Introduction

An Advanced Certificate Course designed to give further training both theoretical and practical to personnel who have successfully followed a previous Certificate Course on Spiritual Guidance and/or Ignatian Retreat Guidance. The Course is offered jointly by Hekima University College and Mwangaza Jesuit Spirituality Centre. Today the practice of spiritual discernment has spread far beyond the groups that draw their inspiration from St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rich spiritual experience. Both in his addresses and encyclicals, Pope Francis, a Jesuit himself, insists on the importance of discerning God’s will in relevant life situations that have no easy answers. Pope Francis invites the Church he leads to engage in discernment so as to seek and find God’s will in our lives and the life of the church. Mwangaza Jesuit Centre shares this call to facilitate learning on Ignatian discernment.

General Objectives

The programme aims at empowering participants with theoretical knowledge, skills and experience to lead a sound process of individual or communal discernment, by following the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola, in the African context.

At the end of the course, the student will have

• Attained a deeper, reflective knowledge about both the content and method of Ignatian spiritual discernment.
• Acquired more refined skills and criteria needed in the process of Ignatian spiritual discernment.
• Been introduced to the process of discernment in various areas of present life as a most appropriate process to seek and find God’s will: personal and community life, socio-economic and political analysis, family and ecology.
• Gained the ability to lead an individual or communal process of Ignatian discernment.

Target Group of the Course

The addresses of the course include:

• Religious personnel who do or will take responsibility in the process of formation of their members.
• Priests who engage in formation activities, are engaged in the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises.
• Lay people who are experienced pastoral agents or who work in the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises in parishes, in Christian lay movements, youth ministry, etc.

Requirements

To be eligible for admission, a candidate is expected to:

• Have already followed certificate courses on Spiritual Guidance and Ignatian Retreat Guidance at Hekima University College, Mwangaza Jesuit Centre or accredited participation in similar courses at another known institution. Some experience in retreat or spiritual guidance is also recommended.
• Present a letter of recommendation from her/his respective superior: the bishop if he is a diocesan priest, or the major superior if she/he is a religious sister, brother, or priest. If the applicant is a lay person, a letter from her or his parish priest or chaplain is required.
• Commit themselves to participate in the two blocks that make up the course

Evaluation

Requirements to approve this Advanced Certificate Course include:

• Full attendance to the two 4-day blocks
• Active participation in the sessions
• Assessment of the participation of each student throughout the course by the Mwangaza staff.

Structure and Modality of the Programme

This Advanced Certificate Course is residential at Mwangaza Jesuit Spirituality Centre. All blocks begin in the evening of the first day and end after breakfast on the last day.

Calendar 2025

The blocks are scheduled as follows:

• Su February 09 - Sa 15
• Su March 23- Sa 29

All blocks begin in the evening of the first day and end after breakfast on the last day.

Subject Matter of the Course

First Block: The spiritual discernment of the individual:

• Movements of the Spirit; the rules of spiritual discernment according to St. Ignatius of Loyola
• The process of spiritual discernment in view of decision-making (Election).
• Accompanying a person in his/her spiritual discernment.
• Spiritual discernment of the past: Examination of Consciousness and Evaluation

Second Block: Communal discernment

• A case study: the deliberation of Ignatius and his companions
• Spiritual discernment in community: consultative and deliberative discernment
• Conditions and process of spiritual discernment in common
• Spiritual Discernment in social situations: (“Evangelical discernment”: Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, 50-109)
• Process of evangelical discernment in view of pastoral planning (Pastoral circle)
• The care of the common home (Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia).
• Criteria to discern the signs of the times: the discernment of Jesus of Nazareth.

Teaching Staff

• Sr. Beth Mugo, S.E, MAcs
• Fr. Terry Charlton, S.J., PhD
• Rt. Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Mejía, S.J., STD
• Fr. Nathanael Miti, S.J., Psy.D
• Fr. Graham Pugin, S.J., MTh
• Fr. Patrick Ng'ang'a, S.J., STL
• Fr. Kifle Wansamo. S.J., PhD

Other qualified resource personnel will be invited to facilitate specific sessions.

Cost

Ksh 60,000 fee, payable in two instalments of Ksh 30,000 at the beginning of each block. Payment includes handouts and some stationery. Limited bursaries available.

Certification

At the end of the course, the student who meets all requirements will be awarded a Spiritual Guidance Certificate, issued by Hekima University College and Mwangaza Jesuit Spirituality Centre

For further information contact

• mwangazajesuits@gmail.com