The Chosen: A Spiritual Reflection Retreat

An Ignatian, Silent Midweek Retreat for Adults

July 26 - 29, 2022

This retreat is currently at capacity or registration is closed. Please call the office at 847.381.1261 with questions.

Summary

During this retreat you will have the opportunity to reflect on the life of Jesus and his first followers in a whole new way. Together with other retreatants and members of our Ministry team at Bellarmine, you will watch The Chosen, the first-ever multi-season show about Jesus starring Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie as Jesus.

Retreatants will have the option of watching all 8 episodes of either season one or season two of The Chosen along with optional discussion time with fellow retreatants and a few of the Jesuits on our staff. The remainder of the retreat will provide time for you to be in a quiet retreat house to: 

• Prayerfully reflect on the episodes 
• Talk to a Spiritual Director about the episodes and your reflections on them 
• Private time to read and journal on your own

This retreat is open to adults over 18 of all faiths, including those struggling with their faith, and those who are looking to have some private quiet time on our grounds and sacred spaces.

Deadline for registrations with Spiritual Direction was June 30, 2022.  We are now taking names for a wait list.  If you would still like to attend, please call the office 847-381-1261 to be added to a wait list, or check out our other retreats described further below. 

Description

The retreat starts on Tuesday, July 26, with check-in between 4-6 PM followed by dinner, and ends after lunch on Friday, July 29.

How much does this retreat cost? The retreat is $140 per night, or $420 for all four days/three nights and 9 meals, including spiritual direction if you choose that option.

Sacred Spaces: Your 4 day, 3 night stay includes a private room in our retreat house which includes our Sacred Heart Chapel, Conference rooms, Library, Fireplace Lounge, and many other cozy, comfortable sacred spaces to relax and unwind.  

We are located on 80 acres in Barrington, IL, where you can walk our forested bridle trail and many other meandering paths across our grassy fields. Take time to enjoy the wildlife as deer, sandhill cranes and many other animals visit our grounds regularly. Our many gardens also offer an opportunity to stop and enjoy a variety of plants and flowers. 

Food: The retreat includes 9 delicious meals cooked here by our kitchen staff, from dinner Tuesday night until lunch on Friday including hot breakfast options each morning. Throughout the retreat you will have access to our famous cookies, as well as free coffee and tea. A small social is planned for Tuesday night before dinner. 

Optional Spiritual Direction: If you would like, you will have the opportunity to speak either with one of our Jesuit staff members or another trained Spiritual Director. Please let us know as you register and we will assign you a spiritual director to speak with one-on-one. Our number of spiritual directors is limited so please sign up soon to request one. 

Other optional activities include: Daily Mass, Confession, Rosary, and Stations of the Cross.

If you are not familiar with the series, here are the season 1 and season 2 trailers of The Chosen:

Season 1 Trailer here

See more here:
https://www.press.thechosen.tv/ 

If you want to watch some or all of The Chosen before the retreat, it is available for free on The Chosen website or on their mobile apps (also available via their website).  

The show is receiving great reviews including from many Bellarmine retreatants and members of our Ministry team:   

Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ: 

“For those who fear another cheesy Bible drama depiction of misty eyed disciples and an overly pious Jesus spouting holy sayings, I have two words for you: "Fear not!" The Chosen is a refreshingly original, deeply moving, artful retelling of the Gospel. Its multi-season format allows for a much deeper dive into the everyday interactions among Jesus’ disciples than we’ve ever seen dramatized before.”
Learn more about Fr. Michael

Maureen Garvey: 

“I believe that God can speak to us through our imagination.  In the series, The Chosen, we accompany the characters (Jesus, Mary, Mary of Magdala, Nicodemus, Peter, Matthew, etc.) by imagining scenes from the gospels in new ways. I love the humor and humanness of the characters in The Chosen. The movie makes the New Testament stories come alive and have meaning for me today. As I dig deeper, I experience God in a personal way, encouraging me to love as Jesus loved. ”
Learn more about Maureen Garvey

Fr. Roc O'Connor, SJ: 

“Even though I’ve visited Israel, walked the Way of the Cross, prayed in the Martyrium where tradition has it that Jesus died and was buried and rose again, visited the Mount of Olives, sat on the hill where Jesus most likely preached the Sermon on the Mount, I still wonder what people and places looked like in Jesus’ time. The Chosen offers an interpretation of the gospels by its choice of actors and setting that feels authentic. I’ve not found the same in other ‘lives of Christ.’ –Roc O’Connor, SJ”
Learn more about Fr. Roc

What are other religious leaders saying about The Chosen? 

Bishop Barron and other faith leaders (Dr. Doug Huffman and Rabbi Jason Sobel) discuss the series in this video with the show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfIz7Z8IMhc

Some Franciscan Friars react here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEqbvWX2FmA

To learn about Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus, meeting Pope Francis read: https://religionnews.com/2021/08/12/film-series-the-chosen-explores-its-catholic-side-in-the-eternal-city/