Welcome to JISA Sevenhill

Sevenhill is situated on the land of the Ngadjuri people.

‘Come away to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ Mark 6.30

JISA Sevenhill offers a unique space for prayer and contemplation. Our grounds, shrines, walking paths and the surrounding vineyard offer an idyllic and contemplative setting for deepening your experience of God.

Our ministry is focused on the giving of Ignatian retreats in the tradition of St Ignatius of Loyola, the author of the Spiritual Exercises, and offering hospitality to individuals and groups seeking a space for quiet and reflection.

JISA Sevenhill is a 25-bed retreat and function centre nestled among the idyllic scenery of the historic Sevenhill Cellars and vineyard, the oldest winery in South Australia’s Clare Valley, and the birthplace of the Jesuits in Australia.

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RETREATS

Located in the oldest winery of the Clare Valley, JISA Sevenhill centre is an idyllic setting to “come and get some rest”. There are several options to choose from and you can always talk to us if you need some extra help.

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CONFERENCES

If you need to hold a conference, workshop or a larger meeting, our facilities are just right. Catering and accommodation available. Please contact us wtih your specific requirements.

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OUR FACILITIES

Sevenhill has 25 rooms including ensuite facilities across the Old College and La Storta an adjacent farm property. In addition, the La Storta property includes The Barn, a flexible space complete with commercial kitchen for hosting large groups and functions.

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Retreats

SILENT DIRECTED RETREATS

Located in the oldest winery of the Clare Valley, JISA Sevenhill centre is an idyllic setting to “come and get some rest”. Offering five, six or eight-day silent retreats in an environment of silence and prayer, these retreats facilitate a person’s deepening relationship with God. A spiritual director will meet with you each day and in gentle conversation will discern with you how God is at work in your prayer. The retreats begin in the evening of the first day and end with breakfast on the final day.
These retreats are usually based on Sacred Scripture and there is opportunity for participation in a daily Eucharist.

Silent Directed retreats are offered on the following dates:

Silent Directed Retreat	2024
4-Day (5 nights)	19 – 24 January
4-Day (5 nights)	8 – 13 March
6-Day (7 nights)	12 – 19 April
4-Day (5 nights)	26 April – 1 May
3-Day (4 nights)	13 – 17 May
4-Day (5 nights)	2 – 7 August
8-Day (9 nights)	16 – 25 August
6-Day (7 nights)	13 – 20 September
8-Day (9 nights)	29 November – 8 December

FULL SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

In 2024, JISA Sevenhill is offering the full Spiritual Exercises twice. We offer them to people from all walks of life, who are already familiar with Ignatian Spirituality and Ignatian Spiritual Direction. Commonly, the focus on the exercises is on making major, life-changing decisions in your life.

During this retreat you will meet once a day with your Spiritual Director and be guided through the four movements or ‘weeks’ of the Spiritual Exercises with methods and models of prayer provided by Ignatius.

This retreat runs for 33day/34 nights.

2024

Retreat	Dates
The Full Spiritual Exercises in Silence	Monday 10 June – Sunday 14 July 2024
The Full Spiritual Exercises in Silence	Monday 7 October – Sunday 10 November 2024

Expression of Interest

Before applying to undertake this retreat, it is required that you have prior experience of silent directed retreats in the Ignatian tradition, preferably 8 days in duration. It is expected that applicants have experience and comfort with the dynamic of silence, prayer, and reflection over an extended period of time.

It is highly recommended that you have had ongoing spiritual direction with a person who can help you discern and prepare to undertake the Spiritual Exercises.

Please note: while the Spiritual Exercises can have a therapeutic effect, they are not therapy and do not substitute for psychological counseling.

In support of your application please provide two referees who have knowledge or experience of the Spiritual Exercises and can attest to your readiness to undertake them.

Your application will be assessed by two assessors who are trained Givers of the Spiritual Exercises. You may be contacted for an interview at some stage.

Applications for the full Spiritual Exercises at JISA Sevenhill are due six weeks before they commence. We look forward to hearing from you.

Conferences

JISA Sevenhill provides a variety of spaces for conference purposes. Whether a small group or large, you will be made most welcome.We are able to accommodate groups of 25 overnight and can liaise with further accommodation locally.Kitchen facilities allow us to cater for up to 60 guests in our conference settings. Excellent Audio Visual equipment is available.Accommodation Cost: $120 per night per person.Daytime conference facility hire costs vary depending on your requirements, please contact us for more information.We can help you to arrange transport for larger groups from Adelaide airport – please ask.

Our Facilities

Accommodation

Our retreat centre is in the middle of the oldest winery in the Clare Valley. It offers a unique place for prayer and contemplation. It has 24 single rooms, some of which are ensuites, the rest with shared bathroom facilities.Live-in retreats include all meals, bed linen and towels. Our grounds, shrines, walking paths and the surrounding vineyard create an environment conducive to encountering God in a restful and peaceful rural setting.

