Classes, Retreats & Workshops

The heart of our Ignatian ministry is to give the Spiritual Exercises through a variety of formats. With the need being so great in the greater Phoenix Area, St. Francis Xavier Parish has partnered with other Ignatian Spirituality leaders in the Jesuits West Province Family in order to meet the many spiritual needs.

The Spiritual Exercises in Spanish

The Spiritual Exercises, the underpinning of all Ignatian spirituality, is a series of guided exercises of reflecting on one's experience, and of practical instructions on various ways of praying. The Exercises are, essentially, "spirituality for busy persons" who are actively involved in the world. They are a means of making decisions in a state of true interior freedom. They include ways of meditating and contemplating, the use of thought, memory, and imagination, with frequent reference to Scripture passages.

This year St. Francis Xavier Parish is piloting a nine-month program Spanish Spiritual Exercises program in partnership with Casa Kino, a Jesuit affiliated program based in San Diego. Interviews are happening in May with the Exercises to begin in August 2026. For more information contact Emilio at e.rdz.izq@gmail.com or visit https://casakino.org/ejercicios-online.php.

Spiritual Exercises 2026-27: The Long Retreat

SEEL Portland also gives people the opportunity to experience the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in their everyday lives over a period of nine months. The 2024-25 SEEL retreat is given through an online experience. Applications are being accepted through August 1, 2026, and advance registration is required.

For more information, visit SEEL Portland’s website at https://seelportland.org/.

For questions about the Spiritual Exercises and Spiritual Direction contact Fr. Xavier Benavides, SJ at xavier.benavides@sfxphx.org.