Do the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, developed in the 16th century, have any role in helping us address the ecological crisis? Philip Shano, a Jesuit priest and Director of the Guelph Centre of Spirituality, thinks they do. Drawing on his own extensive experience of teaching Ignatian spirituality, he will examine its insights into intimacy, humility, poverty and the power of the imagination in order to offer suggestions for an ecological and sustainable way of life. He argues that Ignatian spirituality provides tools for helping those serious about their interior life to find God in all aspects of life and to bring a contemplative stance to their engagement with the world. It can help us adopt a "spirituality of living simply" and avoid the trap of consumerism, which fuels so much ecological destruction. Friday night at 7:30, Fr. Shano will lead a workshop entitled, "Intimacy with the World: Ignatian Spirituality and Living Simply" that will provide more concrete examples and suggestions for living in harmony with nature.
Fr. Philip D. Shano, S.J
Appointed Superior of the Guelph Centre of Spirituality in 1997, Fr. Philip Shano, S.J. has given many retreats, workshops, and classes on spirituality across Canada and the United States. His earlier research on "the will of God" in Ignatian spirituality has been translated and published by "Cahiers de Spiritualité Ignatienne" (Québec). Fr. Shano is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Montreal. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Jesuit Retreat and Renewal Ministries, an organization that oversees the Jesuit spirituality and retreat centres across North America. When not occupied with his responsibilities, he is caring for his organic garden.