Apprenticeship in the Spiritual Exercises
A nine-month high-touch training experience for spiritual directors to give and adapt the 19th Annotation retreat
September 3, 2024 — May 30, 2025 | 6:30-8:30pm (Eastern U.S.)*
The Order of the Common Life Apprenticeship in the Spiritual Exercises (ASE) closely accompanies you with individual attention, substantive instruction and a learning community as you guide one to two directees through the 19th Annotation retreat-in-everyday-life.
Our goal goes beyond credentialing you to give the Spiritual Exercises. ASE is designed to advance your own ongoing experience of the Exercises and equip you to discerningly adapt the 19th Annotation according to each retreatant’s needs and contexts.
*Meeting times subject to change prior to summer 2024
Program distinctives
ASE offers a high-touch equipping and empowering apprenticeship model:
Weekly support in 1:1 and group contexts to balance individual attention and exposure to multiple experiences
An emphasis on preparing you to adapt the Exercises to your retreatants’ unfolding experience
Integration with an internal family systems (IFS) model of self
Retain access to all video content through our exclusive alumni/ae platform.
100% online (no residency requirement)
Time commitments
Apprentices meet as a cohort weekly through the end of September. Starting in October, you can expect:
Biweekly group meetings (1.5-2 hours)
Biweekly 1:1 accompaniment and supervision (1 hour)
Weekly meetings with your retreatant (1 hour)
Weekly readings, videos and retreat preparation (1-3 hours)
Entry requirements
Prior to applying, participants should have:
Experienced the full Spiritual Exercises retreat (preferably given by a trained director)
Completed a formal two-year training program in spiritual direction (ESDA or similarly accredited)
At least one year and 50 hours of spiritual direction practice post-training
Most participants will need to arrange for someone they can direct through the Spiritual Exercises. Some assistance in securing a retreatant may be given.
Program texts
The ASE program requires only three core texts to be obtained by participants. Some texts may be available via interlibrary loan through your local library system.
Required: Joseph A. Tetlow, Choosing Christ in the World
Required: Katherine Dyckman et al., The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed: Uncovering Liberating Possibilities for Women
Required: Anthony De Mello, Seek God Everywhere: Reflections on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Recommended: David L. Fleming, Draw Me Into Your Friendship: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading of the Spiritual Exercises
Recommended: Michael Harter, Hearts on Fire: Praying with the Jesuits
Additional readings are provided as electronic selections.
Program costs
$2,250 for all instruction and supervision
(Estimate an additional $50-100 for books, listed above.)
Note: Trained directors may earn around $1,600-$1,800 per 19th Annotation retreat, which means you can expect a return after directing just two retreats post-graduation.
ASE faculty
Br. Brian Hohmeier, OCL, is the director of formation and learning for the Order of the Common Life, where he leads curriculum development for the School of Formation.
He trained in the Spiritual Exercises (19th Annotation) at Evangelical Theological Seminary with a graduate certificate and holds an M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He’s completed certifications in spiritual direction and internal family systems therapy in addition to graduate coursework in supervision.
Email Br. Brian with questions.
How to apply
Applications to begin in fall 2024 are now open and due August 1. Spaces are limited, so please apply early.
Already trained in the Spiritual Exercises?
Check out our low-tuition audit option.