October 9, 2020 – What do you do with a 48-room retreat house during a pandemic?
For more than 50 years Loyola House has provided a welcoming space for others.
Since March we’ve been working on how we can reopen our retreat house. The pandemic has prevented us from opening our doors to onsite live-in retreats and programs especially since many of our retreatants and clients come from around the globe. After a lengthy discernment Loyola House will continue to remain closed until the late fall of 2021.
We will continue to offer some of our retreats on-line – www.loyolahouse.com for more information.
As part of the local community’s work to end homelessness in Guelph-Wellington, the County, in conjunction with its partners, will be launching the Loyola House Supportive Temporary Accommodation Pilot (LHSTAP) at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre!
We see this community re-imagining of Loyola House as a timely pandemic support that will transform the lives of our more vulnerable community members.
The Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) tie well into the County’s initiative as we shift away from a full time live-in retreat house to a home for the marginalized.
This new temporary pilot gifts us with the time we need here at Ignatius to plan for the future of Loyola House. We’ve undergone a multitude of changes over the last 50 years, not the least of which has been this pandemic.
Join us in open hearts and minds to welcome this new use of Loyola House. Should you have any questions please contact:
Director of Operations, Lisa Calzonetti 519-824-1250 ext. 231 operationsdirector@ignatiusguelph.ca