Jesuit formation
Spiritual Exercises
The Centro Ignaziano di Spiritualità (CIS), in collaboration with the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem and Itinerari Ignaziani, offers a unique experience of personally guided Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, taken in the heart of the Holy Land and set against the real-life backdrop of biblical history and the lives of the communities that inhabit this land today.
Within the frame of Salvation History and to intercede for peace
An opportunity to pray in the Holy Land, not just to visit it.
Possible dates:
- 2–15 November 2026 — enrolment by 15 October
- 16–30 December 2026 — enrolment by 30 November
Each course will be offered only once the minimum number of enrolled participants has been reached. Languages for the Exercises: Italian, English, French and Spanish.
For information and registration: admipib@gmail.com
The programme
Each option will follow the programme below:
- 2 days: visit to the main holy sites in Jerusalem
- 7 days: Ignatian Spiritual Exercises (personally guided)
- 2 days: Galilee, visiting where the life and preaching of Jesus took place
- 1 day: visit to the Dead Sea
The programme may be subject to change, depending on the local situation.
Jerusalem: entering into Salvation History – 2 days
The first two days will be reserved for an introduction to the city of Jerusalem and its biblical history, through visits to some of the main holy sites: the Pool of Bethesda, the Temple Mount, Bethany, the Upper Room, Gethsemane, the House of Caiaphas, the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives and other places connected to the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
These visits will not be merely tourist-oriented: they will serve to familiarise participants with the places to which they will later return personally for prayer and meditation during the Exercises.
Spiritual Exercises personally guided – 7 days
The heart of the experience is the seven days of Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, personally guided for each participant. The Exercises will be offered in Italian, English, French and Spanish.
The daily schedule will include extended periods of personal prayer, one-to-one sessions with the guide, silence and discernment. There will also be communal moments for the celebration of the Eucharist, evening meetings with witnesses from local communities, and testimonies from Palestinians, Jews, Christians and religious who experience the reality of the Holy Land on a daily basis.
Therefore, personal prayer will be accompanied by experiencing the Land and listening to its peoples who, amidst their difficulties and hopes, continue to seek paths of reconciliation and peace.
Walking the paths of the Gospel: Galilee – 3 days
A two-day journey through Galilee to visit some of the key sites of Jesus’ life and ministry: the Sea of Galilee, Mount Tabor, Cana, Nazareth, Caesarea Maritima, Jaffa and Emmaus.
A day at the Dead Sea is also planned, to round off the Holy Land experience by exploring some of its most significant landscapes and sites.
Why the Spiritual Exercises in the Holy Land?
Jerusalem, the Land of the Gospel, the Spiritual Exercises, encounters with local communities: a journey towards God and a prayer for peace.
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, lived out in the very places of the Gospel, can have a special depth. In Jerusalem, the Gospel is not merely a text to be read: it is a story that comes alive in the places, the stones, the landscapes, and the people.
The silence of the city, prayer in the holy sites, and encounters with local communities allow for an experience in which prayer, discernment, Scripture, and intercession for peace are interwoven.
In a Holy Land marked by divisions and suffering, the Exercises also become a prayer for peace, entrusting Jerusalem, its inhabitants, and all the peoples of the region to the Lord.
A simple and easy experience
You will be staying at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem, in a simple setting, conducive to prayer and silence. Accommodation will be in simple rooms, some of which may not have a private bathroom and, if necessary, may also be double rooms.
The experience is designed for those who wish to experience the Exercises in an atmosphere of simplicity, silence and sharing, without expecting hotel-style facilities.
Cost and registration
The total cost of the experience is €1,300. The fee covers the programme, accommodation and the activities included in the experience. It does not include round-trip flights to and from Tel Aviv and transfers to and from Jerusalem.
Cost should not be a barrier to taking part in this experience. For further information, write to admipib@gmail.com.
Enrolment must be completed by 15 October for the first option and by 30 November for the second. Registration is confirmed upon payment of a deposit of €150 (refundable only in the event of cancellation of the Exercises) by bank transfer:
- Account in the name of: General Curia of the Society of Jesus
- Bank: UniCredit Banca di Roma
- IBAN: IT-62-I-02008-05008-000105818149
- BIC-SWIFT: UNCRITM1B88
- Reference: PBJ – EE.SS. course in (specify OCT, NOV or DEC) – participant’s first name and surname
Safety
The activities included in the programme will take place in the places of stay, prayer and visit identified for the experience. At present, there is no anticipated risk to the safety of participants during the activities included in the programme. Naturally, the programme itself may be adapted should local conditions make it necessary.
