Ignatian spirituality grows in Diocese of Salt Lake City

Friday, Sep. 05, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY — For the past decade, Kathie and Ralph Morgan have been teaching courses on Ignatian spirituality in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Now, with the encouragement of Bishop Oscar A. Solis, they’ve taken steps to ensure their work continues for years to come. The couple has established a 501(c)(3) corporation and launched a new website.

“We’re aging, so we know that at some point we’re not going to be able to carry this on in the manner we’ve been doing,” Ralph Morgan said. “We want to keep it authentic.”

Bishop Solis encouraged the couple to form their own nonprofit, believing it would help maintain the integrity of their program. “The way that we are doing it has such authenticity to it that he didn’t want it to be altered,” Morgan explained.

The Morgans’ own journey with Ignatian spirituality began in the early 2000s when Kathie sought more depth in her spiritual life. They have since dedicated themselves to sharing this spiritual tool with others.

The Spiritual Exercises were developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 1500s. For centuries, these prayers, meditations and reflections were used almost exclusively by the clergy. More recently, the laity have used the exercises, which often are introduced in a 30-day retreat. In the 1980s, a 30-week version was developed, and this is what the Morgans offer. Participants commit to daily private prayer, including Scripture reading, reflection and journaling. They also attend weekly small group meetings and periodic one-on-one sessions with a spiritual companion.

For many, the exercises are life-changing. “It has been a vital part of my spiritual journey, which had been somewhat stagnant for a time,” said St. George parishioner Deborah Schleisman. “I wish every Catholic adult would go through this retreat; it is life-changing. It has really brought Christ to life for me, as well as Holy Scripture.”

The Morgans’ new 501(c)(3) corporation, Ignatian Spirituality Utah, will help sustain the program. The nonprofit status allows the couple to fundraise and accept donations. “The purpose of the 501(c)(3) is to be a faith-based nonprofit organization designed to supply funds for people that cannot afford to go on to school and become a spiritual director, to raise up Catholic spiritual directors,” Kathie Morgan said.

Candidates for this financial assistance must be Catholics who have already completed the exercises. The Morgans hope to one day help people like Diane Gutierez, a St. George parishioner who is currently working to become a spiritual director through a program at Benet Hill Monastery in Colorado.

 Over the past decade, more than 100 people, mostly from Utah but some from out of state, have completed the program. In the past year alone, the Morgans have held several workshops to inform parishioners across Utah about the 30-week exercises. At Bishop Solis’ suggestion, the Morgans are now working to designate specific parishes as having an Ignatian spirituality focus.

The couple offers their courses over Zoom, a format they’ve found particularly effective. They’ve discovered that many people feel more comfortable opening up online than in person. To ensure everyone can share their experience, groups are limited to 10 participants. Starting in late September, the Morgans will offer both Thursday daytime and Monday evening groups to accommodate more people. They will charge enough to cover their costs.

The new website, ignatianspiritualityutah.org, was another suggestion from the bishop. Ralph Morgan said it’s still “an evolving thing,” with a donation tab under construction. However, he noted that the other sections are well-developed and provide a wealth of information about Ignatian spirituality.

The site provides details on the fall sessions, but registration must be done by contacting Ralph Morgan directly at 405-255-9598.

The Morgans recently led a workshop at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City and plan to hold more throughout the diocese in the coming year.

“We do this as long as God wants and we’re able to do it,” Kathie Morgan said of their mission.