Stories of Impact
Every step along a path of transformation is a story worth telling. We tell stories to one another to make sense of our lives. Stories bond us in joy, in healing, and in seeking to find God in all things. This page is dedicated to sharing the stories of those impacted by ISC. Do you have a story to share?
A Time of Challenge and Transformation
Last summer, the ISC welcomed LA native and Jesuit Discerner Kirk Acnam to the team while on his discernment journey about becoming a Jesuit. Kirk brought energy, hard work and grace to our programs and marketing, and thoughtfulness and humor to our team. Kirk has been accepted as a Jesuit Novice and will begin Jesuit Formation in August. Congratulations, Kirk! We will miss you!
St. Ignatius of Loyola once said, “Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” As I reflect on this past year in Seattle, I return to these words with new understanding and awe. Who would have thought that stepping out in faith—trembling, unsure, yet willing—would open a door to such an overflowing abundance of grace? I certainly did not.
A year ago, I never imagined that I would be invited to join the Jesuit West Discernment House. When that invitation came, it was not accompanied by immediate clarity or joy, but rather fear and uncertainty. At that point in my discernment journey with the Society of Jesus, I was confident in my desire to become a Jesuit. So why, I asked, would God now be calling me to something that seemed to pull me aside—to a place I had never imagined myself being, much less desiring—Seattle?
But as I brought that invitation to prayer, it became undeniable: the Spirit was gently, yet firmly, leading me here. I realized that my “yes” required more than intellectual assent—it required surrender. I had to let go of the fears and worries that held me back and entrust myself fully to God's loving guidance.
This year has been a sacred time of challenge and transformation. In ways both expected and completely surprising, I have been shaped by the Spirit through the people, experiences, and prayer that have filled my days here. I’ve had the profound gift of working with several Jesuit ministries—including the Ignatian Spirituality Center (ISC), Seattle Nativity School, Seattle Prep, and others—that have drawn me deeper into the life of service and contemplation; deepening my vocational call.
Living in community, walking alongside fellow discerners, and growing in relationship with Christ have also deepened my vocation in ways I could not have imagined. More than anything, this year has been about encountering Christ in others. Whether it was in the early morning Mass crowd, the devoted parish volunteers, the vibrant young adult communities, or countless spontaneous conversations and shared meals—God’s love radiated in every moment. The laughter, the tears, the quiet reflections, and the deep conversations we explored together—these have forever made a mark in my heart.
Now, as this chapter in Seattle draws to a close, I leave with a heart full of gratitude and grace. I am not the same man who arrived here last summer. I leave changed—by your love, your witness, your generosity, and the unmistakable presence of God working through you.
To all those who have accompanied me on this journey—thank you. Thank you to the ISC, Seattle Nativity School, Seattle Prep, the communities of St. Joseph Parish and St. Therese Parish, the Seattle Jesuit community, and to the many others whose names may not be listed but whose impact is deeply felt. You have not only walked with me—you have helped form me. This journey of discernment has been ours together, and I carry each of you with me as I take the next steps toward religious life in the Society of Jesus.
Please continue to keep me in your prayers, as I continue to pray for you. This is not goodbye, but rather a heartfelt, “Until we meet again.”
Te amo muy mucho.
With Love,
Kirk Acnam
AMDG +
[Tu-Ha Nguyen]
ESCAPING WAR, FINDING PEACE
Summer Ignatian Retreat 2024 scholarship recipient and healthcare professional Tu-Ha Nguyen has come a long way.
Tu-Ha was born in Saigon in March of 1971, when the Vietnam war was raging. But her family had a more immediate problem. While her mother Lan was only seven months pregnant with Tu-Ha, she was fetching eggs for breakfast from the rooftop of the family home when she stumbled and fell down a flight of stairs. She was rushed to the hospital.
Tu-Ha’s mother was immediately induced. When the doctors asked her if she wanted to spare her life or that of her baby daughter, she said, “I’ve lived a challenging but good life. Please save my baby.”
