Annual Giving: Faith . Hope . Love
Then the Lord said to me:
Write the vision; make it plain on tablets...For there is still a vision for the appointed time, it speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come...
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Dear Friends,
When we gathered this summer for ISI’s second Ignatian Spirituality Conference, we chose the theme Hope: Living between Faith and Love.
What I didn’t realize at the time was how deeply that theme would speak to the moment we’re living in. Everywhere I turn—friends, family, retreatants, students—I hear the same quiet longing: I want to hope again. Even those firm in their faith, even those surrounded by love, find hope harder to touch these days.
During those three days together in July, something sacred happened. We prayed, listened, reflected, and discovered that hope isn’t an idea we chase—it’s something God plants in us when we dare to believe He is not finished with the world, or with us. One participant said afterward, “Hope became more palpable.” That line has stayed with me. It’s what we’re about at the Ignatian Spirituality Institute—helping people make faith, hope, and love palpable in their lives.
And that is not easy work. It takes patient listening, faithful prayer, discerning labor, and a community willing to believe in what can’t yet be seen. It takes you.
Your generosity allows us to walk with people who are searching—men and women who show up at our door bringing faith, often tested, and love, often tender. What they long for is a third gift: hope that sustains them.
Your giving makes an encounter with the God of hope possible. It allows our retreats, workshops, and spiritual direction to continue bearing fruit in ways that ripple outward—quietly but powerfully.
So today, I ask you, humbly and sincerely, to give again. Or if you haven’t given before, to join us now. Your support keeps our programs running. More importantly, it helps us meet people where they are and remind them that God is still at work, still near, still loving, still calling them to an abundant, joyful, and yes hopeful, life.
You give us hope. Truly. Every time you pray for us, attend a retreat, or make a gift, you help hope become a living thing in this world, right there between faith and love.
Thank you for walking with us. May God continue to increase His gifts to you and all your family, now and forever.
Prayers always,
Carol Atwell Ackels,
ISI Director
The ISI Board
Henry Ackels, Chair
Christopher Ackels
Alex Bucheli
Mike Chesney, SJ
Sheila DeSantis
Susan Friedrichsen
Francis ‘Billy’ Huete, SJ
Mary Katherine Simion
Debbie Wallace
Roberta Ward
Who we are
The Ignatian Spirituality Institute of Dallas is a collaborative ministry grounded in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We invite women and men to discover God’s presence in all things, to deepen their spiritual lives, and to walk in hope. As mission partners with the Society of Jesus, our experienced team strives to live what we have learned, listen alongside others, and love the labor to which Jesus Christ calls us.
Why this work matters
Because in times of uncertainty there is a deep hunger for hope. Even when faith is strong and love is present, many search for the third gift: Hope. Your support helps ISI accompany seekers, guide reflection, and make hope palpable.
Programs
- Ignatian Retreats and Ignatian Spiritual Direction (online/in person)
- Spiritual companioning formation and workshops
- Courses on Ignatian spirituality principles and practices
- Days of reflection for parishes, organizations, churches and diocesan partners
Get involved
- Join a retreat or online experience
- Become a spiritual companion or director through our formation program
- Invite ISI to bring a workshop, presenter or day of reflection to your community
- Support the mission: your gift helps keep our programs accessible and transformative