London: Jesuits launch major lay spirituality course

An ambitious and far-reaching two-year human development and spirituality course for lay people is being launched by the British Jesuits. Based at Mount Street in central London, the course will be ecumenical and largely experiential, and will be run by a mixed team of Jesuits and lay people. There will be over sixty sessions over two years, beginning in September 2004. In the first year, the themes will be: Ways of Praying, Listening and Discernment; followed in 2005/6 by Decision-making, Spiritual Conversation and Images of God and self. The Personal and Spiritual Development course emerged partly out of a recent deanery meeting at which the formation of the laity was identified as being one of the most important needs for the Church. But the spiritual development of lay people is also among the British Jesuits' priorities, and organiser Fr Bill Broderick SJ hopes that this course will address the needs both of the Church and of individuals. "These courses are aimed at equipping people for any future ministry they may undertake in the Church, while at the same time helping them develop as human beings," he explained. "A great deal of our time will be spent reflecting and exploring life's experiences, so anyone who perhaps feels at a crossroads, or who wants to try and make sense of where they've come from and where they're going to, should benefit enormously from this course." The course starts on Tuesday, 7 September 2004, and early booking is advised. For further details, contact the Administrator at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre, 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH or e-mail: bill_broderick@tiscali.co.uk