

In his acceptance speech, Peloso made reference to the companionship of his wife Barbara through his commitment and work with the Jesuits and the CLC communities. “Barbara has accompanied me on this journey of more than 30 years and I could not have asked for a better companion”, said Peloso.

Each year a call for nominations will be announced and nominations will be accepted before May 1st. A selection committee will make the decision on a recipient and the award will be presented in the fall at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre annual Harvest Feast.

Ignatius Jesuit Centre Executive Director, Father James Profit, S.J., presented Dr. Peloso with the award and outlined the criteria for forthcoming recipients.

–30–

For Immediate Release – Aug. 19, 2008

5th Annual Ignatius Organic Harvest Feast 2008

Guelph, Ontario —August 19— The 5th Annual Organic Harvest Feast 2008 will take place on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at Loyola House, on the grounds of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre located ½ km north of Guelph on Highway 6.

Cocktails begin at 5:00 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Tickets: $90.

Guest Speakers: Barbara and Peter Peloso, Spiritual Directors. Music by Pete Tigchelaar.

“This year has brought a magnificent amount of change and growth at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre and our Annual Harvest Feast will provide a great opportunity for celebration” says Director, Jim Profit. The Centre is introducing many new programs and opportunities in the coming year and this evening we will focus on these exciting changes. Our guest speakers, Barbara and Peter Peloso bring more than twenty years of association with Ignatian spirituality to this evening’s talk.

Heather Lekx, the Ignatius Farm CSA farmer, notes that the timely rains this year are yielding a fantastic harvest. Our own harvest, along with donations from local organic companies provide the makings of our menu each year. Lisa Calzonetti, our Conference and Food Services Manager, delights in creating the menu for her first time this year. “I have planned an innovative and exciting menu that will focus on local fare for this year’s feast”. Lisa, previous owner of the Carden Street Café, brings more than a decade of culinary experience to the Feast.

Proceeds from the evening will support the work of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre. The Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph is home to Loyola House, the Ecology Project, the Ignatius Farm CSA and the Plant An Old-Growth Forest Project.

–30–

Media are invited to attend the evening. Please contact Leanne McCann at 519.824.1250, ext. 241 or by .

For Immediate Release – July 29, 2008

Guelph residents walk a week-long pilgrimage.

Guelph, ON - On Saturday August 2, more than 60 residents of Guelph and the surrounding area will walk more than 185 km to honour early Jesuit missionaries. The pilgrimage will begin at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Guelph, and end at Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario – a place that honours the early Jesuit missionaries who introduced Christianity to the Huron Wendat Nation.

The pilgrimage starts at 8:00 a.m. by the statue of St. Ignatius located at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre on Highway 6. One of the organizers, retired Guelph physician Robin Fishburn and his wife, have participated in the pilgrimage since it started six years ago. Fishburn says, “The pilgrimage may hurt our feet but it nurtures our spirituality”. Several of this year’s pilgrims have previously walked the famous Camino pilgrimage route through Spain. The Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage, also known as The Way of St James, is a collection of old pilgrimage routes that have existed across Europe for more than 1000 years.

The Guelph pilgrimage organizers have tried to bring some of the Camino, (camino - meaning journey to God), rituals to the local pilgrimage to Martyrs’ Shrine. On the Camino, the pilgrims are advised to take a stone from their hometown and leave it at the cross at the end of their pilgrimage. This stone represents the pilgrims leaving behind their sins and troubles. Guelph pilgrims are asked to start the journey in Guelph with both a rock and written petitions that will be deposited and burned at the foot of two different crosses, along the pilgrimage route. These tangible symbols are the symbolic end to one life and the beginning of a new one.

In the last 20 years, there has been a significant revival in interest in the Camino. Organizers of the walking pilgrimage appreciate the ongoing support and involvement of the Jesuit ministry in Guelph. Their spiritual leadership has been invaluable to the ongoing success of this unique event.

For more information, please visit Walking Pilgrimage web site.

–30–

Press Release: October 12, 2007
For Immediate Release

Ecology, Theology & Spirituality Reading

Guelph, Ontario – October 12 – The Ecology Project, which is part of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre located in Guelph, ON, and Arborvitae, located in Toronto and Guelph, are pleased to announce a new reading series in ecology, theology, and spirituality beginning in October 2007.

“Once a month, beginning on October 15, we will be reading and discussing important books in ecology, theology, and spirituality”, says Marianne Karsh, founder of Arborvitae and a professional forester and research scientist with a passion to help connect people with the earth. “We will be exploring the writings of Norman Wirzba, Terence Fretheim, Thomas Berry, Stephen Bade Scharper, Jurgen Moltmann, Leonardo Boff, Ched Meyers, Paul Santmire, Brian Walsh, Steven Bouman-Prediger, Diamurd O’Murchu, Vandana Shiva, Wendell Berry, Hildegard of Bingen, and St. Francis of Assisi.”

One book per month will be chosen and Karsh expects a lively discussion to ensue during each session. “This is the first launching of this course here at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph, and we hope to turn this into an annual event”, says Karsh. “We have already attracted a lot of interest from people in Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, as well as from people in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. These people will be part of our ‘read along group’ and can participate from their homes no matter where they are located in Canada.”

Sessions will last from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will take place on October 15, November 19, December 17, 2007, as well as on January 14, March 17, April 14, May 19, June 16, July 14, and August 18, 2008. The cost for the year-long reading course is $275 per person.

This Eco-theology reading course is intended to provide people with a diverse exposure to key texts and provide them with a foundation that is sensitive and responsive to sustainable living. Each session will include a discussion around the week’s reading.

Arborvitae, a company based in Toronto, creates deeply reflective opportunities for people to nurture their spirituality through nature and realize the benefit of connecting with earth, air, light, and water for their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves.

The Ecology Project is an ecology education program offered by the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph. The Ignatius Jesuit Centre property is over 600 acres in size, comprising of farmland, wetland and woodland areas, formal gardens and naturalized landscapes, walking trails and various buildings. Life at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre is very much influenced by the many land uses present on the property: a world-renowned Retreat House and Conference Centre, an organic farm operation, Community Shared Agricultural gardens, a Jesuit cemetery, and a Business Centre, which rents office space in the former Novitiate building.

–30–

For Immediate Release – Nov. 2, 2006

Project Launch Well Received

The “Plant An Old Growth Forest Project” launch was held in Guelph on November 1, 2006. It was extremely well attended with over 100 people celebrating the beginnings of this extremely innovative project.

The Ignatius Jesuit centre sponsored the project in collaboration with the Guelph International Resource Centre (GIRC). The plan involves setting aside 100 acres on the east side of Highway 6 as a forest to be held in perpetuity for future generations of humans and other creatures of Earth. It is also a fundraising project that will help support our ministries of ecology, agriculture and spirituality on our property, and support the educational activities of GIRC.

The feedback on the project so far has been extremely positive. If you missed the launch but want to be part of something big for Guelph - a 500 year long project, you can choose to support the project by making a donation towards a metre of these one hundred acres, preserved as a legacy for future citizens. For further information please contact our administrator at 519-824-1250 X 224—or view the web site at www.oldgrowthforest.ca.