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At the invitation of Reme J. DeRoo, Bishop of Victoria, British Columbia, Jim and Joan Felling make an 8-day, directed Ignatian retreat. |
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At the invitation of Reme J. DeRoo, Bishop of Victoria, British Columbia, Jim and Joan Felling make an 8-day, directed Ignatian retreat. |
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Under Development |
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Jim & Joan take additional training in Guelph and Jesuits are brought to Vancouver Island to train the prayer companions. Weekend Retreats are started in parishes and the Spiritual Exercises (Annotation 19) are offered relying on Sisters, Priests, and experienced lay people as directors. |
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Jim and Joan retire and move back to St. Louis. John English, SJ from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, comes to St. Louis and introduces them to Maries Schimelfening and Bob Johnston, SJ, who are active in Christian Life Community locally and nationally. Joan and Jim join Nicholas Owen CLC. Bridges Refounded in St. Louis |
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Bridges revived. Marie Schimelfening and Bob Johnston, SJ were thinking of reviving Bridges, but Marie was moving to New York to study at the United Nations. Jim and Joan Felling were asked to coordinate Bridges. Fathers Bob Doyle, SJ, Frank Severin, SJ, Bob Johnston, SJ, Marie Schimelfening, Pat Carter, Jean Horton, Sister Mary Ann Wachtel and Jim and Joan Felling are the refounding members. In 1989 Bridges started out at Fusz Memorial at St. Louis University and the Cenacle with 7 AM participants and 10 PM Participants and 9 directors. |
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Morning and evening session are held at the Cenacle on Spoede Road with 12 AM participants, 21 PM participants, and 16 Directors. An advisory Board is formed made up of Fathers Bob Doyle, SJ, Frank Severin, SJ, Sisters Anne Fletcher, RC, Marian Cowan, CSJ, and Marie R. O’Rourke, Mary Mondello, and Jim and Joan Felling. Began using “Choosing Christ in the World,” by Joseph Tetlow, SJ |
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Joseph Tetlow, SJ came to St. Louis University and joined our Advisory Board. An informal Prayer Companions Program begins to train mainly lay directors of the Exercises. It is led by Joan Felling and uses video tapes from Rev. George Schemel, SJ, and Sr. Judith Roemer called “Ignatian Spirituality and the Directed Retreat.” 16 AM participants, 31 PM participants and 22 directors in Bridges and 21 Prayer Companion participants. |
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A formal 2-year Prayer Companion Program begins which meets the 3rd Sunday of each month (September - May). The faculty consists of Rev. Joseph Tetlow, SJ, Sr. Marian Cowan, CSJ, and Mary Mondellow, PhD. The Cenacle moves and Bridges begins meeting at the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal. 7 AM participants, 21 PM participants, 18 directors including 6 interns from the Prayer Companion Program and 45 participants in Prayer Companions. |
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A coordinator system is initiated to administer Bridges and the Missouri Province of Jesuits gives 6 scholarships to African Americans. The Cenacle Good Shepherd becomes a second site and is a more comfortable location for African Americans. 26 AM Participants, 31 PM Participants on Wed & Thurs evenings and 26 directors including 6 interns under supervision, and 67 participants in Prayer Companions. In May of ’94, 39 people completed the Prayer Companions. Also in ’94, Jean Horton, Pat Carter and Pat Hottinger, SH, begin offering some sample meetings of CLC particularly for those who had finished Prayer Companions and are looking for some way to sustain both the Exercises and Ignatian Spirituality in their lives. At present it looks as if two new CLC groups will develop from this effort, and there is another group already affiliated which is made up of some members who completed Bridges and are currently enrolled in Prayer Companions. |
