What does the word “magis” mean?
Magis is the Latin word for “more.” Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits used the term to suggest the spirit of generous excellence with which ministry should be carried out. It means striving for continuous quality improvement.

What is the purpose of Magis Retreats?
The Magis Retreat Program has a two-fold goal of: 1) providing young men and women, single and married, from 21 to 35 years of age, an opportunity to experience the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and 2) forming new young adult CLCs.

Why are there three retreats per year?
Because we feel that one retreat is not enough for participants to receive the wealth of spirituality to be gained from the Spiritual Exercises, the retreat program is designed as a cycle of three different retreats per year, each with different talks and themes. The theme of the first retreat, which usually takes place in September, is “Finding God in All Things.” The second retreat of the cycle, “For the Greater Glory of God,” takes place in January, and the third retreat, “Men and Women for Others,” takes place in May of each year.

Is a participant required to attend all three retreats?
Although attending all three retreats is recommended in order to get a fuller picture of the Spiritual Exercises, attending all of them is not required. A participant may also attend the retreats in any order. In other words, attending the first retreat of the cycle in September is not a prerequisite for attending the second or third retreats in January or May, respectively. What if someone does decide to attend all three retreats? Wonderful! Whoever attends all three retreats is considered a Magis “graduate”. Graduates are honored with a special Magis candle and certificate of completion at the conclusion of their third retreat.

How are the retreats structured?
Each retreat begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night and ends with a closing Mass at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. There are approximately eight different talks per retreat. Some of the topics come directly from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, while others are inspired by Ignatian spirituality and Catholic teaching. The talks are a half hour each and are all followed by an hour of personal, silent reflection time. In addition to talks, there are also some activities like meditations and a ministry panel. The panel consists of three people representing different ministries that offer retreatants opportunities for involvement.

Is the entire retreat in complete silence, just like the Spiritual Exercises?
Magis is unique in that, in addition to emphasizing the silence and reflection of the Spiritual Exercises, it also enables young adults to share their experiences with one another. Instead of the complete silence of traditional Spiritual Exercise retreats, Magis sets aside specific times for group reflection to enable people to share their spiritual journey with one another if they so choose. Participants may also talk during meals.

Why is some talking permitted on Magis?
Because one of the goals of Magis is to create new Christian Life Communities, a fully silent retreat would not be sufficient to forge bonds between retreat participants. As a result, permitting talking during meals and other designated moments allows the young adults to get to know one another. Two new local CLCs comprised of Magis retreatants already are meeting every other week.

Are there other opportunities for retreat participants to share and interact?
About a week or two after each retreat, social activities are planned in order to give people a greater opportunity to interact and get to know one another. Previous socials have included barbecues, picnics and game nights.