2024-25 Retreat Registration
Our 2024-25 retreats are open for registration. If you encounter any problems while trying to register, please call the office at 847-381-1261.
Retreat Schedule
A Heart-Centered Approach to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 3 - 5, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Jim Kubicki, SJ
The measure of our love for God depends upon how deeply aware we are of God's love for us. St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises are designed to deepen our awareness of God's love. This retreat will focus on the relationship between our hearts and God's.
Groups Attending: Four Shepherds
Personal Retreat Days
Personal Retreat Days for Adults
January 6 - 10, 2025
Come to enjoy the quiet of Bellarmine to kick off the new year. Spiritual Direction is available upon request if scheduled far enough in advance. Otherwise, enjoy the time to pray, rest and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds.
Single Night Cost: $170.00
Two Nights or more: $150.00 per night
A Retreat with St. Peter: Growing from Sinner to Saint
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 10 - 12, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Experience the Spiritual Exercises by taking a deep dive into the life of Simon, named Peter, the rock, by Jesus. Just as he has two names, so he has two distinct sides to his personality. He is gentle, but bold; foolish, yet wise, and human. Together we'll pray about what it means to belong to a Church that is larger than the sum of its members.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St. Patrick's TMIY (That Man is You) - St. Charles, Queen of All Saints - Chicago, St. Francis de Sales - Lake Zurich
Our Father who art in Heaven ...
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 17 - 19, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Jim Flaherty, SJ
This retreat focuses on the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of the Lord's Prayer. We will explore how these two ways of encountering Christ enrich and expand upon one another.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St Charles K of C #12497, Our Lady of the Grove KC/St Mary's HNS (Buffalo Grove), Church of St. Mary - Lake Forest, Ken Murphy Group, Schaumburg K of C #1248, Elmhurst K of C #1911, St. Charles Borromeo (Hampshire)
Unexpected Turns: The Conversions of St. Ignatius Loyola
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 24 - 26, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Michael J. Graham, SJ
We will explore the life of St. Ignatius Loyola ... where life as he expected it took different turns. These turns all required him to adapt to where God seemed to be leading him just as the twists and turns in our own lives force us to reflect on and adapt to where God is calling us.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Roche/Zera, Sts Faith, Hope & Charity - Winnetka , St. Vincent Ferrar - River Forest, Mary Seat of Wisdom - Park Ridge
Seeking Grace
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Women
January 31 - February 2, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Becky Eldredge
Step away to the quiet and rest in the graces of God. Author, Spiritual Director, and Founder of Ignatian Ministries, Becky Eldredge, will facilitate a women's preached retreat with reflections and guided prayer on the truly amazing grace of God. Come seek and find love, mercy, friendship, companionship, compassion, and joy.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Queen of All Saints - Women, Saint Ignatius College Prep Women (Moms and Alumni)
Marriage as Model of Hope: Sacramentally Married Couple's Retreat
An Ignatian, Silent Overnight Retreat for Couples
February 7 - 8, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $240.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
John and Leah Sealey
Our hearts yearn to know and love Jesus, to follow him closely, and even to see the world as he would. Ignatius guides us in cultivating such a relationship. Stories from the Christian Scriptures can invite a "personal knowledge" of Jesus. Together we will engage Ignatian principles and develop some methods to reflect on and share our own stories. In this way we can discern, as married couples, how to support and deepen the hope Jesus models for us.
Groups Attending: Sacramentally Married Couples
What's Next? Discerning Your Decisions in the Ignatian Tradition
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Monday, February 17, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
The Spiritual Exercises help us move toward a deeper interior freedom to better navigate the twists and turns of life. Fr. Michael reprises one of his most popular programs as he helps us prayerfully appreciate St. Ignatius' methodology for decision making and how it can be applied to the big and small decisions we face.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Ignatian Spirituality and Yoga
An Ignatian, Semi-Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
February 21 - 23, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $465.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Bobby Karle, SJ
This retreat includes gentle movement, group prayer, silent reflection, small group sharing, and spiritual direction. We will explore the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus through the lens of both the Christian and Yoga traditions. Relax, and connect with God, nature, self, and others. No prior experience required.
Groups Attending: Individuals
This retreat is currently at capacity or registration is closed. Please call the office at 847.381.1261 with questions.
