Description
The Ignite Internship is a year-long ministerial immersion experience at a Catholic retreat center. Members of the Ignite Internship live in and intentional faith community on the grounds of the Jesuit Spiritual Center. Through their work as members of the Youth Ministry team, they help provide around 75 retreats for over 6,000 middle- and high-school students. During the course of the program, interns are given the opportunity to discern committing to a second year. In addition to professional development, interns also receive spiritual formation in the Ignatian Tradition, including making the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola.
The Ignite Internship’s primary focus is youth retreat ministry. Interns develop a variety of skills including planning, preparation, facilitating and evaluating retreats; facilitating small and large groups that includes faith sharing and personal witness; developing public speaking and presentation skills; music ministry with our worship band; and gaining practical business experiences as they learn the inner workings of a small non-profit organization.
During the internship program, participants live in the historic Rock House on the grounds of the Jesuit Spiritual Center. Built in the late 1800s, the house was bought by the Jesuits in 1927 and used to host retreat groups, including young men from Xavier College in Cincinnati. Since that time, it has also been home to Jesuit novices, priests, and lay ministers. The house was recently renovated in 2017 to prepare for the next generation of guests.
Each intern has their own private room, and use of the various common spaces on the first and third floors, which included a large dining room, living room, library, solarium, and kitchen. The third floor contains various study rooms, an office space, and a music rehearsal room.
In addition to housing, Interns receive a community food stipend to cover all meals, a personal monthly stipend of $800, and the option to join our employee health insurance.
Additional information along with the online application can be found at www.jesuitspiritualcenter.com/internship.
About Parish / School / Organization Name
Founded in 1928, The Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford provides spiritual retreats and sacred space for prayer and discernment rooted in the Gospel as expressed in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Today, the JSC serves 14,000 individuals annually, over half of which are youth. A ministry staff comprised of 6 full-time staff, 3 part-time staff, and 6 young adult interns provide approximately 75 youth retreats, 20 weekend conference retreats, and 8 week-long personally directed retreats, as well as many day and evening programs, and the 30-Day Spiritual Exercises. The JSC also collaborates with several organizations to provide retreats for under-served populations, including annual AA retreats and retreats for individuals experiencing homelessness.