By Jean Thoresen
ISP Twin Cities, Team Member

My path to the Ignatian Spirituality Project feels both surprising and deeply meant to be. After retiring from a lifetime of ministry in the Catholic Church, I missed my small groups, my retreat work, and the sense of purpose that had shaped so much of my life. While unpacking belongings I had put away after retirement, I came across an old ISP poster from the inner-city parish where I had worked, a place that served people on the margins and had hosted ISP small groups. And I thought, yes, ISP! That moment opened the door to what has become a profoundly life-giving chapter of service.

My reasons for becoming a partner in ISP’s mission are both personal and spiritual. I’ve said that I became disheartened with the church after many years of institutional ministry, yet I still longed for a place where faith could breathe freely and compassionately. When I met an ISP staff member, and heard about ISP’s inclusive nature, its focus on finding God where you’re at, and its ministry of listening, my soul just went, oh yes. In that moment, I knew these are my people. What drew me in was not dogma, but depth, the kind of spirituality that allows people to include everybody. In ISP, people in vulnerable states are accepted where they are, and dogma doesn’t fit in that box.

In the Twin Cities, I’ve had the privilege of helping rebuild ISP almost from the ground up due to the COVID pause. As Twin Cities team coordinator, I drew on my background in parish ministry, social service networks, and volunteer formation to connect with recovery houses and halfway houses across Minneapolis and St. Paul. I started making calls, meeting with staff, and building relationships that could open the door for retreat and reflection opportunities. We’ve built up a little ministry here, and I say that with deep gratitude. We now offer retreats twice a year and small group reflections in the months between, bringing spiritual companionship directly into recovery centers. I have seen how powerful that consistency can be, especially when staff members come to understand the work and trust the process. Once they see the inclusive nature of it, the respect and honoring of everyone’s stories, they recognize ISP as a safe, sacred place for their people.

I also carry deep appreciation for the national office. As a volunteer, I have pretty high standards. I don’t want my time wasted. What I found instead was excellence, care, and cohesion. I was extremely impressed by the resources, the app, and the way everything was organized. My experience at the National Facilitators Retreat, ISP’s formation gathering, was absolutely amazing. I felt really nurtured, learned a ton, and left so energized. That support gave me confidence as I stepped into leadership and retreat facilitation in Minnesota.

What keeps me committed is the mystery and grace I witness again and again. The stories participants tell touch me deeply, and the transformations are not always visible in the moment. Sometimes someone appears disengaged, only for me to learn later that the retreat was deeply healing. One woman I thought was distant was, in fact, just soaking it in. Experiences like that leave me saying, “I’m just astonished at the movement of the Spirit so beyond our understanding.” To me, ISP is a collaboration of open-hearted, open-minded men and women who so passionately and willingly go to the margins to walk with others on their journey. It is, simply and joyfully, a life-giving ministry.