About Us
Our Logo:
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Christ at the center--the Alpha and Omega of our faith;
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Mary--the perfect discerner in her total openness to the Holy Spirit;​
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14 stars--one for each of Ignatius' rules that point the way from discouragement to hope.
Why the IDI?
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The fundamental insight that led to the creation of the Ignatian Discernment Institute (IDI) is that discouragement—“desolation” in St. Ignatius’ vocabulary—is a perennial issue in the spiritual life, but is more widespread now than ever in our lifetime. St. Ignatius of Loyola’s fourteen rules for discernment, when presented according to the approach developed by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV, are the most powerful, practical, clear, and usable tool in the Church’s spiritual tradition for overcoming such discouragement in the spiritual life. Too few people know of them. The goal of the Institute is to bring this hope-filled and freeing teaching to all who follow Christ.
The Background
In the early 1980s, Fr. Timothy Gallagher of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary began offering presentations on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s fourteen “First Week” rules for the discernment of spirits. These talks, given in retreat settings, proved of value for the recipients, and requests for such retreats multiplied. By the early 1990s, he was asked to teach these rules in other venues as well: parishes, programs of training for spiritual direction, for priests, and similar settings.
Through these years, the ministry grew and became the primary focus of Fr. Tim’s activity. These fourteen rules had existed for 500 years. What was new was the pedagogy Fr. Tim developed that took them out of the restricted circle of Ignatian centers and retreats and made them accessible to all Christians who in some personal way seek to live their faith. A close exploration of Ignatius’ text, illustrated by examples related to the life of the listeners, opened the content to a wide circle of Christians.
The rules provide a formation toward living the spiritual life and are often life-changing for listeners. Two comments generally follow upon the teaching: “I wish I had known this ten, twenty, thirty years ago,” and “Everyone should know this!”
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In 2005, Fr. Tim published the first of what has become a series of twenty-two books, widely used and published in seven foreign languages, with aggregate sales of around 700,000 copies. In time, his podcasts on discernment of spirits reached hundreds of thousands of listeners throughout the English-speaking world. He also began recording series for Catholic television (EWTN), a work that continues to the present.
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Precisely because of this positive response, the ministry became too great for one person. In December 2024, Fr. Mark Yavarone, OMV joined Fr. Gallagher, bringing his 20+ years of experience in giving retreats and teaching discernment of spirits as well.
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We hope that we can bring to you and your group this powerful teaching of St. Ignatius. Let us know if you have questions, and pray for us as the Ignatian Discernment Institute unfolds!
