About The Retreat
MISSION STATEMENT
DEMONTREVILLE JESUIT RETREAT HOUSE
Lake Elmo, Minnesota
Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House was founded in 1948 to be similar to White House Jesuit Retreat House in St. Louis, Missouri. It was founded to provide the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in a three-day conference style retreat format to men of the area. These retreats are designed to draw a person closer to God by developing one’s spiritual life through self-knowledge. The retreats at Demontreville are not meant to be isolated events, but what is gained during the three days is meant to be put into practice throughout the year. Jesus’ admonition in John 13:17, “Once you know all these things, blest will you be if you put them into practice,” is taken very seriously. The “cumulative effect” is stressed at Demontreville, i.e. with each retreat one learns more about God and oneself, and one’s life changes for the better.
Each Jesuit retreat director approaches the contents of the Spiritual Exercises from his own perspective. He shares with the men what the Spiritual Exercises mean to him and how they have affected his life. Thus, even though the “content” of each retreat is the same, it is approached from a different point of view with different insights leading each retreatant to look at himself and his life from different perspectives.
The fourteen half-hour conferences are situated in the midst of a natural and prayerful setting. The 110 acres of grounds, paths, woods, gardens, water, and animals are a means to quiet a person down from the frantic pace of the world and to let the “Third Testament of the Bible” speak to him, the “Testament of Nature”. Daily Eucharist, Benediction, the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and the Angelus provide a religious setting for the weekend. Most importantly, silence provides the means to see oneself, to hear God, and to respond to Him.
Welcome
The minimum age to attend our retreats is 17 years old if he is accompanied by his father or guardian.
Personal Reflection and Prayer
Each weekend retreat offers a time for quiet reflection and prayer, spiritual renewal, and consideration of how the Lord is calling a person to live out his faith. The Jesuit Retreat Director guides the group using the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Each day, the Retreat Director offers four or five conferences that give the participants material for reflection. After each conference, there is time for quiet reflection and prayer. Collectively, each man creates a silent environment when he commits himself to a weekend of silence. This silence allows each man to focus on listening to the word of God and to pray quietly without distractions. We hold to the wisdom of our tradition: “The silence of a man makes audible the voice of God and disposes a man to pray.”
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross can be made privately anytime during the retreat.
Sacraments and Devotions
The Rosary is prayed each day by the group at 2 pm. The Catholic Mass is celebrated each day at 5:15 pm. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered any time during the retreat after the conferences. After the 2:30 pm conference, Saturday afternoon is set aside for this sacrament for those who wish to receive it. In addition, the priests on staff are available after each conference during the day for private consultation and spiritual direction.
