National Conference for Spiritual Exercises (NCSE)

• The Many Faces of God in the Spiritual Exercises | Sr. Joan McCarthy, CSJ
• American’s Original Sin of Racism and the Spiritual Exercises | Brian McDermott, S.J.
• Adapting the Spiritual Exercises for Seekers Beyond the Christian Tradition | Kevin O’Brien, S.J. and Erin Cline, PhD
• The Transformation of One's Identity, Charism and Mission as an Ignatian Spiritual Director | Damian Zynda, ThD

• An Innovative Approach to Offering the Spiritual Exercises to Hispanic Communities (English and Spanish) | Sandra Corona, EdD and Ramon Corona, PhD
• Internal Family Systems and the Spiritual Exercises of Loyola | Luz Marina Díaz, PhD
• The Spiritual Exercises in the Parish Setting | Robert L. Muhlnickel, PhD
• Spiritual Exercises Through Art | Mark Scalese, S.J.
• Expanding Our View of God’s Action in the Spiritual Exercises | Edward McCormack, PhD
• Offering the Exercises in Group Format | The Rev. Susan Joplin
• Offering Spiritual Exercises to the Youth | Elliot Gualtiere MA, Megan Agliano MDiv, Dominika Deline MTS, ThM

• Christian Cashman, MEd, President, Fairfield College Preparatory School

• Rev. Denis G. Donoghue, S.J., Director, Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality

• Marcy Dolan Haley, MA, Associate Director, Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality

• Rev. John Mulreany, S.J., Alumni Chaplain & Superior, Fairfield Jesuit Community

• Rev. Kevin F. O’Brien, S.J., Vice Provost and Executive Director, Fairfield Bellarmine

• Rev. Paul Rourke, S.J., Vice President, Mission and Ministry, Fairfield University

• Rev. John Savard, S.J., ’78 Director, Campus Ministry, Fairfield University

Topic: The Many Faces of God in the Spiritual Exercises

Joan M. McCarthy, CSJ, is a Sister of St. Joseph. She has ministered in spirituality programs since 1973 and this has included 24 years as a full-time staff member at Gonzaga Retreat House in Gloucester, MA, St. Joseph Retreat Center in Cohasset, MA, and Southdown, an ecumenical, residential treatment center in Canada. Joan has given hundreds of 30-day retreats in numerous U.S. retreat centers, Wales, Ireland, England, and Canada. She served on her congregation’s leadership and initial formation teams. Presently, she continues to offer spiritual direction, supervision, directed retreats, and professional development programs for spiritual directors and has co-directed a training program in spiritual direction since 2003.

In this session we will consider significant stages and dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises and how retreatants’ reactions and responses are affected by the way they image God or see God’s face in a particular moment of life or prayer. Since the Spiritual Exercises are an ongoing development in one’s personal relationship with God, it is essential that both the director and retreatant are sensitive, aware and attentive to these interior, heartfelt movements and visions. Including both historical and contemporary cases will concretize our reflections. Although the present-day cases are fictional, every dynamic is drawn from what directors of the Spiritual Exercises consistently observe.

Topic: America’s Original Sin of Racism and the Spiritual Exercises

In the Society of Jesus’ Constitutions, St. Ignatius was deeply aware of the way grace works in the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and communitarian/structural dimensions of human life. It would be important, pastorally and spiritually, that the practice of the Spiritual Exercises show that same sensitivity to these three fundamental dimensions of the human. A contemporary appropriation of the Exercises should not be content with highlighting what is intrapersonal and interpersonal in the spiritual journey. They need to encourage and enable retreatants to engage with, and be aided by, structural grace and engage with and be liberated from the influences of structural sin. My presentation will discuss one local effort to reframe portions of the Exercises so that they respond more explicitly to a major social challenge of our time, namely, anti-Black racism.

Fr. Brian McDermott, S.J., entered what is now the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1968. He later earned his doctorate in systematic theology from the University of Nijmegen in 1973. That same year, he joined the faculty of Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he taught until 2000; the school is now the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College.

Fr. McDermott is the author of two books, What Are They Saying About the Grace of Christ? (Paulist Press) and Word Become Flesh: Dimensions of Christology (Liturgical Press), as well as numerous articles, book reviews, and audio recordings. He is currently completing a manuscript exploring ten major themes in Ignatian spirituality.

Over the course of nearly fifty years, Fr. McDermott has served as a spiritual director and retreat director, and for eighteen years as a community superior. He was also a member of Georgetown University’s Board of Directors for nineteen years and currently serves as a special assistant to the university’s president. For sixteen years, he directed the tertianship program for the Maryland and New York provinces of the Society of Jesus, guiding Jesuits through their final stage of formation before professing final vows.

For the past decade, in collaboration with Martina O’Shea, he has been involved in training spiritual directors and preparing leaders to give the Spiritual Exercises at Holy Trinity Parish.

Topic: Adapting the Spiritual Exercises for Seekers Beyond the Christian Tradition

Professor Cline and Father O’Brien will explore adaptations of the Spiritual Exercises for those from non-Christian traditions and those who are not affiliated with a particular religion but interested in deepening their spirituality.

