From June 5-16, Spring Hill College will offer various events during its Summer Institute of Christian Spirituality. First, classes, both in-person and online, will be offered to stimulate knowledge and faith. Second, a silent Ignatian retreat, centered in the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, will be held.

Various courses are available at the cost of $370 per credit hour or $125 per credit hour (non-credit) for the easy listening option. Course descriptions, professor biographies, and registration forms are all available at shc.edu/academics/sics. On-campus lodging will be available for $40 per night.

Each summer, the Institute of Christian Spirituality offers an individual directed Ignatian retreat on the beautiful campus of Spring Hill College. In the busy rush of daily life, a silent retreat offers a quiet oasis for contemplative time, where the still, small voice of God can be heard. A directed retreat requires an environment of silence and builds on personal prayer and mindfulness rather than conferences or group interaction.

The eight-day retreat begins with a short orientation. Shorter retreats may be taken for any three or five consecutive days during the same time period, beginning with an orientation session on the previous evening. Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, retreatants meet with a spiritual director once a day. Directors are faculty and graduates of our Spiritual Direction program. The directors help each participant discern the presence of God in their lives and suggest methods and themes of prayer or meditation for each day, offering appropriate scriptural passages. Outside of daily meetings with the director, retreatants spend their time in personal prayer, reflection, spiritual reading and journaling, or walking the grounds of campus. A daily Mass is available in the Sodality Chapel.

Meals and accommodations, which are included in the cost, are provided in a specially designated student residence hall, to help ensure an atmosphere of silence and recollection. The 8-day retreat costs $640, the 5-day retreat is $400, and the 3-day option is $240.