When St. Ignatius of Loyola Formed the Society of Jesus almost 500 years ago, central to his mission was a commitment to “the care of souls.” Believing that every human soul is precious, Ignatius encouraged his six fellow founding Jesuits to focus their pastoral ministry on guiding individuals toward spiritual growth and a deeper, more personal relationship with God.

Guiding people through the process of discernment and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius remains a primary directive of the modern-day Society of Jesus; it is one of the four Apostolic Preferences of the global Jesuit order. For the past ten years, it has also been the central focus of Jesuit and layperson collaborators at Fairfield University’s Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality.

Since the center first opened at Fairfield University in 2014, the number of Jesuit priests and brothers in the United States has decreased significantly, consistent with trends among other religious orders. As a result, the Murphy Center’s mission “to keep the Ignatian charism alive” at Fairfield University and Fairfield Prep — and to offer Ignatian spirituality beyond campus to the broader Diocese of Bridgeport community — increasingly relies on lay companions.

“We try to cooperate with God’s grace and move where the spirit is leading,” said Marcy Haley, associate director of the Murphy Center. “There are fewer and fewer Jesuit priests, but a great desire for our programs. How do you carry on the charism? Partly through training laypeople in the Ignatian tradition, individually and communally.”

Spiritual Guidance, Education, and Outreach Programs

In the spirit and words of St. Ignatius, the Murphy Center really is about ‘the care of souls,’” said Rev. Denis Donoghue, S.J., director of the Murphy Center. “We look to engage people where they are, guide them toward a fuller understanding of their faith, and help them to take the next step in their walk of life.”

Fr. Donoghue and his Murphy Center staff of five oversee spiritual direction programs, teach undergraduate courses in Ignatian spirituality, lead retreats, support campus ministry at Fairfield Prep, offer Ignatian pilgrimages to Diocese of Bridgeport parishes, host an “Aging With Grace” online program, and partner with Fairfield Athletics to minister to more than 500 student-athletes each year.

What has been most notable about the center’s evolution over the past decade, said Haley, “is how demand for our programs has grown — we have seen an ever-increasing desire for community connection and for a deeper sense of intimacy with God.”

The Murphy Center’s Spiritual Director Formation program, a two-year certification course, has twice as many applicants as can currently be accommodated. Seventy-three spiritual directors have been certified since 2014, and 13 candidates are now in formation.

More than 60 spiritual directors — mostly laypeople of diverse backgrounds and faiths — are actively spreading Ignatian charism through the Murphy Center at this time, providing one-on-one spiritual direction to approximately 360 people from campus and the broader community each month, as well as to 140 Fairfield undergraduates who participate annually in a ten-week “Encountering the Living God” Ignatian spirituality program.

During his sophomore year, student-athlete Jack Cartnick ’25, was admittedly skeptical about embarking on the semester-long “Encountering the Living God” experience. “Before entering spiritual direction,” he said, “Ignatian spirituality was simply a concept mentioned in class that had little tangible meaning to me.”

After his first one-on-one session, Cartnick’s attitude “completely flipped.” Inspired by his spiritual director’s openness and free-flowing style of guidance, he realized “that amid the hustle of classes and assignments, rowing practices and social events, taking time each day to talk to God can have a profound impact on my life.”

Weekly spiritual direction provoked a deeper connection with his faith than Cartnick had ever felt before, motivating him to share his experiences with his grandmother, Sharyn Cartnick — a woman with a well-worn set of rosary beads who is active in her church. “I began to see spirituality and faith as a common ground for us to grow closer,” he said.

“If you allow God to enter your life, he will appear in unexpected ways,” Cartnick noted, describing how a phone conversation with his grandmother about the Examen prayer and Ignatian spirituality offered him new insights into their relationship. “I now feel closer to her than ever, and I have spiritual direction to thank for this.”

Sharyn Cartnick is also grateful for that conversation with her grandson, which inspired her to begin praying the Examen. “It amazes me how God never gives up on us!” she said of her new daily prayer habit.

Tenth Anniversary Celebration: Sunday October 6, 2024

The spark of an idea to open a center for Ignatian Spirituality at Fairfield was first ignited in a conversation between The Rev. James Bowler, S.J., who at the time served as Fairfield University’s director of Ignatian spirituality, and Deacon Patrick A. Toole Jr.

“We both had ideas about creating a center to train spiritual directors,” said Deacon Toole, who currently serves as chancellor and secretary of the Curia for the Diocese of Bridgeport, “so we met for about a year with a group of founding collaborators, and the rest is history.”

On Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, the community is invited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality at the 11 a.m. Mass at Egan Chapel.

At a special luncheon immediately after Mass, the following founders of the Murphy Center will be honored with the James M. Bowler, S.J., Award, in recognition of their lives of service exemplifying the spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola:

• Donna M. Andrade, EdD, M’82
• Patricia P. Brennan ’73 (posthumously)
• Francis J. Connolly Jr.
• Michael G. Considine
• George E. Diffley, P’97, ’96
• Traugott F. Keller
• Robert Kretzman
• Joan L. Lee
• Stephen M. Ryan Jr.
• Deacon Patrick A. Toole Jr.
• Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.

Please visit fairfield.edu/mcis-10 to purchase individual tickets or table sponsorships to attend the luncheon.