BY THEA JARVIS

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Deep in the heart of Atlanta's picturesque northside, off winding Riverside Drive that takes its name from the nearby Chattahoochee, Ignatius House is a restful haven for a city in motion.

Since 1961, four years after Suzanne Spalding Schroder donated her home and its surrounding hills and forest to the New Orleans Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Ignatius House has served as an ecumenical retreat center for lay people in search of spiritual renewal through prayer and reflection.

"Prayer is a ministry," said Father Jack Vessels, SJ, director. "There has to be an apostolic function to learning to pray better. Our motive is to send people out into the world as committed Christians."

On an early spring day, when the sun has coaxed the azaleas into bloom and dogwoods drape a canopy of lace across the sky, the peace of Ignatius House's 20-acre spread is irresistible.

Slatted wooden chairs and benches dot the grounds, inviting visitors to pause in a stillness broken only by birdsong. Squirrels move idly in the trees, undaunted by a retreatant reading quietly in the morning sun. Below a hillside, the river dances, waving to silence-seekers above.

"It's beautiful, simple, uncomplicated," Father Vessels said of Ignatius House. "A nice place to come and rest."

The setting and natural beauty is surpassed only by the spiritual opportunities guests find there. Over the years, Ignatius House has hosted all types of retreats, from Marriage and Engaged Encounters to Cursillo and Alcoholics Anonymous weekends.

The history of the retreat house has been tied to "new Catholic movements getting started," Father Vessels explained. "This place was available" for such new beginnings.

And because the local Catholic population was small, he said, Ignatius House became a site where people of different faiths could share a common spiritual journey.

Today, Ignatius House continues to draw an ecumenical mix of visitors and offer a variety of retreat experiences, but the increase in area Catholics has led to renewed emphasis on traditional Jesuit retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of the order's founder, St. Ignatius Loyola.

"We will gradually shift to year-round Ignatian retreats," Father Vessels said. "In the meantime, we're serving the local church, parishes and other faith communities as well."

Hospitality has long been a hallmark of Ignatius House. Bordered by Riverside Drive and the Chattahoochee's south bank, the retreat center is 18 miles north of downtown Atlanta and easily accessible from I-285 and I-75.

Men and women from all over Georgia, the Southeast and beyond, regularly make their way to the modest red brick, dormitory-style retreat house that can accommodate up to 50 people.

Inside, rooms are clean and comfortable, each with a private bath and closet area. Cell-like simplicity gives the space a spare, monastic feel. A small chapel, dining area and conference room are available.

Trinity Book Store, across from the retreat house, is a handy stop for books and religious articles. Father Vessels and two other Jesuit retreat masters--Father Vince Malatesta and Father Jim Babb--occupy a private home on the grounds.

Appointed director of Ignatius House less than a year ago, Father Vessels served for nine years in Rome, Italy, as international secretary of the Apostleship of Prayer. Before that, he had spend 20 years in pastoral work in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

"I'm back home," said the Texas native, savoring the familiar pleasures of a southern spring.

Father Vessels credits his predecessor, Father Babb, with putting Ignatius House on firm financial footing and redirecting its course towards Ignatian retreats. Father Babb's mandate was to make the center a self-sufficient operation, eliminating long-standing subsidization by the Jesuits' southern province.

"We still have a long way to go," Father Vessels said, "but so far we're getting out of the woods."

Newfound security and stability give staff the freedom to expand creative goals. Days of prayer on summer Saturdays, youth and parish retreats are future possibilities, as is increased lay participation and involvement with the needy. "We'd like to make a difference in less fortunate areas of the city," said Father Vessels.

Leading people to prayer is a priority for the Jesuits, Father Vessels said, as much as the order's well-established commitment to education. As a retreat master, he exercises a ministry of prayer, not preaching, showing others how prayer can enrich and uncomplicate their lives.

Though time out for a retreat is difficult to find and spending a weekend away from spouse and children is a hard choice, Father Vessels believes "the family will be so delighted with you when you go home" that they will be eager for a return trip.

"Prayer refreshes the soul, body and mind," Father Vessels said. At Ignatius House, he assures guests, "you get a good rest."

For further retreat information, contact Ignatius House at 6700 Riverside Drive, NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30328, phone: (404) 255-0503.