The Program
A Spiritual Journey

Overview

The mission of the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality is to enrich, through an integrated program of prayer and Ignatian Spiritual reflection, the lives and experience of persons fifty or older who are doing community service. As well as enriching their personal lives, Companions are strongly encouraged to become leaders in their parish communities, and not only increase the awareness of their peers in social justice issues, but also expand the numbers of people working as volunteers for parish, diocesan, and community organizations.

Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality begins as a one-year program that focuses on the integration and deepening of prayer and service. Companions can then choose to continue on the path with follow-on programs. Each Companion, at every level of formation, commits to consistent weekly service to the poor and marginalized of the community - daily prayer and devotion - periods of retreat - monthly meetings with the Companions community.

In the Fall of 2010, the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality program started being offered in two locations, at Santa Clara University, in Santa Clara, CA, and at the Jesuit School of Theology-SCU, in Berkeley, CA.

In Year One, all participants in the Companions participate in a 10-month formation program. The usual group consists of about 12 persons, and their meetings run from September to June. The training has two components:

• The Service Component requires participants to have a consistent weekly community service commitment involving direct contact with people who are poor, marginalized, and socially vulnerable.

• The Spiritual Formation Component requires that participants have a strong desire to deepen their spiritual life and a willingness to explore Ignatian Spirituality.

In Year Two participants use the same monthly meeting format, and their syllabus is based on texts that, while grounded in an Ignatian spiritual foundation, challenge the reader to grapple with the implications of discernment in a society where values and ethics have changed dramatically. Companions are encouraged to consider a particular and personal sense of vocation as an opportunity to live out one's deepest desire for oneself in the context of a world with profound needs and shortcomings.

Year Three Companions are expected to make a deep and ongoing commitment to practicing a faith that does justice. Participants are provided with the language and basic skills they need to go out and both communicate their commitments to others, and to engage in sustained leadership and advocacy on behalf of the justice and fidelity that their spiritual and ministry experiences have engendered.

For each of these formation phases, participants are asked to commit to:

Year 1 Formation: The Ignatian Year - Heart and Hands

• A 10 month program, from September through June
• Beginning and Ending, one-day retreats
• Weekly consistent service of 6 hours minimum, to the materially poor, the voiceless, and the powerless
• A program of daily prayer and meditation, 15 - 30 minutes, based on the spiritual discipline of St. Ignatius of Loyola, using a comprehensive, written Guide for the Journey
• Monthly program meetings with other members of their group, and co-facilitators, consisting of reflection on their prayer and its connection to their volunteer service experience, a Liturgy and lunch
• Individual monthly meetings with a spiritual director, focusing on where God is calling the volunteer in life

Year 2 Formation: The Faber Year - Study and Service

• A 10 month program, from September through June
• Weekly consistent service of 6 hours minimum, to the materially poor, the voiceless, and the powerless
• Daily meditation, 15 - 30 minutes
• Deepen spiritual reflection through the study of texts and readings that focus on the reality of social justice and our response to the cry of the poor
• Meet monthly for Faith Sharing
• Beginning and Ending, one-day retreats (optional)
• Meet monthly with a Spiritual Director (optional)

Year 3 Formation: The Xavier Year - Contemplation in Action

In Year Three, each Companion decides the level of commitment that he or she will make for the year. For some this will mean growing their service into work of advocacy; for others it will mean availing themselves of opportunities for pilgrimage, immersion experiences, retreat, social gatherings and evenings of theological discussion. There are many possibilities and opportunities for every Companion to remain engaged and committed to the Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality, as follows:

    • Regular life of daily prayer and reflection
    • Active involvement in leadership and service
    • Advocacy
    • Periods of retreat
    • Monthly meetings with the Companions community
    • Optional programs may include:

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo 5 day retreat
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo Immersion Pilgrimages
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo Annual Banquet and Recognition Dinner
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo Participation on a CISS Subcommittee
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo Companion representative on the Advisory Board
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo "Walker" to companion with an Ignatian Year 1 Companion
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxo Participation in CISS Forum