We hope that you are enjoying a pleasant and not too smoky summer with time to spend with family and friends. We would like you to take a moment to check your calendar and prepare for your weekend retreat at the Jesuit Retreat House. If you plan to invite someone to attend the retreat, please take this opportunity to notify them to allow them time to prepare and attend.
This notice is for all the men who have made regular or occasional Demontreville retreats on this weekend or have made a previous retreat on another weekend and wish to join us on this weekend.
• This retreat is also for men ready to experience that first retreat and the benefits of a personal retreat at Demontreville. •
The Retreat House is operating at its full capacity of hosting 72 men for the retreat weekend. As always, it is the responsibility of each man to determine if attending the retreat this weekend is an acceptable time to be away from his family and work life. Your comfort and well-being help you to be properly “Disposed” to make a retreat. The retreat at Demontreville continues to adhere to its principles to provide a safe, comfortable environment to encourage men to make a retreat. For the new men (first timers), as well as a refresher for those who have made past retreats, it helps to review the purpose of a retreat and what one might expect from spending a spiritual weekend at Demontreville. With each of us at a different stage in life, a retreat is deeply personal and gives us an opportunity to reflect and meditate about that life. Demontreville provides not only a structure for us, but a remarkable glimpse of God’s beautiful and wondrous creation to ponder our life and relationships.
A retreat:
Fr. Jim Flaherty, SJ, was born January 1, 1956, and entered the Society of Jesus on August 11, 1979, and was ordained a priest on June 12, 1992. After ordination, he served as associate pastor of St. Patrick’s parish in Milwaukee and as a campus minister at Marquette University. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the New School for Social Research in New York City in 2003 and then joined the philosophy faculty at Marquette University.
Fr. Jim has served as rector/ superior of the Marquette University Jesuit community from 2005 to 2011, and then president of the Nativity Jesuit Middle School in Milwaukee from 2011 to 2013. He currently serves as pastor of Gesu Parish in Milwaukee. He has directed many retreats over the years at the Jesuit Retreat House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at Bellarmine Retreat House in Barrington, Illinois, and Demontreville Retreat House beginning in 2003.
The Retreat House has a limit of 72 men who can attend the retreat. Reservations can be made through this website for weekend No. 42. Please note that reservations are on a “first-come, first-served” basis, so please respond as quickly as possible to reserve your spot. Early registration is especially important for family and friends whom you invite to attend this retreat weekend.
Please follow the registration instructions and reply no later than Friday, September 12. Make sure to include all the information requested. If you do not register early, you risk being placed on the waiting list if registrations fill up.
In the “Message” box, please send the names of any new men that you would like us to contact. Please include their complete contact information (Full name, email address, and telephone number).
The Retreat House will send you a confirmation of your reservation by U.S. Post about 2-3 weeks before our November 6th retreat date.
PLEASE WATCH YOUR POSTAL MAILBOX BEGINNING IN MID-OCTOBER FOR THE LETTER.
Starting the weekend before the retreat, we contact everyone By Telephone to reconfirm your attendance.
We do this to check in and see if there are any issues or questions you may have, or to see if something has come up requiring you to cancel your attendance.
We expect to have a full house, so as soon as you know, please respect your colleagues and let us know in advance that you cannot attend, even if it is only a few hours before the retreat. This may allow someone on the waiting list to attend.
Father Lawler expects everyone to arrive no later than 6:30 PM on Thursday evening, November 6, 2025. (Please do not arrive earlier than 4:00 PM.)
Dinner is served promptly at 7:00 PM. It takes a few minutes to check in and bring your personal effects to your room. If you are new to the Retreat, you may want a friend or another retreatant to give you a quick orientation of the grounds and buildings, so please be early.
Should you need a special diet, it can be arranged when you arrive on Thursday evening.
The Retreat ends after dinner on Sunday evening, November 9, 2025, so you will be back in the Twin Cities area by 8:00 PM.
Casual clothing is recommended.
Watch the weather forecast to help plan for your comfort.
