David Bayne
David, originally, hails from Southern California, but is now blogging from Buenos Aires, Argentina where he lives and serves with Word Made Flesh. WMF Argentina is a community called to serve and discover Jesus among vulnerable children and young adults living in poverty, many of who live and/or work on the streets. Through mutual friendships based on love and trust, the WMF staff accompany their excluded friends in experiencing and knowing Jesus and a fuller life in God.

As a newby and a proddy (Protestant) to Ignatian spirituality, David is growing into a posture of attentiveness to God’s presence in his life and community. The Ignatian practices of contemplation and discernment have shaped and deepened his spirituality in recent years. He also shares a growing appreciation for the seasons of the church liturgical year. So, it is probable that the liturgical seasons will often be a theme of his Ignatian reflection.

David’s love for Argentine culture continues to grow. He is, especially, grateful that Argentine culture includes cafes, plazas, vino, lingering meals around the table, and drinking mate! All serve as spaces and opportunities to slow it down and enjoy unhurried time with family and friends.

Michelle Francl
I am a wife, the mother of two teenagers, a professor of chemistry and a writer. I’ve lived in all four corners of the US.  Born in New Orleans, I grew up in the Midwest, then moved to California as a teenager, and have now lived half my life on the East Coast.  I got my Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry in 1983 from the University of California, Irvine and have been teaching chemistry at a small liberal arts college for women outside of Philadelphia for the last twenty-five years.

I write on both science and on prayer and spirituality (but rarely both at the same time).  Ignatian spirituality has given me a way to keep whole, and wholly centered on God, a life that has many facets, and many competing demands.  I made the Spiritual Exercises in the winter of 2009, spending thirty days in silence on the Atlantic coast.  It was an extraordinary gift from my sons and husband.  In his poem, Fluent, John O’Donohue well captures my continuing experience of the Exercises:

“Like a river flows,

Carried by the surprise,

Of its own unfolding.”

The graces of the Four Weeks both carry me and surprise me all the time.

Liz Ivkovich

Liz is a Michigander who resides in middle America serving with Word Made Flesh; an ecumenical community committed to serving Jesus among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. She would be a vegetarian because of her environmental conviction but loves 50 cent packages of hot dogs too much to give them up. Liz grew up in evangelical/Baptist traditions and entered the Catholic church carried on the prayers of the saints and friends from her undergrad at Aquinas College on the west side of the Mitten. She studied sustainable (‘green’) business and international studies, and has been able to combine that degree with a passion for vulnerable populations through volunteering at Mother Teresa’s homes for the dying in Asia, a couple jobs in the long-term care industry in the US, and now leading the administration department for Word Made Flesh. Liz is brand new on this Ignatian journey, hoping to find it filled with suffering and joy, a deeper understanding of the kind of contemplation and discernment that holds our hearts when they are broken, and possibly a glass or two of wine.

Lisa Kelly

What do you need to know about me to help my blog make sense? Well, I was raised Catholic, 18 years of Catholic education and I was fine with it, but often found the rituals empty and my prayer life rote; There were lots of “shoulds” without a lot of clear motivation from inside as to why.

Then at age 36 I spent two years in formation to be an Ignatian Associate, doing the 19th Annotation (the Spiritual Exercises in Daily life) with a spiritual director gently turning my whole view of the faith upsidedown. Somehow, Ignatius’ exercises and rules for discernment seemed to breath new life into so many of the Truths I had been taught. It was like seeing them from the inside out for the first time. At the same time, it was not a light switch. I expect to be re-orienting myself for the rest of my lifetime to a Way of life in which my truest desires are to serve God. Trust me, I’m not there yet!I discerned my foremost calling to be a wife and mother and much of my blogging regards how to live out the Faith through that calling—easier said than done—try indifference when you have to look at my son’s room everyday!!!

Being open to that calling continually raises many questions about living the Faith in a culture that often pushes such contrary messages on us. It also raises questions about my true abilities and motivations. You’ll find I have a lot of questions and fewer answers, but I’m seeking.Our attempt to practice the Spiritual Excercises led us to an opportunity to live in the majority world (third world) as a family. I was scared to death to do so. I felt called but didn’t trust, I felt something needed to change, but had no confidence in our abilities to live in those conditions, let alone speak a foreign language.

We spent the past two years living in the Dominican Republic while my husband worked at a Jesuit mission. Never in my life did I imagine myself to be a missionary, let alone lead a missionary family! I mean I’m not one to know my Bible or quote verses by heart or regularly pray a rosary or even go to Reconciliation more than I absolutely have to (not that there’s anything wrong with that)! And yet when the opportunity presented itself, we discerned and trusted, and leapt (with three children under the age of 10 in tow!)

