Timeline

Jim & Joan take additional training in Guelph and Jesuits are brought to Vancouver Island to train the prayer companions. Weekend retreats are started in parishes and the Spiritual Exercises (Annotation 19)

Jim and Joan retire and move back to St. Louis. John English, SJ from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, comes to St. Louis and introduces them to Marie Schimelfening and Bob Johnston,

Marie Schimelfening and Bob Johnston, SJ were planning to revive Bridges, but Marie was moving to New York to study at the United Nations. Jim and Joan Felling were asked to coordinate Bridges. Fathers

Morning and evening session are held at the Cenacle on Spoede Road with 12 morning participants, 21 evening participants, and 16 Directors. An advisory Board is formed made up of Fathers Bob Doyle, SJ,

Joseph Tetlow, SJ came to St. Louis University and joined the Advisory Board. An informal Prayer Companions Program is started to train lay directors of the Exercises. It is led by Joan Felling and

A formal 2-year Prayer Companion Program begins which meets the 3rd Sunday of each month (September – May). The faculty consists of Rev. Joseph Tetlow, SJ, Sr. Marian Cowan, CSJ, and Mary

A coordinator system is initiated to administer Bridges and the Missouri Province of Jesuits gives 6 scholarships to African Americans. The Cenacle Good Shepherd becomes a second site and is a more

New coordinators assume duties for Bridges and Prayer Companions and Jim and Joan stay on for a year as backup while the transition takes place. Gail and Mike McDonough are Bridges

A mentoring program was put into place this year by Sr. Marian Cowan, CSJ with the help fo Fr. Jim Blumeyer, SJ, Joan Felling and Mary Mondello. This was needed by

The Mentoring Program was refined and felt to have increased the quality of our program. Those who were mentored during their first year of direction will continue to see their mentors

Eight interns from Prayer Companions were being mentored weekly. We had 4 second-year interns meeting with their mentors monthly. It was decided that more support and training for directors was needed. The

Dot Carnowske is working with Gail McDonough to take over as Overall Coordinator of Bridges and Prayer Companions. Coordinator was board leader. Lwanga and Cenacle close.

Charlene Ricker takes over as Coordinator of the Bridges Program. Jean Smith becomes the Coordinator of Prayer Guides.

Revised Mentoring Program.

Bridges becomes non-profit which enables the pursuit of grants, a professional board and IRS status. Seattle Program (SEEL) is studied. Reformed Board, separate from operations. Foundation is established. Charlene becomes Director of Operations, a

Hsin-hsin Huang, MSW, receives the Retreat in Daily Life and becomes active in Bridges by promoting a “post-Bridges I” experience that included anyone who has received the Exercises, called Journey’s End.

Annual Meeting initiated. Formation of the Marketing Committee. Amy Fister directs and develops the first Bridges website.

Formation of Bridges II program. This was designed to be a one year experience with prayer guides needing an additional year of training and formation. This involved shared presentation time followed by

Bridges 1 site was opened in St. Peters, MO. Two mailings were begun—soliciting donations and informing the Ignatian community of Bridges programs. A list of resources was developed for Prayer Companions. Ambassador program refined. Testimonials

Tom Simon writes “The Bridges Foundation of St. Louis—the Story”.  Work is completed on the Five Year Plan. Work begins to digitalize past recordings of Bridges talks. Cost of Bridges II is

Bridges Ignatian Retreat in Daily Life is promoted in the White House newsletter, “Echoes”.  Bridges I becomes known as Bridges. Good Shepherd Spirituality Center at St. Nicholas Parish in O’Fallon,

St. Joseph Parish in Manchester opens as a site for Bridges.  St. Francis Xavier College Church shares as a site. Fr. Joseph Tetlow, S.J. leads the Market Place Retreat

Holy Spirit Parish is added as a Bridges site.