| Daily retreat exercises faith on-line
Visitors to website find convenient avenue for reflection and growth By Kelly Kennedy The Creightonian October 16, 1998 Faculty and staff members have utilized the World Wide Web to incorporate God into the daily routines of people. A website that offers weekly online retreats as well as daily reflections has been created by the Rev. Andy Alexander, S.J., and Maureen Waldron of the Collaborative Ministry Office. According to Alexander, the website provides an effective way to strengthen spirituality. “There’s a real hunger to grow in our relationship with God,” he said. “[The website] is very user-friendly. It’s something that can be done sitting at a desk in your dorm room or in the library.” The idea for the website came about last year when the Collaborative Ministry Office offered a retreat for faculty and staff during Lent. In support of the retreat, the Daily Reflections web page was launched. Through the site, browsers were given the opportunity to reflect on daily scripture readings. The response was so positive that Alexander and Waldron decided to bring it back this fall and extend it through the end of the school year. They select faculty and staff to write the reflections each day. The weekly Online Retreats for Everyday Living compliment the Daily Reflections page. The retreats consist of Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and are intended to assist in prayer. Each week a photo taken by the Rev. Don Doll, S.J., us used to illustrate a theme. “It’s meant to deepen peoples’ relationship to God,” Waldron said. “It’s like a friend – you want to spend more time as you get to know Him,” she said. Since the website was launched in August many people have taken advantage of it. Alexander said the reflection page receives anywhere from 65 to 100 visits per day, while the online retreat averages 800 visits a week. The convenience of the website is considered a main factor contributing to the popularity of the daily retreats. “Anyone with a PC can spend 15 minutes to a half an hour in the retreat,”
said Alexander. “People who wouldn’t go over to Iowa to make the retreat
feel very comfortable doing this in their rooms.”
Alexander said integration of technology and spirituality on the website effectively reinforces Creighton’s mission. “I think we have the technology here. This is one way to use the potential of technology that fits our mission perfectly. If we’re going to keep striving to be women and men for others [this website] helps us do that.” Alexander said. Websites The website is a link on the Creighton home page at
In addition, the Daily Reflection page can be accessed at
The Online Retreat for Everyday Life can be found at
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