But even that outcome was not assured. Due to Tu-Ha’s premature arrival, her lungs were not developed. Nevertheless, Tu-Ha and her mother both survived the difficult birth, only to be thrust back into war. Lan was a homemaker and Tu-Ha’s father was a jet fighter pilot working with the US Air Force and Southern Republic of Vietnam. Tu-Ha was the youngest of five children
In April, 1975, Tu-Ha’s family of seven managed to escape Saigon one day before it fell to Communist Forces. Thousands of miles and dozens of refugee camps later, the family ended up in Redmond, Washington. A local church sponsored the family and helped them get back on their feet.
Tu-Ha graduated from Seattle University in 1998, with a promise to her Jesuit teachers, Fr. Roger Gillis, SJ, Fr. Joseph McGowan, SJ, and Fr. Pat Howell, SJ that she would work her way back to becoming “Catholic again,” after she had been baptized as a baby in Vietnam.
She started the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) at St Joseph Parish in Seattle. While in RCIA, Tu-Ha cared for her brother as he succumbed to kidney and heart disease, the same illnesses that had claimed the lives of her parents and nine other family members. Tu-Ha completed RCIA, and on Easter 2024 celebrated becoming “Catholic again.”
As for her time at ISC’s Summer Ignatian Retreat, Tu-Ha said, “The silence brought me a sense of peace that I had not known before.” She was inspired by the shared life experiences of the speakers, as well as their “words of triumph over struggles.” Tu-Ha appreciated that the retreat also brought her a sense of justice for all that her family had to leave behind when they fled Vietnam so many years ago, and the massive loss of life the war had caused.
Tu-Ha resides with her husband Tony and their canine “son,” Cinnamon in the Seattle area.
[Jonathan Went]
FROM THE PRAGMATIC TO THE POETIC
Jonathan Went came to the Ignatian Spirituality Center for Seek and Find spiritual direction services last spring, looking for guidance while in the middle of a big decision. The Dartmoor School teacher was considering undertaking a PhD program in English and wanted to know whether God was truly calling him to it. According to Jonathan, ISC’s Carla Orlando provided him with a perfect match for spiritual direction.
“I started crying during our first initial interview,” Jonathan recalled. “What started as a discernment process about his schooling, soon went to a very different place. It became apparent that I was really set on finding the holiness of God and my own relationship to his presence. There was this deepening movement within my soul.”
Raised Catholic, Jonathan experienced stages of atheism and rebellion,explored Protestantism, and had more recently been drawn back to his Catholic heritage. He described it as coming full circle.
As a result of the spiritual direction, Jonathan found his practice of writing poetry had become something more.Instead of pursuing the PhD, Jonathan started writing a daily haiku, a chance to practice “presence” in nature,finding glimpses of the divine. “It shifted from me just using art as a practice to this deeper knowing and longing that I had in my soul. That was surprising, because here I was being very pragmatic—should I go for a doctoral program—and then there’s this deeper undercurrent of being struck by the holiness of God and who I’m called to be.
[Rufo Calvo]
AN UNEXPECTED TRANSFORMATION
When travel agency manager Rufo Calvo was invited by his partner Curtis to join him for ISC’s three-day Summer Ignatian Retreat, Calvo was leery. “I was a little concerned,“ he said.
“As a gay couple, would we be accepted? That was the big thing.” But it wasn’t the only thing. While his partner Curtis had made many Ignatian retreats over the years, Calvo’s own experience with the Spiritual Exercises was more limited.
Arriving to the United States from Guam in the late 1960s, Calvo learned about prayer by watching his mother, who prayed to God and the Blessed Mother in hymns, songs and formal prayers like the Rosary. He had never considered that prayer could be conversational, one person talking to God as with a friend.
A self-described “chatterbox,” Rufo wasn’t sure about the silent aspects of the retreat, or surviving long stretches without his phone. Nevertheless, he decided he would go, even if he felt that real spiritual formation might be unlikely. “Going into that retreat I felt like the oddball. I don’t have this kind of relationship with Jesus.” But that’s exactly the kind of relationship he found.
