November 2021

Volume 12, Issue 2

We are so pleased to share with you that the Ignatius Jesuit Centre’s Loyola House will be reopening to on-site retreats, programs and conferences in April 2022. It’s been much too long without your presence! Plans are well underway on how best to reopen so that your return will be safe, nourishing and restorative.

The contract with Wellington County for the Loyola House Supportive Temporary Housing Pilot (LHSTAP) will conclude at the end of November 2021. The 13 months with these kind folks has been grace-filled and they will be missed. This contract has given us the breathing space to adjust to each new uncertainty and to now plan for our reopening.

In preparation for your return we will enter into a few months of upgrades – new beds, flooring and ensuite washrooms, all in preparation for the return of retreatants and community groups. This work will take place Dec 1 - March 25 -- in time to reopen at the end of March 2022.

Although the loss of revenue from retreats and conferences has been our greatest challenge, your generosity has kept us operational. We’re appealing for your generosity once again so we can add 20 ensuite washrooms. We need to raise $500,000 for this construction.

Several major donors have contributed and we’ve already reached a total of $200,000 so far.

We hear your enthusiasm to resume retreats here at Loyola House...

Your enthusiasm to return here gives us confidence that our investment in these renovations will allow us to offer you the same quality of retreat experience you’ve come to expect at Loyola House, with enhanced safety.

We ask for your prayers and, if you are able, your donations (no matter how small) to assist us with maintaining this place where Creation gives strength to mind, body and soul.

Ignatius Jesuit Centre is a registered charity and can accept donations of stocks, bonds or mutual fund units through CanadaHelps.

Considering a legacy gift and have some questions? Email development@ignatiusguelph.ca or phone 519-824-1250 Ext 257 (Vanessa) or Ext 266 (Leanne).

The sessions will be presented by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners in ecology, land-based education, and research. Together, we will strive to unpack our diverse worldviews, the process of learning, and understanding the connections between humanity and nature. The discussions will guide us through the journey of re-evaluating personal attitudes and assumptions, and the process of decolonizing how we come to know and what we perceive as valuable. The journey includes the process of decolonizing our knowledge and view of nature, reconciliation with all our relations, how to care for the ‘Land’, and opportunities and pathways to work together and give back.

This webinar series will be presented via Zoom from 6:30-8pm, with time for questions at the end of each session. For more information on the topics, speakers and how to register, visit the events page here.

CSA & Community Garden registration for 2022 will open in December. Stay up to date with what’s happening at the Farm by subscribing to the Farm E-News here. 

“I really wanted to extend my deepest appreciation to the staff behind the Ignatius new farmer training program. This program through its well-developed learning materials and resources, provided by knowledgeable experienced coordinators, guest speakers and farmers, provided me with exceptional knowledge and made me more confident toward my farming journey.”

For more information about this study, or to volunteer, please contact Ben Szoller, Department of Religious Studies, at 416-458-1404 or ben.szoller@uwaterloo.ca