Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House is located on 80 acres of gently rolling meadows and wooded countryside just 35 miles northwest of Chicago. Bellarmine Hall, the original building, was constructed in 1916 as a private residence. The Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus purchased it in 1946 for use as a retreat house. The original building was expanded in 1956 and again in 2003. Today the retreat house consists of 75 private rooms, some with private baths. Forty of the rooms are air-conditioned. The retreat house also features a conference center with a 2,500 square foot main room and five smaller meeting rooms.
Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House specializes in silent weekend retreats for men and women adapted from the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. A wide variety of other retreat experiences are held at Bellarmine including Kairos retreats for teens, Charis retreats for young adults, 12 step program retreats as well as private and directed retreats.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House is to cooperate with the Church in Chicago and the Midwest in fostering the spiritual development of Catholics and fellow Christians in the area. As its primary ministry Bellarmine offers weekend retreats based on Ignatian Spirituality; it also offers other programs tailored to the changing needs in today’s Church. Jesuit and non-Jesuit colleagues collaborate in the planning and execution of all of Bellarmine’s retreats and other programs. As an expression of its ecumenism and civic fellowship, Bellarmine’s facilities at times are open to other religious and civic groups.