At the retreat, Rufo’s spiritual advisor suggested that Rufo could with Jesus as a friend. “That resonated big time,” said Rufo.
This invitation to an unexpected friendship with Jesus has broadened Rufo’s understanding of prayer. “It’s a work in progress,” Rufo said. “It’s casual. I feel like I can talk to him if I need to.”
“I look forward to learning more, and getting a closer relationship with him. But I’ve
liked the casualness of it. My mom taught us that you have to be very serious when you pray, very focused. I feel like, with Jesus, he understands if I’m not 100% focused, he gets it, you know.”
Rufo is looking forward to more opportunities to expand and deepen his spiritual formation in the coming year, both at ISC and at his local parish, where he recently joined the choir.
[Cézanne Hardy]
GROW AND GLOW: WOMEN COMPANIONS OF COLOR
With pandemic-era roots and sponsorship by the Ignatian Spirituality Center, a small but mighty group, Women Companions of Color, has discerned and developed a Spirit-led ministry model of shared leadership and spiritual companioning that seeks to be compassionate witness and welcome to nontraditional voices and cultures, and to facilitate community building experiences for all. I am humbled by the gentleness of our processes we have grown over time, the recognition and honor given to our respective and collective gifts, and the impact our work has on the
community as we step into providing retreat leadership and host other sessions that foster safe harbors for creative engagement and personal reflection, as well as small and large group sharing.
I am grateful for Carla Orlando’s earliest vision and invitation to each of six of us to expand what it means to provide spiritual companionship beyond the educational rigor of spiritual direction with an aim to model Spirit-led leadership in its purest sense to all in witness and service. Women Companions of Color are a particular mirror to that end that together identify and grow our natural gifts while responding to the needs of the community. We are flexible in who, how, and where we serve and look forward to journeying with the ISC to both grow and glow our ministry of presence. Reception to our offerings thus far has been a thirsty welcome with invitations to do more. At a steady, considered pace, we are indeed growing our ministry.
Cézanne Hardy is a certified Spiritual Director, Advance Practice Board Certified Chaplain, visual artist, educator, and member of St Therese Parish and Shades of Praise Choir. Expressive arts, trauma-informed care, and transformational healing guide her work to inspire mind, body, soul, and spirit integration.
[Malcolm Nelson]
WHEN “EVERY DAY” BECOMES THE BEST PART
In February 2024, The Ignatian Spirituality Center invited St. Therese Catholic Academy principal Malcolm Nelson to join a three-person team, leading parishioners through the nine days of the Novena of Grace at St. Ignatius Chapel on the Seattle University campus. He had been developing his gifts as a public orator, and it seemed like a good fit. So what was his initial reaction?
“Scared,” said Malcolm. Not only was he busy running a PreK-8 school, his speaking experience was limited and he had never even “been to church that many days in a row,” as he put it.
“At first, there was a daunting feeling of like, oh snap. This is every single day. And we've got all these parts—stand here, turn there, gesture, kneel. I was just trying to absorb it all.” Malcolm wanted to get the procedural elements right, but he also wanted to provide something worthwhile.
By all accounts, participants responded enthusiastically to Malcolm’s presence and the powerful words he shared throughout the nine days. But Malcolm not only settled in after the first day or two, he also had a personal response to the Novena.
“Every day became the best part,” said Malcolm. “It was really powerful for my own spiritual exercise—that time to reset each day. And if you hang out with people long enough, you begin to miss them. I couldn't wait to get back to the team each day.”
Malcolm pointed to the seeing the strengthening and growth of the community as his favorite takeaway from the Novena. He looks forward to inviting members of his teaching staff to the Novena next year.
