The Jesuit Center for Spirituality began in 1983 under the direction of Father Jerry Campbell, S.J. The Center is now directed by Martina O'Shea.

The Center is located at Holy Trinity parish in Washington, D.C.  It is most appropriate that the Center be at Holy Trinity as the parish has been entrusted to the Jesuit Fathers since its founding over two centuries ago.

The primary mission of the Center is to promote the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. (See Spiritual Exercises)  To achieve this end the Center offers the full Spiritual Exercises, individually directed, in the format called “The 19^th Annotation.”  According to this mode, the retreatant continues with ordinary work and life and does the retreat over a 30-week period instead of going to a retreat house for a closed 30-day retreat.

The Center also offers spiritual direction and retreats of various lengths (See Spiritual Direction and Retreats in Daily Life).  Like the full Exercises, all our retreats are individually directed, although shorter retreats may include some communal features.

The two Jesuit and seven lay women directors are all trained in the Ignatian tradition of spirituality (see Ignatian Spirituality).  We are committed to a style of ministry that is collaborative and one that encourages a more prominent place for women in ministry.  This emphasis reflects the call of the 34^th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus for more cooperative ministry between Jesuits and the laity and a mutuality of ministry between women and their Jesuit colleagues.