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New coordinators assume duties for Bridges and Prayer Companions and Jim and Joan stay on for a year as backup while the transition takes place. Gail and Mike McDonough are Bridges Coordinators and Bill & Charlene Ricker are Prayer Companions Coordinators. The other coordinators from last year remain in their coordination positions and Phyllis Walsh becomes Wed. AM Coordinator; Dave & Beth Purcell, Tues. Evening Coordinators; and Marilyn Leong, Thurs Evening Coordinator at the Cenacle. A fourth site is added, this one at St. Louis University with the help of Fr. Joe Tetlow, SJ, Joan Felling and Mary Mondello. This location has meetings once a month during lunch hour and the talk covers 4 weeks at a time. Mary Flick is the Coordinator for SLU. A further development in Bridges takes place. Sister Mary Funge, SJ, moves to St. Louis from Chicago and begins offering directed retreats in parishes using some of the graduates of Prayer Companions to direct. 67 participants in Bridges, 34 directors, and 85 participants in Prayer Companions. |
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A mentoring program was put into place this year by Sr. Marian Cowan, CSJ with the help fo Fr. Jim Blumeyer, SJ, Joan Felling and Mary Mondello. This was needed by new directors coming from Prayer Companions - as well as directors joining the program - who were unfamiliar with Bridges. A number of trained Spiritual Directors were invited to become mentors, and see the person they are mentoring during the second hour of their Bridges session. This was a much needed component in bringing new directors along in the program. The results were excellent. We took fewer retreatants this year due to the change. We had 62 retreatants this year. The Webster site was added. |
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The Mentoring Program was refined and felt to have increased the quality of our program. Those who were mentored during their first year of direction will continue to see their mentors monthly for one more year. Janet Nimer and Margaret Escofferey took over for Sr. Verona Schaefer as coordinators of our Spiritual Directors. Hugh Harrington began publishing “SI” (St. Ignatius) for all present and former Bridges/PC people. It gives information about Bridges, Prayer Companions, The Weeks of Prayer and Christian Life Communities. Its initial purpose was to encourage former Bridges and PC graduates to invite friends to make the program and keep them informed of Ignatian centered news in the community. A location was opened at St. Charles Lwanga Center with the help of their director, Mrs. Gloria Green. This center is especially for African Americans although anyone is welcome. We have 4 directors who had received certification from Prayer Companions. Annunciata site opened. We had 48 retreatants. Paul Dukro replaces Mary Mondello in Prayer Companions and Jim Blumeyer takes over for Joe Tetlow, SJ. St. Patricia Gillespie becomes coordinator of Prayer Guides with Jean Smith as her assistant. |
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Eight interns from Prayer Companions were being mentored weekly by 8 mentors. We had 4 second-year interns meeting with their mentors monthly. It was decided that more support and training for directors was needed. The decision was made to change our opening format for three of our locations, giving directors training the first half hour while the retreatants were being given a combination of talks, small group work and faith sharing guided by a facilitator. After the first half hour, the directors would meet with their retreatants. We had 54 retreatants this year: SLU 13, Lwanga 5, Cenacle 7, Tues. Eve 15, and Wed AM 14. 35 Directors offered their services. |
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Dot Carnowske is working with Gail McDonough to take over as Overall Coordinator of Bridges and PC. Coordinator was board leader. Lwanga and Cenacle close. |
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Jean Smith becomes the Coordinator of Prayer Guides.
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Revised Mentoring Program. |
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Seattle Program (SEEL) is studied. Reformed Board, separate from operations. Foundation is established. Charlene becomes Director of Operations, a paid position. Lwanga is restored. They use John Veltri's Orientations instead of Choosing Christ. They also use a format of meeting one Saturday a month for a talk, ritual and sharing. Dave Fleming, SJ replaces Jim Blumeyer on Prayer Companions staff. Sr. Madeleine Lane, SSND joins staff to replace Paul Duckro. John Foley, SJ and Carl Starkloff, SJ also contribute . |
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Under Development |
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Closing dinner and liturgy moved to St. Joseph Motherhouse. |
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Bridges II is developed as a response to people in Prayer Companions. First Board of Directors retreat. Structure established. Notre Dame site added. |
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Under Development |
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