ISP Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church-Ridgewood, NJ

History

Founded in 1998 in Chicago, IL by Fr. Bill Creed, SJ, and Ed Shurna (formerly Executive Director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless), the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) offers experiences of hope, healing, and belonging to men and women recovering from homelessness and addiction. By inviting our participants into a deeper encounter with the God of their understanding, ISP retreats and spiritual programs provide the encouragement and empowerment necessary to make real, transformative life changes. Today, ISP offers retreats, follow up and spiritual accompaniment programs in over 20 cities nationwide.

In 2015, the pastoral associate at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (OLMC)  in Ridgewood, NJ became interested in ISP and began the discernment to bring the program to OLMC as one of its parish ministries.  A group of parishioners formed a men’s and women’s team, and ISP’s first institutional relationship was formed with the parish in 2017.  The first OLMC men’s retreat was held in April 2017, with the first women’s retreat held shortly thereafter in July 2017. 

About Us

ISP OLMC holds two men’s and two women’s overnight retreats and follow up days of reflection annually and is establishing an ongoing accompaniment program for women. The OLMC teams partner with recovery residences in Newark and Patterson and their retreats take place at St. Marguerite’s Retreat Center in Hackensack. To find out more about ISP OLMC, contact Peter Denio, OLMC Pastoral Associate, at (201) 739-2674 or pdenio@olmcridgewood.org.