Now I have to tell you, I am not really into blogging. In fact, I’ve never read a blog so forgive me if mine doesn’t follow the traditional form. I’m not even sure I’m that supportive of blogging since I can easily see how it, like so much else in our culture distracts people from the fullness of the moment at hand and their own calling within that moment. So, again considering the guidance of Ignatius, I live and blog “in the tension”, naming it, recognizing it so that I don’t succumb to it totally, but also don’t miss the opportunity to meet God in it—or let God use me in it.

I would sincerely love your comments, corrections, or to hear your experiences that may relate to anything I happen to write. No one ever said two or three couldn’t be gathered virtually in His name.Much of my blogging/prayer life now regards trying to live the “ruined” life that intimacy with the poor leaves in its wake. How do we in the minority world (first world) live in solidarity with the majority of people suffering around the Earth? How do I parent my children in light of these practices? How do I fulfill my calling to my own family and yet be open to (and find time and energy) being present to all the other needs of this world? How do I, a white middle-class American house wife, live for the Greater Glory of God? Read the blog and help me figure it out, will you?

Paul Lickteig

Paul Lickteig is a Jesuit Scholastic currently attending the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Creighton University, where he double-majored in Theater and Theology, and an MA in Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care from Fordham University.

Prior to returning to theological studies, he spent three years as a scripture, sacraments, and spirituality teacher at an all-boys Prep school “somewhere in middle-America.” These days, when he is not wading through the seemingly endless number of books and articles assigned for course reading, he can be found stretching, lifting, plotting, praying and otherwise preparing for either enlightenment or the rapture, whichever comes first.

John O’Keefe
John J. O’Keefe, Ph.D. is a Professor of Theology at Creighton University.

John received his MTS from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in 1987, and his MA and Ph.D. in Early Christian Studies from The Catholic University of America in 1990 and 1993.

John has published widely on the history and theology of ancient Christianity, especially in the area of ancient interpretation of the Bible. He is currently working on projects that explore Christian theologies of nature and the Christian contribution to the environmental movement.

John joined the faculty of Creighton University in 1992. He served as chair of the Department of Theology for seven years and was recently named the next holder of the A.F. Jacobson Chair in Communication. He is married and has four children. O’Keefe and his wife Kathy are members of Ignatian Associates, a lay association sharing in the mission and spirituality of the Society of Jesus.

Former Bloggers

Megan Bensley

I come to you from a quaint living space in New York City where I teach freshman English at Cristo Rey NY High School. My background in Ignatian Spirituality is rooted in my undergraduate studies at Boston College where I studied education and English. In 2004, I transplanted myself into a post-graduate volunteer experience at Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. My time “on the Rez” taught me a thing or two (or a million) about the importance of friends, the face of God and the real meaning of prayer. Much of my prayer life now stems from my time having worked with, prayed with, lived with and laughed with the volunteers, Jesuits and Lakota people on the Rez. In 2007, I moved to New York City to begin a Reading Specialist master’s degree at Columbia University’s Teachers College. My greater interests include cake decorating, running, playing with my Rez dog, Daisy, and listening to Elton John & Billy Joel.

Andrea Lawse

A few things about me: my career vocation is education and literary study. I read and write about science and ecology in literature and culture. For the past four years I’ve been teaching literature and writing at Creighton, and am currently working on my doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.As Lisa once was, I’m a blog novice and haven’t read a great many of them. I became more interested in blogging, however, after reading the archives on this website. I thoroughly enjoy reading about the faith journeys of others, and am excited to share some reflections with you about my own spiritual excursions in the context of Ignatian spirituality.

One of the most difficult tensions in my life currently is the balancing of work and family; therefore, you will find that my thoughts are often concerned with how to better feed and balance a healthy family life with all the other obligations and responsibilities that come with living in American culture. I find juggling the roles of mother, wife, student, educator, daughter, and academic tremendously challenging, and therefore much of my spiritual discernment coalesces around my desire to lead a more balanced, or healthy, life. Health is actually a primary concern for me, because in my mind if something is “healthy” then that something is both in balance and harmony with itself as well as with its environment.

Which brings me to one of my greatest loves: the Earth. It’s probably important that you know that my heart is green, and so is my spirituality. Religiously/spiritually speaking, I consider myself first and foremost an eco-theologian (though certainly not theological in any professional kind of way, just by natural disposition) and an Ignatian Christian. My deepest spiritual concern is living in a way that is in harmony with the ecosystems around me, that is concerned about and sensitive to the needs of the lives that will come after mine, and that works for justice in a holistic way by taking into account the interrelationships between the well-being of the environment (Creation), other species, and human beings.

It is my opinion that perhaps the most vital feature of living an Ignatian spirituality is to learn how to live in the context of interconnection. As I understand and experience it, my life is embedded and entwined with the lives of all other creatures upon the earth, human and nonhuman alike—and this awareness of interconnection presses me, morally, ethically, and spiritually, to consider the Earth and all her creatures when I make decisions. Decisions such as buying a house, choosing a mate, deciding how many children to have, or how long to work in a day or week, deciding what kind of laundry soap to purchase, how far to live from my job, or choosing where to buy my family’s food are all at the heart of my faith-practice, and have everything to do with my spirituality.

