Ignatian Spirituality, Retreats and Formation Across Australia and Internationally
Jesuit and Ignatian Spirituality Australia (JISA) is a ministry of the Society of Jesus in Australia. The Jesuits are a worldwide religious order within the Catholic Church.
The Society of Jesus was founded by St Ignatius Loyola and his Companions in 1540. The Spiritual Exercises are the fruit of Ignatius’ lived experience and his relationship with God. They are an expression of God’s gift to Ignatius and the Church.
JISA is a national community of people formed in the way of Ignatian Spirituality. We give the Spiritual Exercises in all their forms; guided retreats, spiritual conversation, discernment, spiritual direction, supervision, formation for leadership and mission. JISA’s centres offer day and residential hospitality for individuals, groups, and organisations. We offer programs in person, online, and at other venues.
The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola
The origin of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola are found in Ignatius’ own personal experience of conversion and prayer. He kept a journal where he recorded his particular spiritual experiences that he felt could be of benefit to others.
Through a process of reflection, Ignatius produced a manual of considerations, meditations, contemplations and notes to help others advance their spiritual life and deepen their relationship with God. Within a short period of time the Spiritual Exercises became renown for their transformative effect on those who received them.
The Spiritual Exercises invite us to contemplate the life and mission of Jesus and deepen this experience through accompanying Him in his life, pain and resurrected joy – as we experience in our own lives.
Contact us to find out how the Spiritual Exercises can be adapted for you or your group.
Ignatian Discernment
Discernment is the process of making sound decisions about the meaning and direction of our lives. Authentic discernment calls for knowledge, insight, and experience but also the wisdom of the heart, firm commitment, and unremitting effort. As an exercise of our God-given freedom, spiritual discernment seeks to know our place in the Creator’s plan for ourselves and for our world.
True discernment, born of our loving relationship with God and our human freedom, brings with it a deep spiritual joy and fulfilment. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten and guide us in our daily efforts to live lives of holiness, wisdom, and fidelity to the saving truth of the Gospel.
Summarised from Pope Frances’ General Audience, Wednesday, 31 August 2022
We invite you to explore the new JISA Discernment Series, a doorway to Ignatian Discernment…
Try this Spiritual Exercise
Experience this Online Pilgrimage
We come to you – Ignatian Spirituality for your community
Retreats and spiritual direction, experience and training in Ignatian discernment and spiritual conversation.
Teams of Ignatian Spiritual Directors and Retreat Givers are available to visit your group or community. Contact us to discuss your desires and don’t let cost be an off-putting factor in your decision, we can meet you where you are.
Host your meeting, retreat, or event with us
Our residential centre in Pymble, only 40mins north of Sydney’s CBD, offers ideal retreat and meeting spaces for up to 40 people residentially and 120 people for day programs in five acres of beautiful gardens and bushland.
Contact us for a tour.
Ignatian
Spiritual Direction
Ignatian Spiritual direction helps you become aware of God’s presence in your life, deepen your intimacy with God, and discern meaningful choices. Through confidential, one-to-one conversations, spiritual directors gently guide you to notice God in daily life and prayer. Sessions, available in person or online, last about an hour and can occur during retreats or regularly. Open to all, whether new to or familiar with Ignatian Spirituality.
Formation for your ministry and organisation
Ignatian formation for mission and apostolic ministry including reflective practice for regular meetings and key decisions, facilitating discerning conversations, staff and leadership spirituality days, retreats and prayer, spiritual direction, and professional pastoral supervision, to name a few. Working with you in your context. One-off or a series of offerings, ready-to-go and bespoke programs.
What's On
- All
- JISA Faber - QLD
- JISA Campion VIC
- The Spiritual Exercises
- JISA Sevenhill - SA
- JISA Canisius - NSW
- Online
- First Spiritual Exercises
- Being with God in Nature
- Quiet Mornings
- Full Spiritual Exercises
- Lenten
- Weekend Retreat
- Ignatian Silent Retreats
- Introductory Retreats
- Australian Ignatian Trail
- Contemplative Walks
- Discernment Retreats
- Advent
- Retreat Days
- How to Pray
- Ignatius
- Retreat in Daily Life
- Quiet Time in the Bush
- Pause
News - Blogs
The Patience of Not Knowing
Scientists are rightly famous for wanting to find correct and precise answers to all sorts of questions. Some scientists find this an obstacle to their engagement in spirituality, which so rarely offers this kind of […]
Technology in the Service of Human Dignity
Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world but let the renewing of your minds transform you so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God... Romans12.2 How to remain […]
Sevenhill: 175 Years of Jesuit Presence, Hospitality and Retreat
In 2026, Sevenhill celebrates 175 years since the first vines were planted and a remarkable story of Jesuit life and mission began to take root in this place. As we honour all that has gone […]
How to Create and Use a Listening Book
Michael Hansen SJ reflects on what we might discover if we took time not only to record our prayer, but to return and listen to it. A Listening Book is an Ignatian spiritual journal. I […]