Ignatius Loyola used the phrase "to help people" again and again to describe what motivated him and was to motivate the Society. By this phrase, the first Jesuits meant helping the whole person, not merely the "spiritual" aspects of the person’s life. The Jesuit “way of proceeding” is based on a broad-minded spirituality that seeks to find God in all things, in all peoples, and in all environments.

Mount Manresa accepts the challenge to show how by God’s grace there can be a community among human beings which is based on sharing rather than on greed; on willing openness to all persons rather than on seeking after the privileges of caste or class or race; on service rather than on domination and exploitation.

We proclaim Jesus Christ and accept the challenge to help people and to proclaim this hope as we meet people where they are and lead them to the God who loves them.

St. Patrick's Day (March 4) See our flyer for details.

Fordham Alumni Weekend Retreat (March 9-11) See our flyer for details.

Supporting Mount Manresa Easier Than Ever
Mount Manresa now accepts payment via Paypal for retreat registration and for those who would like to support the work of the retreat house. We invite you to make use of this convenient method of payment.
Register For:
Fordham Alumni Weekend Retreat (March 9-11) To Register Click Here.

Join Sr. Maureen Skelly, S.S.H, for an afternoon of music, prayer and reflection on Sunday, March 18th. Let the music of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion guide your Lenten retreat. See our flyer for details.

Georgetown alums and their associates joined Father Leo O'Donovan S.J. for their annual retreat t Mount Manresa. Snow and ice all helped to foster the spirit of silenece and prayerfulness of the weekend. Manresa's staff, led by Kathy Kogut and her dogsled team and John Harney and his shovel that never stopped, made sure that our facilities were in tip-top shape and welcoming to all.
Click here for photos of this intrepid group.

The latest edition of The Founder is available on Mount Manresa's website. Check out news of the closing months of our Centennial year and look for announcements of upcoming events. Click Here to Read The Founder

We are grateful to everyone who responded so quickly to our anual appeal letter. With the snows of winter and the first blasts of cold weather Manresa will be grateful for your support as we enter our Second Century. Read More

The Sunday, January 1, 2012 edition of The New York Times reports on the value of an Ignatian retreat at the Jesuit retreat house in Wernersville. Take a minute to read this article and then make a resolution to treat yourself to this experience in 2012. Click here to view the article.

Mount Manresa's dining room was filled to overflowing with children, parents and grandparents for our annual celebration of Breakfast with Santa. Sponsored by the Circle of Friends this event is always sure to pack the house and this year was no exception. Beginning with mass in Sacred Heart chapel, the day continued with breakfast, a visit from Santa, an opportunity for photos and a visit from elves and a magician. Every moment was magical!. Click here to see photos.

The pell of bells, the sound of the trumpets and the soaring voices of the choir announced another celebration of Wreaths and Trees at Mount Manresa. The chapel was filled with friends of the retreat house eager to join in this annual holiday festival.
Click here to see photos.

Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House planted 26 new trees with the MillionTreesNYC initiative on November 28th, 2011. MillionTreesNYC is public-private partnership between New York Restoration Project and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation through which one million new trees will be planted and cared for across NYC’s five boroughs by 2017. This is an important initiative that will enhance the quality of our city’s environment. Click here to see photos.

Take a moment to take a look at this brief photo collection of highlights of the Centennial celebrations. Click here to see photos.

Mount Manresa will sponsor an Advent retreat in Holy Child parish, Staten Island, titled"Meeting Christ in Your Daily Life in Advent." Join Robert Giugliano Ph.D and the staff of Mount Manresa in this unique opportunity to prepare for Christmas. See our flyer for details.

Father Terence Shealy's dream of a retreat house for the laity entered its second century on Sunday, November 13th as Mount Manresa welcomed faculty and administrators from the New York Nativity Schools. Click here for a photo of this historic gathering. Click here for photo of the event.

The weather was perfect, the crowd was dazzling and the celebration was extraordinary as Snug Harbor's Main Hall was filled with friends and supporters of Mount Manresa for the culminating celebration of our centennial year.
Click here for photos of the event.

Father William Byron SJ. raised critical questions about the future of evangelization in an address which brought the Centennial Speakers Series to a close. Mount Manresa will enter its next hundred years with a Second Century Speakers series in the new year. Click here for photos of the event

Mount Manresa's chapel was filled to overflowing as we welcomed friends and family of Rev. Mariano Pacis, Rev. Joseph F. O'Brien S.J., Rev. Joseph T. Browne. S.J., Dr. Damir Velchek, Dr. Peter Kottmeier and Dr. John L. Madden for this gala dedication day. Guests gathered after mass for the blessing and formal dedication of the Pacis Room, the O'Brien and Browne chapel, Velcek Hall, and the Kottmeier and Madden Rooms. Click here to read Biographies.
Click here for photos of the event.

The work and vitality of Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House was highlighted recently in the pages of Catholic New York, America's largest Catholic newspaper. At a moment in history when retreat houses are facing serious challenges and many are closing, Mount Manresa continues to serve more than 15,000 people each year. Click Here to read more.

