An energetic group gathered online on Jan. 12 for Gathering the Givers of the Retreat in Daily Life. Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, (bio below) responded to questions from participants while offering his own insights on topics of importance to Givers of the Retreat in Daily Life(RIDL)/Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL).
Participants connected and networked with other RIDL/SEEL leaders, learned about two RIDL models currently in use, shared resources/best practices and reflected on the joys, challenges and invitations of this unique ministry.
Click here for a list of resources compiled from information that was placed in the online chat during the program. These resources represent the wisdom of the group that gathered but have not been checked for accuracy.
May this program continue to be a source of inspiration to you as you feed the spiritual hunger of our times with the feast that the Spiritual Exercises offer!
“The Exercises are…a gift that the Spirit of the Lord has made to the entire Church; it is for you to continue to make it a precious and efficacious instrument for the spiritual growth of souls, for their initiation into prayer, to meditation, in this secularized world in which God seems to be absent.”
- Address of Pope Benedict XVI to the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, Feb. 21, 2008.
Featured Presenter:
Fr. Kevin O'Brien is a Jesuit priest who serves as executive director of Fairfield Bellarmine, an innovative two-year associates’ degree program in Bridgeport, Connecticut, located on a new campus of Fairfield University. This initiative, called Fairfield Bellarmine after the patron saint of the university, is aimed at expanding access and affordability in Jesuit higher education.
Fr. O'Brien is the author of the award-winning book, The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life. The book has sold over 60,000 copies and has been translated into three languages. His follow-up book, Seeing with the Heart: A Guide to Navigating Life’s Adventures, was published in January 2023.
Fr. O’Brien has taught and served in the administration of St. Joseph's University, Georgetown University, and Santa Clara University. He has served on the boards of Marquette University, Seattle University, and Fordham University. He presently serves on the board of directors of Catholic Charities of Fairfield County.
Born in Canada and raised in South Florida, Fr. O’Brien practiced law and taught high school before joining the Jesuits in 1996. As a Jesuit, he has taught business law, philosophy, ethics and theology on a variety of campuses. Fr. O’Brien also has a long association with the Jesuit Refugee Service, which assists and advocates for migrants and refugees across the world.