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True silence is the rest of the mind,
and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body,
nourishment and refreshment. -William Penn
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Sacred Ground Campaign
Five years ago we initiated our Sacred Ground campaign to sustain the Centre's vision to provide a "place of peace that welcomes a global community of people who seek to integrate their inner and outer life with God and with all Creation."
We have been truly inspired and blessed by your support as donors, campaign volunteers and friends. You have pledged $3.1 million. We have used these funds to
- Complete $300,000 in energy and accessibility upgrades to both the administrative and accommodation wings of Loyola House.
- Establish a $650,000 endowment fund to provide long time support to lay spiritual direction
- Protect the Old-Growth Forest in perpetuity through a conservation easement.
- Hire contract staff over the last few years to implement our restoration planning and to deliver workshops for students across Wellington County from both school boards: an expenditure of $75,000. The Centre will continue to fund raise towards the sustainability of this project.
The Sacred Ground campaign continues as we strive to raise $ .9 million to upgrade our septic system and install a geothermal heating/cooling system for the retreat house.
Please continue to keep the Sacred Ground campaign in your thoughts & prayers. Make a donation. For more information, please contact the Campaign Assistant 519 824 1250 ext 257 or
send an email.
Ignatius Old-Growth Forest, the 500-year project 
- Martin Tamlyn, Old-Growth Forest Project Coordinator
In June our work focused on removing invasive Buckthorn and replanting the forest with native species. The cut brush was used as fencing to stop the deer from browsing on the new trees, restoring almost 3 acres of forest!
On June 18th we hosted a Moth workshop led by Andalyne and Richard Tofflemire. It was a great evening running through the meadows with nets! We sat by the black-lit screen beside the creek discovering the incredible diversity of insects we are blessed with on the land.
With the funds we received from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change we have started constructing boardwalks on the west end of the Jim Profit trail. This area is waterlogged for much of the spring and restricts access to a section of the Old-Growth Forest Trail system. The boardwalk will also protect the surrounding wetland by keeping hikers on the official trail. The boardwalk, made from the wood of the Eastern White Cedar, was locally harvested and milled just a few kilometres from the land of the OGF. 
I am so grateful to the project staff; Paul Fantauzzi and Spencer Leidl and to our volunteers: Eryk, Evan, Joshua, Nathan and John. This week we said goodbye to our Canada Summer Jobs student Spencer Leidl I Best wishes to you on your next adventure, Thanks Spencer!
Thank you
- Spencer Leidl
As a nearby resident, a volunteer of the Centre, and a participant in the TERRA program, I have grown up deeply connected to the Centre. It has been such a joy to work here for these last 8 weeks and to be able to see the physical changes in my own backyard as I made a positive impact on the project and the health of the world. From clearing buckthorn to building boardwalks to rescuing tadpoles, the variety of tasks to do meant no day was ever the same and no dull moments in our busy schedule. From these tasks, my knowledge of the natural world expanded as I learned about the wide variety of flora and fauna found in the forest. As a busy university student, with much time spent in libraries and in front of a laptop screen, it is so easy to forget the stillness and the peace that can be enjoyed from a simple walk in the woods. This position here helped me to regain my grounding with the land and de-stress from the fast-paced world of today. Thank you very much to Martin, a great friend and mentor, Paul, and all those here at the Centre that have made it a wonderful place to work and explore.
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UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES & EVENTS
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Are you looking to break away and spend some time in silence?
Or are you looking to upgrade your skills in giving Spiritual Direction?
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IGNATIUS FARM - Just a few shares left!
There are just a few Mid-Summer, Late-Summer  and Winter organic CSA shares left! Get them while you still can! Order online or stop by the Farm Workshop and fill out a form. Feel free to call if you have any questions at 519-824-1250 ext 244.
OPEN FARM DAYS - Save the Date! This year our
Open Farm Days will be held during CSA pick-ups on
Tues August 23 from
3:30-7pm, and
Fri August 26 from
3:30-6pm. These two days are a celebration and thank you for all those involved with ignatius Farm and the CSA. There will be free organic ice cream, snacks from the kitchen at Loyola House, musical entertainment, wagon rides, a u-pick, children's activities and much much more! Bring your family & friends...see you there!
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Walking Pilgrimage - August 6-13 2016 
Since 2002, in early August, a group of pilgrims journey from the Ignatius Jesuit Centre to the Jesuit Martyrs' Shrine in Midland - place that honours early Jesuit missionaries who introduced Christianity to the Huron Wendat Nation. Those who walk the Guelph-to-Midland pilgrimage find it to be a unique and grace-filled experience. For eight days pilgrims pray, sing, laugh, and share stories with others as they journey; not always easy, it is always rewarding. Registration deadline is July 22.
Interested in signing up for this year's pilgrimage? Find more information here.
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From the Land Department -
Marden Creek is a small cold water stream that originates
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Ignatius summer students -
Mason Heitkamp & Megan Sanderson admiring their hard work of restoring this small section of Marden Creek
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North of Guelph Lake, and flows into the Speed River just East of Highway 6 on the Ignatius Jesuit Centre property. Meandering its way through forest and field, it was determined during the 1980s after the widespread adoption of sustainable land-use practices that Marden Creek was an excellent candidate for stream restoration. The removal of the Ignatius dam in 2010 marked the beginning of stream restoration at Ignatius, due to the immediate positive response pertaining to the stream's overall health. As the stream continues to naturalize, further restoration is needed to increase water quality and improve habitat for fish and wildlife.
The Marden Creek restoration project at Ignatius takes on many forms. The removal and or re-situating of flow-inhibiting obstructions (logs, dead-fall, rock) and the creation of in-stream deflectors and bank stabilizers will work to increase stream velocity (stagnant/slow moving water means high temperature and low quality) and to reduce siltation of the stream-bed. Positive results from stream restoration projects can be seen almost instantaneously, making it all the more satisfying! Brook Trout populations are on the 'rise'!
From the Loyola House Kitchen
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 LOYOLA HOUSE RETREATS & PROGRAMS 
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Upcoming Retreats - Each retreat date is linked to our website for more information
- 8-Day Silent Retreat - August 22-30 - A directed retreat provides you with individual direction in an environment of silence and prayer. A spiritual director meets with you as you share your prayer experiences, helps you reflect on them and discover the path God is revealing to you.
- 40-Day Spiritual Exercises Institute - October 4-November 13 - The Institute offers an experience of prayer and daily guidance with a spiritual director as one journeys through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Read more here.
- Disposition Days Retreat - October 5-10 - This is a 5-day retreat and is a good opportunity for a beginner or an experienced director to gain a heightened awareness of the fundamentals of an Ignatian Retreat.
- Individual Directed or Undirected Retreats - October 11-November 6 - There may be opportunity to come for a directed or undirected retreat of a shorter duration. Choose the dates most suitable to your schedule during any of the directed retreats.
- All of our upcoming retreats are listed here
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