The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola

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St. Ignatius of Loyola recorded his spiritual experiences during a year of prayer at Manresa, Spain (34 miles north of Barcelona) from March of 1522 to February of 1523. The Spiritual Exercises were to form the basis of many retreats

St. Ignatius of Loyola recorded his spiritual experiences during a year of prayer at Manresa, Spain (34 miles north of Barcelona) from March of 1522 to February of 1523.  The Spiritual Exercises were to form the basis of many retreats given to priests, religious, and lay people. They are offered in closed sessions of a weekend, five, eight or the full thirty days at retreat houses as well as retreats in everyday life made at home over the course of about nine months (technically referred to as a 19th Annotation retreat). 

The book of the Spiritual Exercises is not a text to be read as a work of non-fiction, but exercises to be prayed usually under the guidance of a trained spiritual director.  The original Spanish text of the Exercises was translated into two Latin versions (the Versio Prima and the Vulgate) which were approved by Pope Paul III in 1548.

You can download Father Mullan's 1914 translation at the top of the page or find additional books and resources on the Exercises at www.jesuitsources.com.