Retreats at Osterley are based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius which help individuals to find the ways of praying that suit them best. Sometimes people use a retreat to discern the way God is calling them, perhaps making a decision about a career or a change of job, about religious life or marriage. But this is not always so; a retreat is essentially a period of prayer. For all of us, seeking our vocation is seeking the next step along the road where the Lord is leading us.
On this section of the web site you can find details of the many retreats and workshops in the current programme at Osterley Reteats. The list on the left shows a summary: click one of the links below, or in the top of the list, to show things: by date, by subject, or that is happening in the coming month.
To book for a particular retreat or workshop, please telephone, email or write. click here for our contact details.
As a taster of the Ignatian approach, here is an excerpt from a homily given by Jock Earle SJ on the Fest of St Ignatius, 2003:
“Personal experience brings into play the great orchestra of personal gifts: memory, understanding, will, imagination, the five senses and a range of feelings. As we become aware of experiences and reflect on then, we realise that God is using them to communicate with us. There is intimate, direct communication between God and us, us and God. God is our personal teacher, imparting personal knowledge: knowledge of our sins and of God’s forgiveness; knowledge tthat we are personally invited to share Jesus’ work; even deeper personal knowledge of the way of the Cross and of how much we have to lose in order to possess greater and greatest love.”