Chapel

Sevenhill has three chapels on site. The house chapel in the old College, the La Storta chapel, and the large St Aloysius Church provide atmospheric spaces for prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist.Built in the late 19th century, St Aloysius Church, is open daily between 10.00am and 4.00pm for prayer and located in the College grounds. Two smaller, intimate chapels, are located on the La Storta grounds and in the old College, are also available for prayer during the day.

Conference Centre

Located in La Storta grounds, The Barn, is a multi-purpose conference centre equipped with the latest smart board and projector and dining facility. It can hold up to 60 people and can cater for that number for lunch or dinner. The Barn is also used to host day groups.For The Barn bookings, contact sevenhill@jisa.org.au

LOCAL AREA MAP
Click Image below to navigate

LA STORTA GROUNDS MAP

Our Story

In 1848 two Austrian Jesuits accompanied a group of German-speaking migrants from Silesia (in modern day Poland) to South Australia. In 1850 Fr Aloysius Kranewitter SJ purchased land in the Clare Valley and named it Sevenhill after the famous ‘seven hills’ of Rome.

Within a few years a small community of Jesuits had established a small winery for the production of sacramental wine, commenced work on a college for boys, and the construction of a church. By 1870 the college was completed and served as a boarding school, seminary and Jesuit community residence. By the late 1870s the impressive St Aloysius Church and crypt was substantially complete. Today 41 Jesuits lie interred within the crypt.From Sevenhill the Jesuits expanded their mission to the settler communities in the north of Australia including a mission to the aboriginal communities of the Daly River in the Northern Territory.

Sevenhill also has close associations with Australia’s first saint, St Mary MacKillop. In 1871 Mary stayed on the property and visited the college where her brothers Donald and Peter were students. In time Donald became a Jesuit and served as superior of the Daly River mission. Mary’s spiritual mentor Julian Tennyson Woods was also a seminarian in the college.In the 1880s the Austrian mission to Australia ended and Sevenhill became part of the Irish Jesuit Mission and eventually the Jesuit Province of Australia.

Today Jesuits continue to serve in the retreat and parish ministries.In the 1970s, Fr Ted O’Connor SJ began conducting retreats for individuals and groups within the college. In 1990s and 2000s Sevenhill’s reputation as a space for retreats started to grow.

In 2006 the centre was augmented by the purchase of the La Storta farm property and houses providing an additional 10 rooms and a barn space suited to providing corporate hospitality.Today the JISA Sevenhill has 25 rooms with a mixture of ensuite and shared accommodation.

Weikert Cottage Restoration

In mid 2023 SevenNews Adelaide aired a report featuring the newly restored Weikert Cottage at Sevenhill, site of the first Jesuit presence in Australia in 1848. Severely damaged by the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, the cottage was given a new lease of life when a major project started taking shape before the coronavirus pandemic.

This entailed partially reconstructing the cottage, enclosing it under a new roof and adding storyboards to outline its history. The rebuilding was completed in early 2020 and the post-Covid blessing of the updated cottage by Australian Jesuit Provincial Fr Quyen Vu SJ took place on Sunday 19 March 2023.

As the 7News report says: “A key part of the Clare Valley’s history has come to life with the restoration of an old ruin harking back to the earliest days of Jesuit winemaking. Sevenhill has preserved the historic cottage as part of an interpretive trail celebrating one of the state’s oldest vineyards.”

When Fr Quyen blessed the cottage, he brought a memorable insight into the theme of journeys. “We are all pilgrims on a journey,” he said. “The first Jesuits as well as the Weikert family came here as pilgrims. I came from Vietnam and came out to Australia as a refugee.

“On any journey, whether it is physical or spiritual, we need to look back over our shoulder – or check the relevant app on our mobile devices – to discern our own starting point. Why do we do that? The answer is simple. We do it in order to gauge not just how far we’ve come but also to take into account the obstacles that have been conquered along the way. When we take the time to create that perspective, we then truly appreciate how much has been achieved in the 175 years since the first Jesuits arrived in South Australia.”

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Sevenhill Cellars

At Sevenhill Cellars, the first winery established in South Australia’s Clare Valley, you can enjoy distinctive, estate-grown wines and experience our notable heritage and spiritual character.Sevenhill Cellars is owned by the Australian Jesuits, and was first set up by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1851 to produce sacramental wine. While this tradition continues today, Sevenhill is also highly regarded for its premium table wines, which are recognised for the regional qualities that have put the Clare Valley on the world stage.

Visit Sevenhill Cellars website →

Whats on at JISA Sevenhill

01 January 2023

The Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life – AVAILABLE ALL YEAR

What is God inviting me to? Nourishment – Discernment – Clarity – Freedom Deepen your relationship with God, nourish your ongoing prayer life and discern God's will for you. The full Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola […]