Jesuits & Jedi: What Star Wars Teaches Us About Our Spiritual Journeys
Date: Friday, 12th September 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Belfast Jesuit Centre, 193–195 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2FL
Suggested Donation: £10–£15
In this engaging workshop, Eric A. Clayton, author of My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars, invites us to explore how the Ignatian tradition helps us find God in all things—even in galaxies far, far away.
Through storytelling, reflection, and practical tools, Eric will guide us in navigating our own spiritual journeys, confronting inner darkness, and embracing the light.
About the Speaker:
Eric A. Clayton is a writer, speaker, and retreat leader who blends Ignatian spirituality with pop culture. He serves as deputy director of communications for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S., and his work inspires deeper faith and personal transformation.
Sacred Story, Modern Myth: Praying with Pop Culture
Saturday 13th September 10am–4pmLed by Eric Clayton
Location: Belfast Jesuit Centre
We often share stories—films, books, songs—with the people we love. “You have to see this,” we say. But what if that impulse is spiritual? What if God is speaking through the stories of our time?
In this full-day workshop, Ignatian author and retreat leader Eric Clayton invites us to explore how pop culture can become a rich source of prayer and reflection. Rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius and inspired by Joseph Campbell’s mythic structure, we’ll journey through four spiritual movements:
- The Call to Adventure: Seeing the chaos of the world and choosing to respond
- The Guide Appears: Discovering our gifts and dreaming the impossible
- The Dark Night: Facing suffering and choosing love
- The Return: Living transformed and sharing joy with others
Through storytelling, guided meditations, short films, and group conversation, we’ll discover how our favourite cultural narratives mirror our own spiritual journeys—and how God is present in them all.
Facilitator: Eric Clayton, author of My Life with the Jedi and Deputy Director of Communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the U.S.
Suggested Donation: £25 – £35 (subsidies available)
A Year of Ignatian Prayer: 2025-26
After the success of our programme: A Year of Ignatian Prayer, 2024-2025 the Belfast Jesuit Centre is delighted to be able to run the programme again from October 2025 to June 2026. The aim of the programme is to give participants an immersive Ignatian experience of prayer and reflective living, so that whether you are already familiar with Ignatian spirituality, or are coming to it for the first time, you can deepen your relationship with God, find clarity in your life’s purpose, and cultivate a more mindful, spiritually-enriched way of living.
Topics covered will include:
- Introduction to St Ignatius: a man for our times
- Images of God
- Approaches to prayer – praying with scripture – imaginative contemplation – praying the Examen – journalling
- Finding God in all things – paying attention to feelings
- Consolation – Desolation – Discernment
- Communal Discernment and Synodality
- God calls me
- What next?
This list is intended to give a broad flavour of the programme but it is by no means exhaustive.
The emphasis throughout the programme will be on the practice, experience, application and integration of Ignatian spirituality into everyday life, rather than theoretical learning.
The programme will draw on a wide range of Ignatian resources, and sessions will have a mixture of input from the BJC team, experience and practice of prayer, small group sharing, and experience of guided prayer, as well as optional movie screenings each month.
Fourteen Mondays (approximately 2 a month) from 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Four Saturdays from 10.00am to 4.00pm between September 2025 and June 2026.
See flyer for dates.
A donation of between £180-£250 is suggested to defray costs and a number of bursaries are available for those unable to pay the suggested donation.
WORD ALIVE - Ecumenical Readers' Training
Bringing Scripture to life with every voice!
Ever wondered how to bring Scripture to life when you read it aloud? Join us for a transformative evening of training designed for church readers – and anyone who loves the spoken Word!
Focus Text: The Book of Amos – we’ll explore the prophetic voice of Amos using Richard Rohr’s contemplative approach from The Tears of Things, learning how to read with both heart and voice.
Two dates – same great session!
- Thu 18 Sept, 7pm – Belfast Jesuit Centre, Donegall St
- Tue 30 Sept, 7pm – Agápē Centre, Lisburn Rd
Suggested Donation: £10 – includes light refreshments (subsidies available)
Led by:
- Diane Holt – Director of Thrive Ireland, actor, choir conductor
- Rev David Campton – Methodist Minister, poet, playwright, actor
- Gerry Clarke SJ – Director, Belfast Jesuit Centre & Chaplain, Ulster University
An inspiring mix of ministry, performance, and storytelling experience!
Come and deepen your connection with Scripture – bring your voice, your heart, and your curiosity!
Hearts on Fire: A Programme for Young People
Aged 18-35? Join us for a six-week journey into Ignatian Spirituality—a practical, down-to-earth approach to prayer, discernment, and finding God in all things. Whether you’re curious about faith, seeking deeper meaning, or just need space to breathe, this course offers tools to navigate life with purpose and clarity.
No experience needed. Just bring your questions, your story, and an open heart.
📅 Starts 9th October 🕒 7pm 📍 UU Chaplaincy Lounge (BA-02-003)
Discernment of Spirits with Fr Barton Geger SJ
How do we recognise the voice of God in the midst of life’s choices? What stirs within us—and where does it lead?
Join us for a rich day of exploration into the Discernment of Spirits, a cornerstone of Ignatian spirituality and a vital tradition within the wider Church. Guided by visiting Jesuit academic Fr Bart Geger, we’ll delve into the wisdom of St Ignatius’ rules for discernment while placing them within the broader Christian understanding of spiritual decision-making.
Through engaging input, small group discussion of real-life case studies, and space for prayerful reflection, this day offers practical tools and spiritual insight for anyone seeking to make choices that align with God’s deepest desires for their life.
Whether you’re steeped in Ignatian practice or simply curious about how to navigate decisions with greater spiritual clarity, this day is for you.
A donation of between £25 and £35 per person is suggested. This sliding scale system allows us to offer subsidised places to those who may be unable to attend otherwise.
All are welcome—especially those drawn to Ignatian spirituality or seeking to grow in the art of spiritual discernment.
About Fr Bart Geger SJ
Fr. Bart Geger is from St. Louis, Missouri. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1990 in Denver, Colorado.
Fr. Geger has an MA in Philosophy from Saint Louis University, an MTh in Systematic Theology from Heythrop College in London, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the (then) Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid. He wrote his dissertation on the Jesuit Constitutions with regard to sixteenth-century dismissals and defections from the Society of Jesus.
Presently he is a research scholar at the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College and an associate professor of the practice at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College.
For eight years, Fr. Geger was editor of Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits. In 2020, he produced a new English-language edition of the Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola. In 2024, he completed a new edition of the Jesuit Constitutions in English.