Spiritual Exercises as GPS
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
February 28 - March 2, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
The Spiritual Exercises call forth our deep responses (attraction and aversion) to allow us to find out where we are so we can be met by the Risen Christ in the present moment. In each encounter with Christ in the depths of our souls, we come to know the Lord and ourselves in relationship with each other.
Groups Attending: Individuals
Lenten Day of Reflection - Ash Wednesday
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Mark Scalese, SJ
Easter is about the renewal/transformation of all things, including ourselves. Lent can be an invitation to think about the kind of “new creation” we desire to become and to take steps to work toward that. On this day of reflection, we will learn how to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Virtual Lenten Study Session with Fr. Roc
A Weekly Ignatian Prayer Group for Adults
March 5 - April 16, 2025
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
Virtual Lenten Study Sessions: Wednesday evenings 6:30pm – 9pm
March 5, 12, 26, April 2, 9, 16
Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee year, a time to cancel debts, a time to celebrate. Lent remembers the saving deeds of God in the First Readings. A memory exercise that invites us to abide within the God of salvation. Which, in turn, raises the question: Why is it so easy to forget. To forget our resolutions for Lent. To forget the steadfast love of God?
The psalm responses also echo joyful remembrance of our God and the Second Readings reveal what a converted, repentant, and grateful life looks like in St. Paul. The gospels focus on what God has done for us in Christ. How Christ reveals the Divine Love.
I believe this Lent calls each of us to hold fast to the Word and become mindful people in 2025.
Program Cost: $60.00
Praying the Third Week of the Spiritual Exercises with the Psalms
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
March 7 - 9, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ
Fr. Pacwa, SJ continues to update this popular retreat! For those new to this retreat, it will be an inspirational deep dive into the Psalms. For those who have made this retreat previously, you will discover new depths as Fr. Mitch's exegesis of the Psalms illuminates the Third Week of the Spiritual Exercises, The Passion of Our Lord.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St. John the Apostle - Villa Park, St. James the Apostle - Glen Ellyn, Saint Ignatius College Prep Men (Dads and Alumni), St John Vianney - Lockport, St. Catherine of Siena K of C - West Dundee
Balance and Boundaries in Recovery
An Ignatian, Recovery Weekend Retreat for Men
March 14 - 16, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Sr. Linda Fischer
Addiction can be a challenging road to navigate. This weekend we will look at ourselves and see if we have a sense of balance as well as healthy boundaries in our lives. The 12 Steps will be the basis for this retreat.
Groups Attending: Individuals
Explore C.S. Lewis' Unique Vision of Christianity
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
March 21 - 23, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Michael Pederson, SJ
This retreat will explore the theological imagination of C.S. Lewis. Interweaving stories and lessons from C.S. Lewis' works such as the The Chronicles of Narnia, The Great Divorce, and The Screwtape Letters, this retreat will engage the Spiritual Exercises through C.S. Lewis' helpful vision of Christianity.
Groups Attending: Individuals
An Empty Road to Emmaus
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Monday, March 24, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Tho Vu, SJ
The title "An Empty Road to Emmaus" evokes a sense of mystery, journey, and perhaps even a feeling of solitude or desolation.
The road to Emmaus holds significant symbolic and religious connotations, particularly in Christianity, as it's where two disciples encountered the resurrected Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. The encounter on the road to Emmaus is a story of revelation and transformation, where the disciples initially walk in confusion and disappointment but are ultimately enlightened and filled with hope upon recognizing Jesus.
However, the addition of "empty" to the title suggests a departure from the traditional narrative. It implies a sense of absence or loss, perhaps indicating that the road to Emmaus is devoid of its usual divine presence or that the journey is undertaken in a state of spiritual emptiness or uncertainty.
Reflecting on this title could lead to the exploration of themes such as spiritual searching, existential questioning, or the experience of feeling lost or abandoned. It prompts contemplation on the nature of faith, revelation, and the possibility of encountering meaning or transcendence in the midst of emptiness or desolation.