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J. is a Jesuit priest, lifelong educator and former practicing lawyer. Fr. O’Brien currently serves as founding vice provost and executive director of the Bellarmine Campus Fairfield Bellarmine, an initiative to expand access and affordability to Jesuit higher education by offering a two-year associate’s degree program to low-income and first-generation students from Bridgeport, Conn., and surrounding communities. His most recent book, of Seeing with the Heart: A Guide to Navigating Life’s Adventures (Loyola Press, 2023), was reviewed by America magazine as, “an invitation to live, as St. Ignatius writes, with magnanimity, inspiring us to be ‘great-souled’ people attentive to the needs of others, clear in our integrity, rooted in hope and as ‘beholders of the holy.’” Winner of a 2012 ACP (Association of Catholic Publishers) Excellence in Publishing Award, Fr. O’Brien’s first book, The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life (Loyola Press, 2011), has sold more than 60,000 copies and has been translated into three languages. Prior to Fairfield, Fr. O’Brien taught and served in the administrations of Saint Joesph’s Georgetown, and Santa Clara universities.

Erin M. Cline, PhD, is the Paul J. and Chandler M. Tagliabue Distinguished Professor in Interfaith Studies & Dialogue at Georgetown University and Senior Research Fellow in the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs. She is the author of seven books and numerous articles on Chinese philosophy and comparative theology and religion, including A World on Fire: Sharing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises with Other Religions (The Catholic University of America Press, 2018). Her new book, The Problem of God: The Challenges of Faith, Religion & Spirituality Today (Georgetown University Press, 2026) draws on her work as a comparative theologian teaching Georgetown’s iconic course for the last seventeen years to an increasingly diverse student body. Professor Cline is a specialist in ancient Chinese philosophy and religion and has just published a new translation of one of the most influential Chinese texts in human history, The Analects: A Contemporary Translation (Liveright, 2026). Her other books include Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting: Ancient Chinese Philosophy and the Art of Raising Mindful, Resilient, and Compassionate Kids (Norton, 2020)

Topic: The Transformation of One's Identity, Charism and Mission as an Ignatian Spiritual Director

What does it mean to be a woman or man of the Exercises, if not a lifetime of psychological and spiritual conversion? The Exercises transform not so much what we choose to do but rather who we are when we choose what we choose. This keynote will examine how one's identity, charism and mission as an Ignatian spiritual director is formed when we give ourselves over to the grace of the Exercises.

Damian Zynda ThD is the Assistant PASE for Executive Ignatian Formation for the UEA Province of the Society of Jesus. Damian comes to us with years of experience serving as vice president of Mission and Ministry at McQuaid Jesuit in Rochester, NY and Canisius High School, Buffalo, NY. She completed a doctorate in Systematic Theology and Christian Spirituality from the University of St. Michael’s College and the University of Toronto. Damian is sectional faculty at Regis College, the Jesuit School of Theology at the Toronto School of Theology, and the Christian Spirituality Program at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. She is a spiritual director involved in the formation of spiritual directors and the supervision of spiritual directors in the Ignatian tradition. Damian has directed retreats in the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, and Ireland and has presented numerous workshops and lectures on spiritual direction, the supervision of spiritual directors, and the Spiritual Exercises. Damian has presented numerous series on the theology of grace and conversion in the Spiritual Exercises, discernment, and supervision for spiritual directors. Damian opened II JESEDU-Jogja-2024 with a keynote entitled, “Sharing God through Ignatian Spirituality: Ignatian Spirituality as Part of Our Faith Formation and Forming the Formators.” Damian was recently appointed by Rev. Joseph O’Keefe, S.J., as one of two UEA delegates to the global initiative, Discernment in Common, to be held in Salamanca, Spain. Exploring the intersection of spirituality and psychology, Damian’s book, Archbishop Oscar Romero – A Disciple Who Revealed the Glory of God, traces the spiritual development and psychological growth of St. Oscar Romero, articulating a Spirituality of Conversion that is both human and divine.

Topic: An Innovative Approach to Offering the Spiritual Exercises to Hispanic Communities (English and Spanish)

This workshop presents an innovative, online model for the formation of Spiritual Directors in Spanish, while also introducing a new and accessible approach to offering the Spiritual Exercises to Spanish-speaking migrants across the United States.

Sandra Corona, EdD, co-founder of Casa Kino, Ignatian Spirituality Center and a leader in Hispanic Ignatian ministry, will explore culturally responsive approaches to the Exercises, including online accompaniment for immigrant communities. Sandra holds a Doctorate in Educational Sciences from IBERO Tijuana, Mexico, a Master’s in Bilingual Transcultural Education from National University, USA, and a degree in Educational Psychology from ITESO, Guadalajara, Mexico.

Ramon Corona, PhD is co-founder of Casa Kino. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Ramon was trained as a spiritual director by the Jesuit Province of Mexico. He holds a doctorate in education and a postdoctoral degree in marketing.