[Sharon Spence-Wilcox]
ROOTS AND WINGS
Roots…
A devout Catholic mother and my piano playing skills led to my first ministry as a teenage church organist in Montego Bay, then folk Mass at college in Miami. As a young adult, I drifted from religion until a friend asked about Catholicism. I devoured books by Jesuit writers and found community in a multicultural parish where attending young adult retreats and leading children’s liturgies rekindled my spirit.
Wings…
To Seattle and St. Therese where soulful preaching and spirited gospel music said, “Welcome!” The choir led to marriage and children, then a new call to serve as Lay Presider; what a privilege to nurture gifts of listening, discernment, and hospitality in this ministry. I yearned for more time to discover and recover God in all things, but as a busy working mother, was limited to a presentation here, a day of reflection there, then ISC-sponsored (silent) retreats, the Examen, and Jesuit prayer apps.
Some months into the pandemic, I finally accepted Carla’s gentle, insistent invitation to consider spiritual companionship with other women of color. Our monthly learning sessions enrich and encourage, opening my heart to receive and offer, question and listen, observe and support. The highlight so far: co-facilitating an Advent retreat with whole-body prayer, and reflection on the Visitation story and our own of pregnancy and parenting. On that snowy morning, we embraced each other as the sun warmed our faces and hearts. And as we journey into this new year, I am filled with hope for the precious encounters in spiritual companionship that lie ahead.
Sharon Spence-Wilcox (she/her) Black, Caribbean immigrant, woman | cradle Catholic | (grand)daughter, sister, niece, wife, mother, godparent, aunt, friend | lifelong learner, librarian, educator, flawed/faithful lay minister | lover of sun, sea, sand | seeker of peace, love, joy | motto: Humankind, be both.
[Barbara Henderson]
GROWING AND HEALING WITH ISC
Serving as a presenter at the Novena of Grace: Healing Our Hearts for a Mission of Mercy in 2021 was a blessing for me. Those nine days of inspiring music, reflecting on God’s word, and community was contemplative prayer at its best, a much-needed balm in a world of isolation during the pandemic. This is just one example of how ISC has helped me grow and been a place of healing.
For the past 20 years, ISC programs and workshops have helped me see God in all things and been a pathway to a place of deeper understanding. As a member of the Board, I appreciate the planned intentionality of retreats and programs that grow spirituality and practice, especially in community with others. I appreciate that ISC has a long-standing history of spiritual practice, contemplative prayer, and spiritual direction. The staff work tirelessly and are passionate about guiding others.
As we celebrate the ISC’s 30th anniversary, I believe Ignatian spirituality crosses all cultural boundaries and is a function of daily life. The ISC understands the changing landscape of the Church and the world and seeks to invite all people, including more young people, people of color, and multifaith participants and partners in this work. I hope to be a part of this transformational change that empowers future leaders.
Barbara Henderson is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, Washington. Barbara is a member of the Black Catholic Advisory Circle and a parishioner at St. Leo Catholic Church. She is a member of the ISC Board. She attended Seattle University and received her Masters in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College.
[Cameron Bellm]
FROM RETREATANT TO RETREAT LEADER
When my family first moved to Seattle in 2017, I couldn’t believe my luck that the Ignatian Spirituality Center was right in my backyard. I was fairly new to Ignatian spirituality and so hungry to learn more. I jumped right in, attending several retreats, including the annual one at Palisades Retreat Center, which was a beautiful time of getting in touch with my own sense of purpose in the midst of parenting two small children.
I loved getting to be part of an ISC book club and attending a contemplative parenting retreat with my husband.
As Covid hit, I continued to enjoy ISC programs via Zoom, often from my closet, the only truly quiet place in our house! As my vocation as a writer and retreat leader developed, I was honored to be able to contribute to the Ignatian Family Handbook and lead a parenting retreat myself. It was a delight to work on both of those projects with Maria Ochoa Vazquez.
As my work continues to grow, I’m so grateful to have the ISC as a guiding presence in my life, always bringing me back to the fundamentals of finding God in all things and listening to the call of the Divine through my own desires.