In essence, "An Empty Road to Emmaus" invites retreatants to embark on a journey of introspection and discovery, where the destination may be uncertain, but the potential for profound insight and transformation remains.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Greater Things Than These You Shall Do
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
March 28 - 30, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Keith Muccino, SJ
This retreat will help retreatants harness the grace of Christ's resurrection and energy of the Spirit that is waiting to work through us and empower us to do greater things ... what St. Ignatius called the MAGIS.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St. Isaac Jogues - Hinsdale, Walsh Jesuit High School Alumni
A Jesuit Guide to the Stars
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
April 4 - 6, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ
This retreat will explore the close connection between Ignatian spirituality and astronomy. What are the stories of Jesuits, past and present, who have pursued scientific truth in the service of Ignatian ways of finding God? What do new discoveries in space tell us about our place in the universe and our relationship to our creator?
Groups Attending: Individuals
Knowing Christ
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
April 11 - 13, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Christopher Manahan, SJ
If I desire to follow Jesus Christ in my life I have to come to know him. In this retreat we will follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola in seeking to be a companion of Jesus.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Holy Child of Jesus - Chicago (fkd-St. Margaret Mary), Naperville-MM/PP/R/TH
Personal Retreat Days
Personal Retreat Days for Adults
April 14 - 17, 2025
Come to enjoy the quiet of Bellarmine this Spring. Spiritual Direction is available upon request if scheduled far enough in advance. Otherwise, enjoy the time to pray, rest and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds.
Single Night Cost: $170.00
Two Nights or more: $150.00 per night
Mary's Way of the Cross
An Evening of Reflection for Women
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Rev Carol Ann Munro
Join us for a prayerful and meditative evening as we experience again the story of Jesus' passion and keep vigil with his mother, Mary, the Mother of God, who remained compassionate and faithful to God even at the foot of the cross. The evening includes a simple Lenten dinner, reflection and Stations of the Cross.
Program Cost: $50.00 (includes Dinner)
Praying the Passion Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
April 17 - 19, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
There's no better way to prepare for Easter Sunday than coming on retreat! Fr. Michael will guide us through the Passion account according to John with a powerful reenactment of the gospel text illuminated by his distinctive style of spirited preaching. Together we'll celebrate the Sacred Liturgies for Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Our Lady of Peace HSN - Darien
Reflecting on Life-Saving Recovery Slogans
An Ignatian, Recovery Weekend Retreat for Women
April 25 - 27, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Tom Weston, SJ
A weekend of reflection and quiet focused on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of recovery, looking at the practical tools for helping people get back on their feet.
Groups Attending: Individuals
The Spiritual Geography of our Soul
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Women
May 2 - 4, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Phil Cooley, SJ
Through the desert of our struggle, the mountaintops of our experience, and the depths of our love for God, we will journey with the Spiritual Exercises as a roadmap and the Holy Spirit as our compass. In this weekend retreat, we will rediscover landmark graces and survey new areas of consolation.
Groups Attending: Individuals
Spiritual Refreshment for Moms
A Day of Reflection for Women
Friday, May 9, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leaders:
Rachel Forton & Nancy Hulsebosch
Come away for a day of spiritual refreshment just for moms! Whether your children are 2 or 52, you are welcome to join us as we gather the graces of motherhood and ask God to renew us in our vocation. We will look to the wisdom of Mary the Mother of Jesus as well as contemplate Scriptural images of motherhood.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Veterans "Coming Home" Retreat
A Veteran's Coming Home Retreat for Adults
Sunday, May 18, 2025
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
A Jesuit and a Team of Veterans
Where do you go to unpack the duffle bag of experiences that were part of your military experience? Here at Bellarmine all veterans and their adult family members are welcome for reflection on the gifts and burdens of have served. Whether you're recently discharged or back in civilian life for many years, this is a day of healing, hope, and sharing with others who understand your story. Open to all faith traditions.
June 2025 Individually Directed Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats for Adults
June 20 - 28, 2025
Spiritual Directors:
Bellarmine Jesuit Ministry Team and Additional Spiritual Directors
Come to the quiet of Bellarmine and take some time for yourself to get away from the distractions of life so you can read, write, catch up on sleep and pray. Spiritual Direction is available upon request with advance notice at time of registration. Otherwise, the time is yours to pray and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds. You may register for either five or eight days.
Registration requires a $100 deposit.
For a 5 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($775 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $875)
For a 8 Night Day Individually Directed Retreat ($1,075 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $1,175)
Costs include all meals and spiritual direction. You can view a list of spiritual directors here.