Topic: Internal Family Systems and the Spiritual Exercises of Loyola

This workshop explores how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model can deepen engagement with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Participants will be introduced to an IFS informed approach that honors the multiplicity of inner “parts” while cultivating the compassionate “Self” as a grounding presence. Through reflection and guided practice, the workshop will demonstrate how IFS can illuminate the dynamics of resistance, desire, and discernment in the Exercises, offering a pathway toward greater integration and freedom. The session invites participants to experience how insights from IFS can enrich Ignatian spirituality and support holistic transformation.

Luz Marina Díaz, PhD, director of the Spiritual Direction Practicum at the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education Fordham University, will examine the interplay between family systems theory and the transformative dynamics of the Exercises. Diaz holds a degree in Computer Science from Universidad Central de Venezuela, a master of arts degree in Religious Education (MA) from Fordham University, and a doctorate in Religious Education from Fordham University (PhD).

Díaz has 22 years of dedicated service in catechetical leadership and has been Director of the Religious Education Program at Xavier since 2007. She oversees the Family Faith Program and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). She coordinates private and communal baptisms and prepares parents and godparents for their children’s baptisms. She is also a member of the Liturgical Ministry, ISEL (Ignatian Spirituality in Everyday Life), and the Interfaith Committee.

Topic: The Spiritual Exercises in the Parish Setting

This workshop will describe the history, participants, and development of the Spiritual exercises in two suburban parishes. The workshop will identify factors that contribute to the success of the 19th Annotation in parish settings, the qualifications of spiritual directors, and effects of the retreat in the lives and ministries of retreatants. We present recent adaptations of the exercises, including Ignatian yoga, five-week retreats focused on spiritual themes, and a morning of prayer and reflection on gun violence.

Robert L. Muhlnickel, PhD is Coordinator of Spiritual Exercises, Church of the Transfiguration and St. Catherine of Siena. He holds degrees in theology, social work, and philosophy, and has directed the spiritual exercises for since 2008, and been Coordinator of the Spiritual Exercises at two parishes since 2024. He is a professor of philosophy at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY and a member of the Ignatian Spirituality Project team offering opportunities for spiritual reflection to people recovering from addiction and homelessness.

Topic: Spiritual Exercises Through Art

This workshop explores how famous works of art on slides (paintings, sculptures and photographs) can be used in a weekend preached retreat to reflect on major themes and movements of the Spiritual Exercises.

Fr. Mark Scalese, S.J., is parochial vicar at St. Peter Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. A native of Scranton, PA, Father Scalese entered the Jesuits in 1987 and was ordained in 1997. Prior to Charlotte, he was Jesuit Superior of the First Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago for six years. Previously, Father Scalese spent 15 years at Fairfield University, where he was the Director of Campus Ministry as well as an associate professor in its Film, Television & Media Arts program. He earned his Master of Fine Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia and worked as a television producer for Frank Frost Productions in Washington, D.C., where he contributed to documentaries about Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago and St. Thérèse of Lisieux that were broadcast on public television stations across the country. Prior to and since joining the Jesuits, Fr. Scalese has also taught art at the elementary and high school levels.

Topic: Expanding Our View of God’s Action in the Spiritual Exercises 

This workshop explores the three ways the Triune God relates to creation and humanity by creating, reconciling, and transforming all things and how people experience God in these ways in the Exercises. By expanding our vision of how God relates to us, directors can transform a person's experience of the Spiritual Exercises.

Ed McCormack is the Senior Coordinator for Ignatian Training Programs at Holy Trinity Parish in Washington, D.C. He earned his doctorate in systematic theology from the Catholic University of America, and has taught theology for over thirty years. He has offered spiritual direction and has guided others through Spiritual Exercise for over twenty-five years. He is also the permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington.

Topic: Offering the Exercises in Group Format

This workshop will be comprised of two parts. Part One will be an historical overview of how a system was created in Central Oklahoma, allowing the Spiritual Exercises in small groups to thrive successfully for 42 consecutive years. Ours has been a multi-layered approach. Peer group supervision, small group facilitation and one with one spiritual direction/accompaniment for participants all work together to provide both accountability as well as collaboration. Working with a covenant is foundational to the success of the small group.

Part Two will be a hands-on experiential taste of how to work with a covenant to set up an effective environment. The covenant offers a pliable yet firm boundary for the small group.

Deep listening is a major underpinning of this approach. Parker Palmer’s well-established method of creating Circles of Trust is heavily relied upon to offer guidelines.

Rev. Susan Joplin is Dean of the School of Spiritual Direction in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma.

Topic: OFFERING THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES TO YOUTH

A conversation with mission officers from Fairfield Preparatory School in Fairfield, Connecticut and Brophy College Prep in Arizona about offering the 18th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises to high school students.

Elliott Gualtiere, MA, is the dean of Mission and Ministry for Fairfield Preparatory School.

Megan Agliano, MDiv, is the Religious Studies Department chair at Brophy College Preparatory School in Arizona.

Dominika Deline, MTS, ThM, is the coordinator of liturgies, a part of the office of the Faith and Justice chair at Brophy College Preparatory School in Arizona.