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
Spiritual direction helps you to become aware of God’s presence in our daily life, deepen our intimacy with God, discern how to make good choices, and find greater meaning in life. A spiritual director accompanies you in a confidential, non-judgemental, one-to-one relationship with God, yourself, and others.
Spiritual Directors gently guide you into paying attention to how God might be speaking to you in your ordinary life experiences and reflections in prayer. A session lasts about an hour and may occur during a retreat or on a regular basis in daily life. Spiritual direction is open to everyone, whether you are new to Ignatian Spirituality or familiar. Available in PERSON and ONLINE.
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
- Advent
- All
- Australian Ignatian Trail
- Being with God in Nature
- Contemplative Arts
- Contemplative Walks
- Discernment Retreats
- Eight Day Retreats
- Faber Fridays
- Field Hospital Spiritual Exercises
- First Spiritual Exercises
- Full Spiritual Exercises
- Introductory Retreats
- JISA Campion VIC
- JISA Canisius - NSW
- JISA Faber - QLD
- JISA Sevenhill - SA
- Lenten
- On the Way Retreats
- Online
- Prayer
- Quiet Time
- Residential
- Series
- Silent Directed Retreats
- Silent Retreats over 3 to 8 days
- The Spiritual Exercises
- Weekend Retreat
102 Mona Vale Road, Pymble, NSW 2073
Ormiston, QLD, Queensland 4160
102 Mona Vale Road, Pymble, NSW 2073
News - Blogs
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation – Message from Pope Francis, 1 September 2023
Dear brothers and sisters! “Let Justice and Peace Flow” is the theme of this year’s ecumenical Season of Creation, inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: “Let justice flow on like a river, righteousness […]
Season of Creation 2023 – confirming a good choice
‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’ is the theme of this year’s ecumenical Season of Creation, inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: “Let justice flow on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” […]
Pope Francis on Discernment – Confirmation of the good choice
In the process of discernment, it is important to also remain attentive to the stage that immediately follows the decision taken, in order to either catch the signs that confirm it or those that disprove it. I […]
Accepting Tears
For Pope Francis, tears are a sign of God’s compassion, of Christ’s pain. My ministry of accompaniment is with women in prison, a ministry in which I have served for over 25 years. Only when […]