July 2025 Individually Directed Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats for Adults
July 18 - 26, 2025
Spiritual Directors:
Bellarmine Jesuit Ministry Team and Additional Spiritual Directors
Come to the quiet of Bellarmine and take some time for yourself to get away from the distractions of life so you can read, write, catch up on sleep and pray. Spiritual Direction is available upon request with advance notice at time of registration. Otherwise, the time is yours to pray and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds. You may register for either five or eight days.
Registration requires a $100 deposit.
For a 5 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($775 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $875)
For a 8 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($1,075 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $1,175)
Costs include all meals and spiritual direction. You can view a list of spiritual directors here.
Virtual Lenten Study Session with Fr. Roc
A Weekly Ignatian Prayer Group for Adults
March 5 - April 16, 2025
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
Virtual Lenten Study Sessions: Wednesday evenings 6:30pm – 9pm
March 5, 12, 26, April 2, 9, 16
Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee year, a time to cancel debts, a time to celebrate. Lent remembers the saving deeds of God in the First Readings. A memory exercise that invites us to abide within the God of salvation. Which, in turn, raises the question: Why is it so easy to forget. To forget our resolutions for Lent. To forget the steadfast love of God?
The psalm responses also echo joyful remembrance of our God and the Second Readings reveal what a converted, repentant, and grateful life looks like in St. Paul. The gospels focus on what God has done for us in Christ. How Christ reveals the Divine Love.
I believe this Lent calls each of us to hold fast to the Word and become mindful people in 2025.
Program Cost: $60.00
A Heart-Centered Approach to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 3 - 5, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Jim Kubicki, SJ
The measure of our love for God depends upon how deeply aware we are of God's love for us. St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises are designed to deepen our awareness of God's love. This retreat will focus on the relationship between our hearts and God's.
Groups Attending: Four Shepherds
A Retreat with St. Peter: Growing from Sinner to Saint
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 10 - 12, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Experience the Spiritual Exercises by taking a deep dive into the life of Simon, named Peter, the rock, by Jesus. Just as he has two names, so he has two distinct sides to his personality. He is gentle, but bold; foolish, yet wise, and human. Together we'll pray about what it means to belong to a Church that is larger than the sum of its members.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St. Patrick's TMIY (That Man is You) - St. Charles, Queen of All Saints - Chicago, St. Francis de Sales - Lake Zurich
Our Father who art in Heaven ...
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 17 - 19, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Jim Flaherty, SJ
This retreat focuses on the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of the Lord's Prayer. We will explore how these two ways of encountering Christ enrich and expand upon one another.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St Charles K of C #12497, Our Lady of the Grove KC/St Mary's HNS (Buffalo Grove), Church of St. Mary - Lake Forest, Ken Murphy Group, Schaumburg K of C #1248, Elmhurst K of C #1911, St. Charles Borromeo (Hampshire)
Unexpected Turns: The Conversions of St. Ignatius Loyola
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
January 24 - 26, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Michael J. Graham, SJ
We will explore the life of St. Ignatius Loyola ... where life as he expected it took different turns. These turns all required him to adapt to where God seemed to be leading him just as the twists and turns in our own lives force us to reflect on and adapt to where God is calling us.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Roche/Zera, Sts Faith, Hope & Charity - Winnetka , St. Vincent Ferrar - River Forest, Mary Seat of Wisdom - Park Ridge
Praying the Third Week of the Spiritual Exercises with the Psalms
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
March 7 - 9, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ
Fr. Pacwa, SJ continues to update this popular retreat! For those new to this retreat, it will be an inspirational deep dive into the Psalms. For those who have made this retreat previously, you will discover new depths as Fr. Mitch's exegesis of the Psalms illuminates the Third Week of the Spiritual Exercises, The Passion of Our Lord.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St. John the Apostle - Villa Park, St. James the Apostle - Glen Ellyn, Saint Ignatius College Prep Men (Dads and Alumni), St John Vianney - Lockport, St. Catherine of Siena K of C - West Dundee
Greater Things Than These You Shall Do
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
March 28 - 30, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Keith Muccino, SJ
This retreat will help retreatants harness the grace of Christ's resurrection and energy of the Spirit that is waiting to work through us and empower us to do greater things ... what St. Ignatius called the MAGIS.