After completing her PhD in Russian literature, Cameron Bellm traded the academic life for the contemplative life. Her poems, prayers, and prose can be found at the intersection of mysticism and activism, linking our modern lives with our ancient faith. Cameron’s work has been featured in America Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, Jesuit Media Lab, and Catholic Women Preach.
[Mary Gorman]
SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT AT ST. LEO PARISH
Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? Last spring, the St. Leo Faith Formation Commission sought to add adult formation content to the calendar. The volunteer committee was unsure what to offer and how to present without a dedicated staff person to plan. Then we heard that the Ignatian Spirituality Center was looking for a place to offer Ignatian Discernment: An Unfolding Story of Love series presented by Marilyn Nash in the South Sound. We had our answer!
With Marilyn’s creative approach, participants explored ways to listen to the spirit in their lives. Through prayer, reflection, and conversations, all were able to consider everyday life examples of inviting God into decisions, large and small. As a Jesuit parish, learning the practices of St. Ignatius in more depth was helpful in matching intuitive senses to actual practices.
What wasn’t on the syllabus was the sense of community the parish was thirsty for after the long stretch of Covid. The parish had fallen out of practice of gathering kindred spirits. The 30-plus participants of primarily St. Leo parishioners enjoyed the social aspects of gathering, including food, milestones, travels, and personal challenges. Person-to-person contact only enhanced the experience offered by the ISC.
Mary Gorman is a member of St. Leo’s Parish in Tacoma, Washington and serves on the Faith Formation Commission. She is also the Lead Spiritual Director for Puget Sound SEEL – Tacoma/online community. And she is a big fan of collaboration!
[KATHY COLLINS]
A SPIRIT OF SERVICE
Kathy Collins, our beloved sister in faith, died peacefully at home on January 19th, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.
Kathy was a shining example of giving, loving, and living. An abiding friend to the ISC and the entire Ignatian community, Kathy touched the lives of countless others and gave selflessly and joyfully in her daily life. Kathy woke each morning with the question, “Who needs love today?”
As a retreat presenter, spiritual director, Board member, Board chair, and Interim Executive Director, Kathy led with a deep commitment to the ISC mission, a passionate heart, a joy-filled faith, and a radiant smile.
To honor Kathy and her years of service, we are introducing the Kathy Collins Spirit of Service Award to be granted annually at the Hearts on Fire benefit dinner. The first award was granted to Kathy in memoriam.
[Mercy Lazo]
COMPANIONSHIP AND THE LOVE OF GOD
As the youngest in a brood of eight, I was always accompanied by someone from my family, whether I was going to school, going to church, or attending social events. As I got older, I found myself being a companion to my family, friends, and sometimes strangers who became my friends.
These days, living in a world amidst COVID-19, I find myself, increasingly, accompanying people: being a companion to someone who was recently diagnosed with cancer; being present to another who is suffering from mental illness; accompanying an elder on her last few hours in this world; being there to celebrate 100 years of being alive.
As a healthcare professional, I find it humbling to walk with patients as they navigate the world of healthcare. In my mind, I think about being of help or giving some sort of assistance to them. At the end of the day as I reflect, I find myself at the receiving end of these patients’ generosity and wisdom.
Most recently I joined a community of women of color, co-led by Carla Orlando and Cezanne Hardy. We started this journey of becoming companions to people of color. This experience has been truly enlightening and uplifting. What a gift to walk with each other as we grow to be able to accompany others on their journeys.
There is a great need for companionship these days. And it is truly humbling for me to be able to be that for another human being – to be a companion. Whether it is only for a few precious moments or for a longer term, being a companion to another human being is such a gift. And in my heart, I have come to know that surely this is made possible with the love of God.
Mercy Lazo is an Ilokana mom who moved to this country about 30 years ago. At present, she is a healthcare worker in supportive housing. She considers St. Therese Church her spiritual home.
[DuWayne Andrews, Jr.]
