Retreat Outline

Day 1: Creation

The first day is the “Disposition Day.” People pray over the 15 billion year history of the universe, sensing the beauty and presence of God in it. Cristina Vanin, a professor of theology at St. Jerome’s College in Waterloo, Ontario, gives the conference. Thomas Berry’s “The New Story," integrated with the biblical story of Creation, are the themes used to ease people into the retreat.

Grace: Pray to have a deep confidence in God’s love for the universe, a community of life of which I am a part.

Day 2: Ecological Sin (Week 1)

The conference given by Fr. James Profit, S.J., executive director of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre and founder of the Ecology Project , is on ecological sin. Points for prayer include: agriculture and the food crisis; garbage; violence against the Earth; consumerism; ecological footprint; and climate change.

Grace: Pray for a growing and intense sorrow and tears for the ecological destruction of Earth; a deep-felt knowledge and awareness of my role and complicity in the crisis of the earth.

Day 3: Intimate Knowledge of the Earth (Week II)

Day 3 is when the retreatant prays in “Week II” of the Spiritual Exercises, experiencing the presence of God/Jesus in Creation.

Marianne Karsh, Ecology Project Coordinator and director of Arborvitae, leads people in an outdoor reflective walk along the Chardin Trail to experience ways to pray and meditate that foster intimate knowledge and love of the Earth. The early conferences were given by the late Dr. Richard Protz, a soils professor at the University of Guelph. He dealt with the presence of God within soil and the community of life in the soil.

Grace: Pray to experience Jesus as God incarnate in the Earth and to develop a spiritual relationship with all of life: bacteria, earthworms, mice, grasses, trees, birds, cows, fish and people of all races and creeds; being at home with the Earth.

Day 4: The Healing of the Earth

Day 4’s prayer is introduced by John Pronk, a naturopathic doctor and organic dairy farmer or Don Webers, a horticultural therapist at Homewood Health Centre. John Pronk's talk is on the healing nature of earth, the ability of earth to “turn the other cheek” and the connection between Jesus’ healing ministry and the capacity of the earth to heal itself. Don Webers uses stories from his own life and aromatherapy to bring people into a deeper connection to the healing aspects of plants.

Grace: Pray to respond wholeheartedly to the call of Christ and to join him in discipleship with the universal community of life.

Day 5: The Passion of the Earth (Week III)

Day 5’s conference helps us enter into the “Third Week” of the Spiritual Exercises: the Passion. We pray on the Passion of the Earth. Diane Baltaz, director of the Social Affairs Commission of the Diocese of Hamilton, or Cristina Vanin directs the retreatants to pray on the suffering Christ in the universe, experienced in the poor, the garbage heaps and a changing climate.

Grace: Pray for a growing and intense sorrow and tears for my contribution to the Passion of the Earth, the Passion of Jesus; a deep-felt knowledge and awareness of my role and complicity in the crisis of the Earth; tears and deep grief because of the great affliction the Cosmic Christ endures for me.

Day 6: The Cosmic Resurrection: Earthing Hope (Week IV)

Days 6 and 7 of the retreat move us into the “Fourth Week” of the Spiritual Exercises: Resurrection.

Fr. James Profit, S.J., gives this input session, which helps to carry the retreatants through the “long weekend” from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. It explains how we experience hope in the face of such destruction — hope for the life that arises from death, hope in the understanding of the new growth in Creation, hope in people who experience the resurrection. The early conferences were given by Lois and Kuruvila Zachariah, experienced small-group facilitators who animate their talks with fascinating true stories from biology and science.

Grace: Pray to experience joy with the new life of the Cosmic Christ (Christ within the Earth) in the sources of hope offered by those who respond to this life.

Day 7: Cosmic 'Contemplation'

On Day 7, Peter Peloso, an experienced spiritual director, introduces the retreatants to the ecological aspect of the "Contemplation" from the Spiritual Exercises — bringing with him many years of experience with the Exercises and Christian Life Communities. With a wonderful sense of humour, Peter communicates his passion and experience in planting trees and being a community activist.

Grace: Pray to find God in all things and all things in God.

Day 8: Appropriation

On Day 8, Barbara Peloso, a gifted and sensitive spiritual director, helps the retreatants to appropriate the gifts and learning of the retreat and to crystallize action steps for the continuing journey.

Grace: I ask for the grace of a deep-felt knowledge of the great gifts I have received; that, filled with such gratitude, I may be able to respond with total love and service.

Background Info

The eight-day retreat consists of: individual spiritual direction and small-group sharing, which helps to build community. Every day, we give input sessions on an ecological and spiritual perspective using the framework of the four weeks of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. At different times during the retreat, we teach retreatants different methods of prayer — such as Lectio Divina, Gospel Contemplation and Application of the Senses.

We have been offering the retreats since 2002 and the retreatants clearly find the whole experience very positive and transformative. For some, it broadened their experience of the Spiritual Exercises. For others who had the Spiritual Exercises as a formative part in their past but had gone "beyond" them, integration occurred. A few experienced the Spiritual Exercises for the first time.

Each day, we celebrate the Eucharist outside in a different location on the land, the location reflecting the theme of the day. For example, we hold Mass for the day on resurrection in the midst of the gravel pit where the land is naturally regenerating and renewing itself. We have the Eucharist for the day on the Passion of the Earth in front of the large outdoor crucifix. On the last day, we often plant flowers or trees during the Eucharist to mark our commitment to ongoing spiritual ecological conversion.

Many people appreciate experiencing the spirituality of the Earth with such a strong focus on Jesus. The talks are extremely effective due in part to the team delivering them and their gifts. The Ecology Project team exhibits their commitment and passion by their very lives and experiences. Plus, the giving of the retreat enables our team to become a true Ignatian community.