A Practical Pilgrimage

What is A Practical Pilgrimage?

A Practical Pilgrimage is a short virtual retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It is short: 8 sessions over 15 weeks. It is virtual: everything takes place on Zoom. It is a retreat: I hope it will be a time for you to set aside the hectic stress of life and find an island of prayerful peace. It is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola: this has its own dedicated page.

Is this for me?

This retreat is for you if:

• You want to learn how to pray, or deepen your prayer life
• You wonder what God wants for your life, or where God is calling you to be
• You are looking for clarity on a specific question in your life.

This retreat comes from Christian perspective. The Spiritual Exercises come out of a Roman Catholic heritage, and the retreat leader is a priest in the Episcopal Church. We will be praying with Jesus Christ and working heavily from the Bible, particularly the Gospels. All of that said, you are welcome no matter who you are.

The retreat leader is also committed to making this retreat a safe place for LGBTQA+ people, people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and all genders.

What are the commitments?

This retreat is 8 sessions. Each session is 90 minutes. The sessions will happen every other week. Each session will include some time getting to know one another, a little instruction or reflection on a prayer technique from St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, time to share with each other the fruits of the past week of prayer, and time for discussion.

Between sessions, you will be asked to make 2 periods of prayer each day. The first period will be 30-45 minutes. It can happen anytime during the day. The second period is about 10 minutes, best placed at the end of the day or at bedtime.

You will need a Bible of your choice. You will need a computer or device capable of running Zoom, and you will need to know how to connect to a Zoom meeting with a microphone and camera. To learn more about Zoom, explore the Zoom learning center [offsite link].

Who is the facilitator of this retreat?

Me! My name is Chris Arnold. I’m a priest in the Episcopal Church, serving in the Diocese of Fond du Lac in Northeastern Wisconsin. I am a spiritual director, trained at Loyola University of Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral Studies. Find out more about me.

Is there a cost?

There is a suggested donation of $40, which you can send it (if you would like to) via Paypal or Venmo or by mailing a check. Nobody will be turned away based on donation.

Register for a Session

By registering, you are expressing your interest for the session for which you sign up. You will be included in emails and invited to the Zoom session. There is no obligation for filling out this form!