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From the Director's Desk... |
| [Woodstock Report, December 1998, No. 56] |
| This issue of the Woodstock Report features presentations
at a recent forum by three of our Woodstock fellows. The forum was a celebration of a
happy coincidence of anniversaries: the 450th anniversary of the publication of the Spiritual
Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, and the 25th
anniversary of the founding of the Woodstock Theological Center. I call this coincidence
of anniversaries "happy," particularly because of Woodstock’s indebtedness
to the Spiritual Exercises. Woodstock’s method of "social analysis and
theological reflection" is rooted in and grows out of the method of discernment and
decision making that St. Ignatius develops and commends in his Spiritual Exercises. The connection is not immediately self-evident. People often ask me, "What can a 16th century mystic have to say about social problems in a post-modern world culture? What does a retreat of personal prayer and meditation have to do with running a business, modernizing the church, or evaluating the globalization of the free market economy?" That is the question that each of our speakers addresses. They answer by giving concrete examples of "how it works." The speakers first describe a Woodstock project or program for which they are responsible, then they describe a key feature of the Spiritual Exercises, and finally they show how this feature of the Exercises is operative and influential in the way their programs work. The presenters are Woodstock fellows Mike Stebbins, who directs a program for business people called "Faith and Values at Work," Dolores Leckey, who directs a program for church leaders, lay and clergy, entitled "The Church Leadership Program," and finally, Gap Lo Biondo, S.J., who describes and directs a program on the globalization of the free market economy and its impact on local cultures. Don’t look to these presentations for a complete explanation either of the Spiritual Exercises or of Woodstock’s method of social analysis and theological reflection. They are intended simply as illustrations of what the method "looks like" in action. To give a fuller picture, the Woodstock team is working collaboratively on a book which will describe our Ignatian method more completely and illustrate how we use it in our various projects and programs. You will also find here a short description of the Spiritual Exercises and of the exercise known as "An Examen of Consciousness." They will help you understand the remarks of the speakers. If you would like to know more about the Spiritual Exercises, or if you would be interested in making the retreat of the Spiritual Exercises, phone any Jesuit community in the city in which you live and ask for the names of the Jesuit retreat houses closest to you. There are about 30 Jesuit retreat houses in the United States. On page 2 you can read about the recent activities of other Woodstock fellows. Finally, on page 11 you will find a letter about our annual fund-raising appeal. All of us at Woodstock are extremely grateful for the support you have given us over the years. I know we can count on you during this, our 25th anniversary, year. Prayers for a joyous Christmas season, James L. Connor, S.J. |