Perhaps it is best to say that I understand Ignatius’ call to serve one another, especially the poor and marginalized, as a call to eco-spiritual social justice, which means that for me, there is no remedy to injustice in the world that does not involve the way we use and think about the Earth and the environments we and all other species depend upon for survival. I know this may sound confusing, but I’ll be talking much more about “eco-justice” from an Ignatian, Chrisitian context in my blogs.I look forward to reflecting with you on how to live more authentically and justly, and considering ways that an Ignatian spiritual practice can help us achieve a more genuine, rich, and healthy life. I’m thankful for your companionship!
Erin O’Keefe
I am a recent (2008) graduate of Catholic University in Washington DC who calls Omaha, Nebraska home. I spent my college years heavily involved in theatre projects and productions and as a result I believe strongly in the power of performing arts to influence society. I also became active with Pax Christi both on a campus, regional and national level. I owe much of who I am to the people and ideas I encountered through this wonderful organization. They challenged me to grow in my understanding of justice, peacemaking, sustainability, spirituality, and community (the list could go on and on).I am a dedicated vegetarian who enjoys gardening and farmers markets. Currently I am the literary manager/ dramaturg of the Misfit Acting Company (based out of Washington DC). I continue my journey in 2008/ 2009 as a Jesuit Volunteer serving in Bethel, Alaska.

Mattie Germer
I am a young woman attempting to live a life of integrity and authenticity in relationship with God. I believe that the charism of Ignatian spirituality is particularly useful in helping me live that life, but I’m also interested in all that the wide world of Christianity has to offer. I grew up in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, spent a few years as an agnostic, worshipped with a FourSquare Gospel Pentecostal Church and finally entered into the Catholic Church through RCIA in 2005. I currently teach high school scripture and church history, though my education is in Government (AB) and Christian Spirituality (MA). I am particularly interested in ecumenism, soteriology, theological anthropology, vocation/calling, indie rock, and all things foodie. I’m fairly traditionalist in my theology, though relatively progressive in my attempts at cultural engagement. I’m still figuring out who I am and what God has planned for my life… but then, aren’t we all?

Emilio Travieso

I’m a Jesuit regent writing from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I work as a “social promoter,” mainly accompanying grassroots Haitian migrant associations through the Jesuit Refugee and Migrant Service. I was born and raised in Miami, FL, where I learned from my family to value the gift of every person, every culture and every history, and to recognize God’s presence in them. In terms of faith life, one might say that my childhood was happily colored by St. Francis of Assisi, and that my adult identity is more and more rooted in St. Ignatius of Loyola.Over the past few years I’ve been grappling with the tensions in our “faith and justice” mission, and this will often be reflected in my posts. My academic background is mostly in sociology, with a little philosophy, so some of that might find its way in, too.
Uta Sievers

My name is Uta and I live in Rome. How I got here is a proper miracle, I would say. I had been dreaming of living in Rome for about 15 years, ever since I came here for the first time in 1992, but always knowing that there are no jobs in Rome if you aren’t an Italian with the right connections. So while waiting for my dream to come true (knowing that it might be after retirement), I busied myself with several different careers in the United Kingdom, such as customer service rep and management consultant for charities (from 2001-2006). And then a friend forwarded me the job ad, which she had come across on the Internet.

On the Internet! Jobs in Rome are never advertised on the Internet; they are handed on from generation to generation, or at best you hear about them by word of mouth. Anyway, the job interview, to which I flew in from London for 24 hours, was an hour’s chat about my personal spiritual development, with very little reference to the actual job. And, since I was missing two of the main qualifications required in the job description, I didn’t think I had the slightest chance to get the job. Well, the rest is history….So here I am, working as the Communications Officer in the Social Justice Secretariat at the Headquarters of the Jesuits in Rome. I do the website (www.sjweb.info/sjs), write the monthly newsletter “Headlines” which reports on the worldwide activities of the Jesuit social apostolate, and generally keep people in touch with what’s going on, including those with a special interest in the environment.

I feel I am in the right place, at the right time, with the right challenges and the right people around me.I also have a wonderful community, the people I get together with every Sunday for mass, and then drinks, and then lunch, and more, at the Oratory of St Francis Xavier “del Caravita” (http://www.caravita.org/). Since this is Rome, most of my friends are ‘doing God’ on a professional level. That certainly makes for interesting discussions, but sometimes it can get a little intense when we get frustrated with Holy Mother Church and forget that Rome is just Rome and the Church may be more alive elsewhere.In this blog, I want to share some of my “joys and hopes” as well as my “grief and anguish” with you. Since I am originally from Germany and therefore not a native speaker, I hope you’ll forgive me the occasional linguistic mishaps.