CLA ALUM REFLECTION
My time in CLA 3 (Contemplative Leaders in Action training program) proved pivotal in my walk of life. When I started the program, it was in the fall of 2014. I was in a place in my life where I felt stuck. I was working a couple of part-time jobs that weren’t fulfilling for me and wasn’t doing any theatre at that time. In my final year in the CLA program, my mentor, Ariel Rosemond, encouraged me to follow my passion to be a performer in musical theater, even if it meant losing a day job. It was his support, along with others at CLA, that
allowed me to continue to live a life of purpose, filled with passion and reflection, while also pursuing my love for the arts.
I recently met with Ariel back in December for an Advent CLA gathering, and he reminded me of the impact I have on other people, including him and his family. It is these affirmations that continue to remind me of having a purpose in life while being open to what God has planned for me. CLA continues to be a group of support I can count on to this day.
DuWayne Andrews, Jr. is a Seattle native and CLA 3 alum. He graduated from Seattle University, majoring in both Political Science and Humanities. After graduation, he became the Youth Choir Director at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Seattle. He has developed a career as a performer in both musical theater and opera. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Seattle Opera Chorus, appearing in nine Seattle Opera productions.
[JOHN & CAROLYN HICKMAN]
WARM HEARTS, DEEP FAITH
St. Peter Favre was one of St. Ignatius’ closest friends, trusted for his deep understanding of the Spiritual Exercises and heart for Ignatian spirituality. Favre lived his life with open-heartedness, purity, simplicity, and humbleness. Each year, the ISC presents the Peter Favre Award to a person or persons who embody these values and inspire others to live them more fully. The ISC is proud to present the 2024 Peter Favre Award to John and Carolyn Hickman.
Carolyn and John’s devotion to Ignatian spirituality spans decades. They have played integral roles for the Ignatian Spirituality Center. Carolyn was instrumental in the ISC’s growth during her 20-year career, matching seekers with spiritual directors and leading administrative efforts. John has served on the ISC Board twice as well as the Program Council. Their service runs deep in the Ignatian community and beyond.
Beyond their many acts of ministry and service, the Hickman’s are models of humility, warm hearts, kindness, and deep faith—and truly deserving of the Peter Favre Award.
[Loren Day]
HOPE IN BLOOM
When banking analyst Loren Day went looking for a spiritual retreat, she was in a dark place. In the middle of a painful separation, the peace and respite she sought seemed a long way off. She didn’t know quite what she was looking for in a spiritual retreat, but as a graduate of Gonzaga University, she was familiar with the Jesuits, and when she came across ISC’s Summer Ignatian Retreat she felt it would be the right one for her.
The Colombia native grew up in a Christian home, but since moving to the US and exploring her spiritual beliefs had felt disconnected from religion and spirituality. “I went into the retreat hoping to reconnect with God and to find some light in the darkness,” she said. She found that and more.
Thanks to an opportunity provided by the St. Joseph Foundation, Loren received a Summer Ignatian Retreat scholarship. But that wasn’t all.
“God was speaking to me throughout the retreat,” she said, “in mystical ways that are hard to put into words.”
Loren prayed, she collaged, she spent time in nature, walking the stations of the cross. She was amazed at how much better her sleep had become. But her favorite time was spent at the statue of the Holy Family, where she placed pink rose petals to mark the burden in her life. What had been impossible for her to face slowly became possible as realized she didn’t have to bear her burdens alone.
On the last day of the retreat, Loren made the walk to the statue one last time. On the way, she came face-to-face with an owl, and the two of them spent five minutes regarding one another. When she finally arrived at the statue, Loren saw that her petals had been replaced with a rose in full bloom with light red, orange, and yellow petals, bringing her to tears and giving her hope for restoration and newness.
“I was able to experience God's infinite love towards me,” she said. “I received way more graces than I could have even imagined.” She remains astonished at the many ways God was present for her over the course of the weekend.
Loren’s hope is that next year she can support the Ignatian Spirituality Center so that another seeker can benefit from the retreat in the same way she did.