For about twenty years the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Deacon Formation Program has included the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the formation of deacon candidates and their wives.

Deacon Jerry Cellner, the Director of the Deacon Formation Program, says that the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are often named as a highlight of the formation process by both deacon candidates and their wives. “They often say that the Spiritual Exercises have changed their life”.

Fr. Frank Ferrante, CMF, one of the Formation Coordinators, says “Initially, the deacon candidates and their wives made the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life, (also called the 19th Annotation Retreat), during the second year of the formation program. They met one-on-one with a spiritual director during class time. However, over the past five years, deacon candidates and their wives have been making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in group direction during their aspirancy year.”

The Spiritual Exercises are provided in both English and Spanish by spiritual directors who have received formal training in leading the Spiritual Exercises. These spiritual directors have been men and women religious, deacons, and lay men and women. Each spiritual director meets with a group of five or six persons (deacon candidates and wives) twice per month for a period of two hours.

This is my second year working with the Deacon Formation Program as a spiritual director leading deacon candidates and their wives in the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life. I have found the retreatants really engaged in making the Spiritual Exercises and have seen how they have grown in their relationship with God.

I am extremely hopeful that these future leaders of the Church will have been given a solid Ignatian spiritual foundation and the tools for discernment.

I am also extremely proud to have these brothers and sisters sharing our Ignatian Spirituality.

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