We hope you are enjoying a pleasant summer with time to spend with family and friends. Please take a moment to check your calendar and prepare for your weekend retreat at the Jesuit Retreat House. If you plan to invite someone to attend, take this opportunity to notify them so they have time to prepare.
This notice is for all the men who have made regular or occasional Demontreville retreats on this weekend, or have made a previous retreat on another weekend and wish to join us on this one.
This retreat is also for men ready to experience that first retreat — and the benefits of a personal retreat at Demontreville.
Retreat Director · 2026
Fr. Tom Krettek, S.J.
Fr. Krettek entered the Society of Jesus in 1971 in Saint Paul and was ordained in 1982. He has experience in Jesuit formation and governance. After completing a Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1987, he spent two years in Africa teaching philosophy in seminary programs.
He was at Creighton University from 1989 to 2000 as Director of the Jesuit Humanities Program. In 2000 he was appointed Rector of the Marquette University Jesuit Community. He served as Provincial of the Wisconsin Province from 2005 to 2011, then as visiting professor at Fordham, then returned to Marquette as Vice President for Mission and Ministry from 2016 to 2018.
He is currently a visiting professor of philosophy and academic director of the Jesuit First Studies Program at Loyola University in Chicago. He enjoys reading and occasionally plays golf. He began giving retreats at Demontreville in 1998.
The purpose
What a retreat at Demontreville is
For the new men, as well as a refresher for those who have made past retreats, it helps to review the purpose of a retreat and what one might expect from spending a spiritual weekend at Demontreville. With each of us at a different stage in life, a retreat is deeply personal and gives us an opportunity to reflect and meditate about that life. Demontreville provides not only a structure for us, but a remarkable glimpse of God’s beautiful and wondrous creation to ponder our life and relationships.
- A retreat is a time to take a step back from everyday life and see where you are going.
- A retreat is a time to examine: am I living my days as a young adult, working adult, husband, father, senior adult, or community member in a Christian way?
- A retreat is a time to improve your spiritual connection and give a better idea of who you are on this life’s journey.
- A retreat is not just a 3-day respite each year, but the beginning of a process that may spiritually affect the rest of your life.
Capacity
67 men this year
Due to ongoing house renovations, the Retreat House is operating at reduced capacity, hosting 67 men for the retreat weekend. As always, it is the responsibility of each man to determine if attending the retreat on this weekend is an acceptable time to be away from his family and work life. Your comfort and well-being help you to be properly “Disposed” to make a retreat.
Save the dates
Registration opens at the August shotgun start.
Sign-up for Group No. 42 opens in August. We’ll send a notice to last year’s retreatants when registration goes live. If you’d like to attend and we don’t already have your contact information, please call Kermit or Jon.
Reg deadline · Friday, September 11, 2026
Logistics
Arrival, schedule, and what to bring
- Arrival
- Thursday, November 5 — between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM
- Dinner
- 7:00 PM (special diet on request)
- Departure
- After Sunday dinner — Twin Cities by 8:00 PM
- What to bring
- Casual clothing; check the weather for comfort
- What to expect
- Quiet grounds, private rooms in Dutch colonial guest houses, chapel and dining in the main building
After you register
What happens next
The Retreat House mails your reservation confirmation by U.S. Post about 2–3 weeks before the retreat — watch your postal mailbox beginning in October. Starting the weekend before the retreat, we contact registered retreatants by telephone to reconfirm attendance.
We expect a full house, so please respect your colleagues: if you cannot attend, let us know as soon as possible — even a few hours before the retreat. This may allow someone on the waiting list to attend.