We can t do spirituality without context. It s rooted it s not timeless. I think we ve been influenced by some of our readings on Ignatius and the early Jesuits. In that way I feel we re different from other places that emphasize the Spiritual Exercises so much. Our focus has become offering good preaching and good liturgical and ritual experiences.
People say they want that.
I like the stimulation of being in the city. The rhetoric was that the people wanted to do retreats or prayer, but didn t have time. Also, spirituality meant very different things. We also heard people say they wanted to define their Catholic identity. Catholic hospitals or universities or social-service agencies or schools are dealing with the fact that maybe in past decades, to appeal to a wider group of people who weren t necessarily Catholic, they had broadened the definition of themselves to the extent that they were leaving behind their Catholic identity.