Advanced Certificate Course on Ignatian Discernment

Advanced training for personnel who have completed a certificate course in Spiritual Guidance and/or Ignatian Retreat Guidance, equipping them to lead individual and communal discernment in the African context.

Introduction

Building on Pope Francis’ call to a culture of discernment, this course offers advanced formation for those already trained in spiritual guidance or retreat guidance.

General objectives

To empower participants to lead individual or communal discernment according to St. Ignatius, in the African context.

• A deeper reflective knowledge of the content and method of discernment.
• Refined skills and criteria for accompanying discernment.
• An introduction to discernment in personal and community life, in socio-economic and political analysis, in family and in ecology.
• The ability to lead individual or communal discernment.

Target group & requirements

• Religious personnel in formation; priests in formation or in the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises; experienced lay pastoral agents.
• Participants must have followed the certificate courses in Spiritual Guidance and Ignatian Retreat Guidance (Hekima/Mwangaza or an accredited equivalent).
• A letter of recommendation from a superior, bishop or parish priest.
• A commitment to both blocks.

Subject matter

• First block (individual discernment): movements of the Spirit; the rules of spiritual discernment; the process in view of decision-making (the Election); accompanying a person; discernment of the past (Examination of Consciousness and evaluation).
• Second block (communal discernment): the deliberation of Ignatius and his companions; consultative and deliberative discernment; the conditions and process of common discernment; discernment in social situations; evangelical discernment for pastoral planning; care of our common home; criteria to discern the signs of the times.

Schedule

Two 4-day residential blocks (begin the evening of the first day, end after breakfast on the last):

Residential Core Staff

• Sr. Beth Mugo, S.E., MAcs
• Fr. Terry Charlton, S.J., PhD
• Bishop Rodrigo Mejía, S.J., STD
• Fr. Graham Pugin, S.J., MTh
• Fr. Patrick Ng'ang'a, S.J., STL
• Fr. John Ferone, S.J., MTL
• Fr. Vitus Sedlmair, S.J., STL
• Fr. Thomas A.D. Ramadhani, S.J., Th.D

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