Groups Attending: Individuals, St. Isaac Jogues - Hinsdale, Walsh Jesuit High School Alumni
Knowing Christ
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Men
April 11 - 13, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Christopher Manahan, SJ
If I desire to follow Jesus Christ in my life I have to come to know him. In this retreat we will follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola in seeking to be a companion of Jesus.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Holy Child of Jesus - Chicago (fkd-St. Margaret Mary), Naperville-MM/PP/R/TH
Seeking Grace
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Women
January 31 - February 2, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Becky Eldredge
Step away to the quiet and rest in the graces of God. Author, Spiritual Director, and Founder of Ignatian Ministries, Becky Eldredge, will facilitate a women's preached retreat with reflections and guided prayer on the truly amazing grace of God. Come seek and find love, mercy, friendship, companionship, compassion, and joy.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Queen of All Saints - Women, Saint Ignatius College Prep Women (Moms and Alumni)
Mary's Way of the Cross
An Evening of Reflection for Women
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Rev Carol Ann Munro
Join us for a prayerful and meditative evening as we experience again the story of Jesus' passion and keep vigil with his mother, Mary, the Mother of God, who remained compassionate and faithful to God even at the foot of the cross. The evening includes a simple Lenten dinner, reflection and Stations of the Cross.
Program Cost: $50.00 (includes Dinner)
The Spiritual Geography of our Soul
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Women
May 2 - 4, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Phil Cooley, SJ
Through the desert of our struggle, the mountaintops of our experience, and the depths of our love for God, we will journey with the Spiritual Exercises as a roadmap and the Holy Spirit as our compass. In this weekend retreat, we will rediscover landmark graces and survey new areas of consolation.
Groups Attending: Individuals
Spiritual Refreshment for Moms
A Day of Reflection for Women
Friday, May 9, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leaders:
Rachel Forton & Nancy Hulsebosch
Come away for a day of spiritual refreshment just for moms! Whether your children are 2 or 52, you are welcome to join us as we gather the graces of motherhood and ask God to renew us in our vocation. We will look to the wisdom of Mary the Mother of Jesus as well as contemplate Scriptural images of motherhood.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Personal Retreat Days
Personal Retreat Days for Adults
January 6 - 10, 2025
Come to enjoy the quiet of Bellarmine to kick off the new year. Spiritual Direction is available upon request if scheduled far enough in advance. Otherwise, enjoy the time to pray, rest and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds.
Single Night Cost: $170.00
Two Nights or more: $150.00 per night
What's Next? Discerning Your Decisions in the Ignatian Tradition
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Monday, February 17, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
The Spiritual Exercises help us move toward a deeper interior freedom to better navigate the twists and turns of life. Fr. Michael reprises one of his most popular programs as he helps us prayerfully appreciate St. Ignatius' methodology for decision making and how it can be applied to the big and small decisions we face.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Ignatian Spirituality and Yoga
An Ignatian, Semi-Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
February 21 - 23, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $465.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Bobby Karle, SJ
This retreat includes gentle movement, group prayer, silent reflection, small group sharing, and spiritual direction. We will explore the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus through the lens of both the Christian and Yoga traditions. Relax, and connect with God, nature, self, and others. No prior experience required.
Groups Attending: Individuals
This retreat is currently at capacity or registration is closed. Please call the office at 847.381.1261 with questions.
Spiritual Exercises as GPS
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
February 28 - March 2, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
The Spiritual Exercises call forth our deep responses (attraction and aversion) to allow us to find out where we are so we can be met by the Risen Christ in the present moment. In each encounter with Christ in the depths of our souls, we come to know the Lord and ourselves in relationship with each other.
Groups Attending: Individuals
Lenten Day of Reflection - Ash Wednesday
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Mark Scalese, SJ
Easter is about the renewal/transformation of all things, including ourselves. Lent can be an invitation to think about the kind of “new creation” we desire to become and to take steps to work toward that. On this day of reflection, we will learn how to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Virtual Lenten Study Session with Fr. Roc
A Weekly Ignatian Prayer Group for Adults
March 5 - April 16, 2025
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
Virtual Lenten Study Sessions: Wednesday evenings 6:30pm – 9pm
March 5, 12, 26, April 2, 9, 16
Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee year, a time to cancel debts, a time to celebrate. Lent remembers the saving deeds of God in the First Readings. A memory exercise that invites us to abide within the God of salvation. Which, in turn, raises the question: Why is it so easy to forget. To forget our resolutions for Lent. To forget the steadfast love of God?
