Fr. Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J.
Jesuit Father Joe Tetlow has returned to Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House as writer-in-residence. He is also continuing his ministry giving workshops in ignatian spirituality with the Ignatian Spirituality Institute.
Born in New Orleans in 1930, Tetlow began seminary training just after World War II, completing licentiates in both Philosophy and Theology from Pontifical Faculties. His doctoral work in America social and intellectual history at Brown University focused on the development of American Catholic spirituality. Tetlow served eight years in Rome as head of the Society of Jesus Secretariat for Ignatian Spirituality, guiding the efforts of 250 Jesuit retreat houses worldwide and editing the Review of Ignatian Spirituality. Before moving to St Louis, he served as director of Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Dallas, Texas.
Tetlow has been a professor of theology at St Louis University and associate editor of the Catholic weekly America. He was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola in New Orleans, founding executive secretary of the U.S. Jesuit Conference in Washington, D.C., and President of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. As Director of Tertianship (the final period of Jesuit formation) he also acted as spiritual director to the clergy of the Austin Diocese in Texas. He has written numerous articles, including a commentary in America on the full cycle of Sunday readings, and has lectured around the world. Tetlow's books include Ignatius Loyola: Spiritual Exercises and Making Choices in Christ, a compendium of the foundational theology of Christian decision-making. His guide for making St Ignatius Spiritual Exercises, Choosing Christ in the World, has been translated into a number of languages and is used worldwide to guide others through the Spiritual Exercises.
Carol Atwell Ackels
Carol Atwell Ackels currently serves as director of the Ignatian Spirituality Institute. She is a spiritual director in the ignatian tradition and Senior Ignatian Fellow of Montserrat. Appointed by the Jesuit Provincial, she served six years on the bi-province New Orleans-Missouri Commission on Ministry--the group that discerns long-range planning for apostolic work of the Jesuits and their colleagues. She served as founding Director and Coordinator for the Toward Greater Freedom retreat at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, which led hundreds of parents and students through an experience of the Spiritual Exercises.
Ackels helps others as retreat director of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in various formats, including weekend retreats throughout the United States, the Exercises in Everday Life, and one-to-one directed retreats. She regularly offers programs and days of reflection to parish and other oganizations. Ackels also helps form others in retreat ministry through workshops and conferences.
Ackels holds a J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law, and a M.A. in Leadership and Theology from Gonzaga University. She is married and resides in Dallas, Texas. She and her husband are the parents of five delightful (now) adults and are proud grandparents of three.