The Centre for Ignatian Spirituality in Malta
An annual programme of events, mainly in the two houses of Mount St Joseph and Manresa: Spiritual Exercises in daily life, prayer experiences in parishes and other contexts, spiritual direction, the promotion of personal and community discernment and the formation of spiritual guides.
CIS, founded in 1975 in Naxxar as the Centre for Spiritual Renewal, later became the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality in the late 1980s to promote Ignatian spirituality. Fr. Christopher Vella, the Director, explains: “Each year about 450 people, with an average age of 50, participate in the various activities. 20 people are being formed as retreat guides. Many, from 18 to 70 years of age, go through the experience of the Spiritual Exercises personally, in groups, in the retreat houses, in the university chaplaincy, in the college or in the Christian Life Communities, which include about 260 people”.
The Retreat Houses
TheMount St Joseph Retreat Houseis a rare and precious space in Malta, with an extensive garden space. The house is an invitation to leave the fast pace of modern life and enter into a haven of peace and quiet for a day of prayerful meditation or a longer period of reflection and soul-searching.
It can offer up to 36 guest rooms, three large conference rooms, two chapels and caters for up to full-board basis. The Jesuit community living in the house engage in spiritual direction and pastoral work.
Manresa Retreat House is nestled in the picturesque island of Gozo, ten minutes from the centre of the ancient capital, Victoria (Rabat). A peaceful, beautifully built, Jesuit-run retreat house, dating back to 1810, ‘Manresa’ offers fully refurbished facilities, while preserving its local character, with views of the blue Mediterranean Sea, and the charming countryside. Offering two conference rooms, a chapel and a prayer room, the house can accommodate up to 60 persons. There are 3 Jesuits who live at Manresa Retreat House (they form part of the Mount St Joseph community) and they run the house, offer spiritual accompaniment and support the Gozo seminary.