The psalm responses also echo joyful remembrance of our God and the Second Readings reveal what a converted, repentant, and grateful life looks like in St. Paul. The gospels focus on what God has done for us in Christ. How Christ reveals the Divine Love.
I believe this Lent calls each of us to hold fast to the Word and become mindful people in 2025.
Program Cost: $60.00
Explore C.S. Lewis' Unique Vision of Christianity
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
March 21 - 23, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Michael Pederson, SJ
This retreat will explore the theological imagination of C.S. Lewis. Interweaving stories and lessons from C.S. Lewis' works such as the The Chronicles of Narnia, The Great Divorce, and The Screwtape Letters, this retreat will engage the Spiritual Exercises through C.S. Lewis' helpful vision of Christianity.
Groups Attending: Individuals
An Empty Road to Emmaus
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Monday, March 24, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Tho Vu, SJ
The title "An Empty Road to Emmaus" evokes a sense of mystery, journey, and perhaps even a feeling of solitude or desolation.
The road to Emmaus holds significant symbolic and religious connotations, particularly in Christianity, as it's where two disciples encountered the resurrected Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. The encounter on the road to Emmaus is a story of revelation and transformation, where the disciples initially walk in confusion and disappointment but are ultimately enlightened and filled with hope upon recognizing Jesus.
However, the addition of "empty" to the title suggests a departure from the traditional narrative. It implies a sense of absence or loss, perhaps indicating that the road to Emmaus is devoid of its usual divine presence or that the journey is undertaken in a state of spiritual emptiness or uncertainty.
Reflecting on this title could lead to the exploration of themes such as spiritual searching, existential questioning, or the experience of feeling lost or abandoned. It prompts contemplation on the nature of faith, revelation, and the possibility of encountering meaning or transcendence in the midst of emptiness or desolation.
In essence, "An Empty Road to Emmaus" invites retreatants to embark on a journey of introspection and discovery, where the destination may be uncertain, but the potential for profound insight and transformation remains.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
A Jesuit Guide to the Stars
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
April 4 - 6, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ
This retreat will explore the close connection between Ignatian spirituality and astronomy. What are the stories of Jesuits, past and present, who have pursued scientific truth in the service of Ignatian ways of finding God? What do new discoveries in space tell us about our place in the universe and our relationship to our creator?
Groups Attending: Individuals
Personal Retreat Days
Personal Retreat Days for Adults
April 14 - 17, 2025
Come to enjoy the quiet of Bellarmine this Spring. Spiritual Direction is available upon request if scheduled far enough in advance. Otherwise, enjoy the time to pray, rest and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds.
Single Night Cost: $170.00
Two Nights or more: $150.00 per night
Praying the Passion Of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John
An Ignatian, Silent Weekend Retreat for Adults
April 17 - 19, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
There's no better way to prepare for Easter Sunday than coming on retreat! Fr. Michael will guide us through the Passion account according to John with a powerful reenactment of the gospel text illuminated by his distinctive style of spirited preaching. Together we'll celebrate the Sacred Liturgies for Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
Groups Attending: Individuals, Our Lady of Peace HSN - Darien
Veterans "Coming Home" Retreat
A Veteran's Coming Home Retreat for Adults
Sunday, May 18, 2025
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
A Jesuit and a Team of Veterans
Where do you go to unpack the duffle bag of experiences that were part of your military experience? Here at Bellarmine all veterans and their adult family members are welcome for reflection on the gifts and burdens of have served. Whether you're recently discharged or back in civilian life for many years, this is a day of healing, hope, and sharing with others who understand your story. Open to all faith traditions.
June 2025 Individually Directed Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats for Adults
June 20 - 28, 2025
Spiritual Directors:
Bellarmine Jesuit Ministry Team and Additional Spiritual Directors
Come to the quiet of Bellarmine and take some time for yourself to get away from the distractions of life so you can read, write, catch up on sleep and pray. Spiritual Direction is available upon request with advance notice at time of registration. Otherwise, the time is yours to pray and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds. You may register for either five or eight days.
Registration requires a $100 deposit.
For a 5 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($775 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $875)
For a 8 Night Day Individually Directed Retreat ($1,075 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $1,175)
Costs include all meals and spiritual direction. You can view a list of spiritual directors here.
July 2025 Individually Directed Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats for Adults
July 18 - 26, 2025
Spiritual Directors:
Bellarmine Jesuit Ministry Team and Additional Spiritual Directors
Come to the quiet of Bellarmine and take some time for yourself to get away from the distractions of life so you can read, write, catch up on sleep and pray. Spiritual Direction is available upon request with advance notice at time of registration. Otherwise, the time is yours to pray and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds. You may register for either five or eight days.
Registration requires a $100 deposit.
For a 5 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($775 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $875)
For a 8 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($1,075 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $1,175)
Costs include all meals and spiritual direction. You can view a list of spiritual directors here.
Marriage as Model of Hope: Sacramentally Married Couple's Retreat
An Ignatian, Silent Overnight Retreat for Couples
February 7 - 8, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $240.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
John and Leah Sealey
Our hearts yearn to know and love Jesus, to follow him closely, and even to see the world as he would. Ignatius guides us in cultivating such a relationship. Stories from the Christian Scriptures can invite a "personal knowledge" of Jesus. Together we will engage Ignatian principles and develop some methods to reflect on and share our own stories. In this way we can discern, as married couples, how to support and deepen the hope Jesus models for us.
Groups Attending: Sacramentally Married Couples
Balance and Boundaries in Recovery
An Ignatian, Recovery Weekend Retreat for Men
March 14 - 16, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Sr. Linda Fischer
Addiction can be a challenging road to navigate. This weekend we will look at ourselves and see if we have a sense of balance as well as healthy boundaries in our lives. The 12 Steps will be the basis for this retreat.
Groups Attending: Individuals
Reflecting on Life-Saving Recovery Slogans
An Ignatian, Recovery Weekend Retreat for Women
April 25 - 27, 2025
Suggested Contribution: $365.00 per person
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Tom Weston, SJ
A weekend of reflection and quiet focused on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of recovery, looking at the practical tools for helping people get back on their feet.
Groups Attending: Individuals
What's Next? Discerning Your Decisions in the Ignatian Tradition
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Monday, February 17, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
The Spiritual Exercises help us move toward a deeper interior freedom to better navigate the twists and turns of life. Fr. Michael reprises one of his most popular programs as he helps us prayerfully appreciate St. Ignatius' methodology for decision making and how it can be applied to the big and small decisions we face.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Lenten Day of Reflection - Ash Wednesday
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Mark Scalese, SJ
Easter is about the renewal/transformation of all things, including ourselves. Lent can be an invitation to think about the kind of “new creation” we desire to become and to take steps to work toward that. On this day of reflection, we will learn how to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Virtual Lenten Study Session with Fr. Roc
A Weekly Ignatian Prayer Group for Adults
March 5 - April 16, 2025
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ
Virtual Lenten Study Sessions: Wednesday evenings 6:30pm – 9pm
March 5, 12, 26, April 2, 9, 16
Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee year, a time to cancel debts, a time to celebrate. Lent remembers the saving deeds of God in the First Readings. A memory exercise that invites us to abide within the God of salvation. Which, in turn, raises the question: Why is it so easy to forget. To forget our resolutions for Lent. To forget the steadfast love of God?
The psalm responses also echo joyful remembrance of our God and the Second Readings reveal what a converted, repentant, and grateful life looks like in St. Paul. The gospels focus on what God has done for us in Christ. How Christ reveals the Divine Love.
I believe this Lent calls each of us to hold fast to the Word and become mindful people in 2025.
Program Cost: $60.00
An Empty Road to Emmaus
A Day of Reflection for Adults
Monday, March 24, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Fr. Tho Vu, SJ
The title "An Empty Road to Emmaus" evokes a sense of mystery, journey, and perhaps even a feeling of solitude or desolation.
The road to Emmaus holds significant symbolic and religious connotations, particularly in Christianity, as it's where two disciples encountered the resurrected Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. The encounter on the road to Emmaus is a story of revelation and transformation, where the disciples initially walk in confusion and disappointment but are ultimately enlightened and filled with hope upon recognizing Jesus.
However, the addition of "empty" to the title suggests a departure from the traditional narrative. It implies a sense of absence or loss, perhaps indicating that the road to Emmaus is devoid of its usual divine presence or that the journey is undertaken in a state of spiritual emptiness or uncertainty.
Reflecting on this title could lead to the exploration of themes such as spiritual searching, existential questioning, or the experience of feeling lost or abandoned. It prompts contemplation on the nature of faith, revelation, and the possibility of encountering meaning or transcendence in the midst of emptiness or desolation.
In essence, "An Empty Road to Emmaus" invites retreatants to embark on a journey of introspection and discovery, where the destination may be uncertain, but the potential for profound insight and transformation remains.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Mary's Way of the Cross
An Evening of Reflection for Women
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
Rev Carol Ann Munro
Join us for a prayerful and meditative evening as we experience again the story of Jesus' passion and keep vigil with his mother, Mary, the Mother of God, who remained compassionate and faithful to God even at the foot of the cross. The evening includes a simple Lenten dinner, reflection and Stations of the Cross.
Program Cost: $50.00 (includes Dinner)
Spiritual Refreshment for Moms
A Day of Reflection for Women
Friday, May 9, 2025
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Retreat Leaders:
Rachel Forton & Nancy Hulsebosch
Come away for a day of spiritual refreshment just for moms! Whether your children are 2 or 52, you are welcome to join us as we gather the graces of motherhood and ask God to renew us in our vocation. We will look to the wisdom of Mary the Mother of Jesus as well as contemplate Scriptural images of motherhood.
Program Cost: $75.00 (includes Lunch)
Veterans "Coming Home" Retreat
A Veteran's Coming Home Retreat for Adults
Sunday, May 18, 2025
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Retreat Leader:
A Jesuit and a Team of Veterans
Where do you go to unpack the duffle bag of experiences that were part of your military experience? Here at Bellarmine all veterans and their adult family members are welcome for reflection on the gifts and burdens of have served. Whether you're recently discharged or back in civilian life for many years, this is a day of healing, hope, and sharing with others who understand your story. Open to all faith traditions.
Twice each summer, Bellarmine offers five to eight days of stillness and prayer during a silent individually directed retreat. Paired with a spiritual director highly experienced in facilitating the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, retreatants embark on a prayer journey to help them focus on God’s activity stirring in the depths of their hearts. Each person’s retreat follows a unique path with Christ.
The retreat includes daily celebration of the Eucharist, daily one-on-one meetings with a spiritual director, and personal time to rest, pray, and reflect in the sacred spaces and beautiful grounds of Bellarmine.
June 2025 Individually Directed Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats for Adults
June 20 - 28, 2025
Spiritual Directors:
Bellarmine Jesuit Ministry Team and Additional Spiritual Directors
Come to the quiet of Bellarmine and take some time for yourself to get away from the distractions of life so you can read, write, catch up on sleep and pray. Spiritual Direction is available upon request with advance notice at time of registration. Otherwise, the time is yours to pray and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds. You may register for either five or eight days.
Registration requires a $100 deposit.
For a 5 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($775 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $875)
For a 8 Night Day Individually Directed Retreat ($1,075 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $1,175)
Costs include all meals and spiritual direction. You can view a list of spiritual directors here.
July 2025 Individually Directed Retreats
Individually Directed Retreats for Adults
July 18 - 26, 2025
Spiritual Directors:
Bellarmine Jesuit Ministry Team and Additional Spiritual Directors
Come to the quiet of Bellarmine and take some time for yourself to get away from the distractions of life so you can read, write, catch up on sleep and pray. Spiritual Direction is available upon request with advance notice at time of registration. Otherwise, the time is yours to pray and enjoy the serenity of the house and grounds. You may register for either five or eight days.
Registration requires a $100 deposit.
For a 5 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($775 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $875)
For a 8 Night Individually Directed Retreat ($1,075 total including deposit until 3/18/25, then $1,175)
Costs include all meals and spiritual direction. You can view a list of spiritual directors here.