GUELPH/ERAMOSA – The Jesuits of Canada announced on May 8 a significant transition in the mission of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre (IJC).
For several years, the IJC has faced growing financial pressures and challenges related to a diminishing number of Jesuit personnel.
These realities have led to a “prayerful and intentional” decision to reimagine how the centre’s ministries are offered, officials state in a press release.
Retreat and formation programming at Loyola House will continue until Dec. 31.
After that point, these ministries will be relocated to other Jesuit centres across Canada, including Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre in Pickering and Villa Saint-Martin in Montreal.
This ensures that individuals seeking spiritual accompaniment continue to be well served, the release states.
A continued presence
The Ignatius Jesuit Centre itself will remain open and continue as a vital apostolate of the Society of Jesus,” it continues.
Its 600-acre property — comprising farmland, forests, and conservation areas — remains under Jesuit ownership.
The centre’s role as a place of ecological engagement, community collaboration, and spiritual reflection will continue.
In the coming months, its current retreat programs will remain active.
The centre will offer visitors a chance to experience this sacred space as it prepares for its new ecological mission.
“Throughout the transition, all IJC staff will be supported with clarity, fairness, and respect; their valued contributions will be recognized throughout this period of change,” officials state.
A vision for the future
The future mission of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre will focus entirely on ecological justice and reconciliation with creation, as rooted in the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus.
“This transition honours the land entrusted to us by previous generations while renewing our commitment to its proper stewardship,” the release states.
“The IJC will become a space where ecology and spirituality can flourish.”
Over the next year, the leadership of the IJC will present a renewed mission plan designed to strengthen its apostolic impact and secure its long-term financial sustainability.
“This has been a challenging discernment for all of us,” stated Father Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits of Canada, in the release.
“Like many others, I am grateful for the experiences of prayer I’ve had at Loyola House. There’s a sadness in seeing this transition unfold; at the same time, I believe it is a necessary step. It will certainly strengthen our ability to serve as we move into the future.”
Burwell said the mission of the Jesuits is to grow “in a right relationship.”
“We will work closely with our partners and the wider community to ensure the centre remains a place where creation, community, and the Catholic tradition intersect in meaningful ways.”