An enthusiastic audience welcomed Fr. Joseph McShane as he spoke on the topic "The Laymen's Retreat League and Lay Spirituality." His talk focused on the pivotal role of Fr. Terence Shealy S.J. in welcoming in a century dedicated to the role of the laity in the church. Click here for photos from the event and here to read a copy of his talk. Click here for photos of the event and here to read a copy of his talk.

The weather was perfect for Mount Manresa's Fall Clean Up Day. Students and their parents from local high schools joined us as we raked leaves, cleared flower beds and prepared the grounds for the autumn ahead. Youth Minister Tonianne Cincotta was so pleased with the turnout and the progress that we made that she is already planning a follow-up day in November. Click here for photos of the event

Father Robert Kennedy S.J. delivered the kickoff address for the Centennial Speakers series at Mount Manresa before an enthusiastic crowd. Click here for photos of the event.

Mother Teresa was a key figure in the history of Catholic spirituality in the twentieth century. Her struggles and insights offer important lessons for every spiritual seeker today. Mount Manresa was delighted to host a stellar theatrical performance highlighting the life and faith of this remarkable woman on Monday, September 26th. Click here for photos of this weekend.

Mount Manresa's annual September Men's and Women's Retreat was a resounding success. The retreat house was filled with the greetings of old and new freinds coming together for good prayer, fine food and excellent company. Click here for photos of this weekend.

Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House is pleased to display artist Holly Schapker's lithograph "Angels of Liberty in the lobby of Mount Manresa beginning on Monday, September 12th. Winner of second place in the national juried competition Spirit of America, this lithograph depicts fallen firefighters, police and others being escorted to heaven in the aftermath of the World Trade Center collapse. This lithograph is a gift to Mount Manresa by the artist whose works on the life and mission of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits, grace the retreat house's main meeting room. To learns more about the lithograph and about the work of the Angels of Liberty Foundation Click Here.

The bells of Sacred Heart Chapel were tolled by each of the 100 participants in this 100th anniversary liturgy. Participants heard Fr. Matt's Roche's reminder that they were celebrating this special moment in Mount Manresa's history on the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary whose life was a "yes" to God's invitation. They embraced Interim Executive Director Fred Herron's invitation to toll the bell themselves as they left the chapel in procession as a sign of their "yes" to God's invitation in their lives. Later, the dining room was filled to capacity for a delightful Spaghetti Dinner, an opportunity to visit with friends and family while enjoying our classic retreat house fare. Click here for photos of this historic event.

Mount Manresa was blasted by Hurricane Irene on Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28. Our facilities staff prepared for the storm for several days and, when Irene hit, Manresa was ready. The winds did their best, knocking down several trees including one near our driveway and another that was a companion to one that fell in the March, 2010 Nor'easter. Manresa offered sanctuary to guests searching for a home during the storm and, thanks to the efforts of our staff, survived the storm in good humor with good food, movies and a great view of the storm through our dining room windows. Clean up efforts began on Sunday afternoon and our doors will open right on schedule on Monday morning. Click Here for a collection of photos from Manresa or for a fine version of Goodnight Irene Click Here.

Sacred Heart chapel welcomed a standing room only crowd celebrating the Feast of St. Ignatius. Afterwards a crowd of close to 200 people enjoyed an afternoon of barbeque, traditional dancing, a puppet show offered by Brother Ed Sheehy, a presentation on the life of St. Ignatius and a talk by author Dr. Michael Capobianco.All this was accompanied by hula hoop water balloon tossing contests for the kids. See picutures of the day...

Georgetown alumni and friends braved the coldest weekend of the year to gather for their annual retreat. View Photo

Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House is pleased to announce the publication of Thomas Matteo's Images of America: Mount Manresa. This book sketches the storied past of Mount Manresa through one hundred years of service to the city, the church and the world. View Book Cover

Read detailed coverage of Fr. Berrigan's appearance at Mount Manresa from coverage by the National Catholic Reporter

Father Daniel Berrigan S.J. spoke to an overflow crowd of almost 25o people in Manresa Lounge on Monday evening, November 29th, the 30th anniversary of Dorothy Day's death. Details of the event may be found in upcoming issues of Catholic New York, the National Catholic Reporter and on Currents, the daily news program of NET TV, sponsored by the Diocese of Brooklyn.
[View Photos]

One hundred years after Fr. Terence Shealy S.J. opened the doors at Mount Manresa, a new generation of leadership and supporters gathered to celebrate the past and dream for the future. The spirit of of St. Ignatius-present in the artwork of Holly Schapker- reminded each guest that Mount Manresa is holy ground.
[View Photos]

Books, websites, video clips, podcasts and other resources on Ignatian Spirituality. Read More

Take the opportunity to light a candle and pray for your special intention on our website. Light One Candle.

Boston College's C21 project offers an excellent introduction to the experience of an Ignatian Retreat. A panel presentation titled "What Can Happen on an Ignatian Retreat" provides an excellent introduction to this rich experience.

See our menu of youth offerings for 2009-2010. Remember that we will meet with you to design a program that meets your unique needs! See our flyer for details.

Check out our media center and find links to Jesuits on Youtube! More.

Below you will find a glossary of terms used in Ignatian and Jesuit circles.
See our flyer for details.