Ignis: Fire, Friendship, Faith
Ignis is a prayer group on Hope's campus that is rooted in an openness to the Holy Spirit and the Catholic tradition. Ignis means fire in Latin. This captures the purpose of Ignis which is to allow people to be filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit and for that fire to spread to more of his Church. The group was originally started as a charismatic Catholic prayer group but has since adapted to fit the particular needs of the community at Hope. Since then, the group has become more like a family. They regularly gather, outside of weekly meetings, for meals and even small parties involving delicious homemade soup. Weekly meetings usually included a topic for discussion and the chance for people to receive prayer from one another. The beauty of Ignis is that it continued to grow as the year went on and it never really lost the familial quality, even into Covid-19, as the group continues to meet online. Here are a few reflections from some of the students:
Some of the Ignis students gathered for dinner before leaving Hope for the semester.
One word to describe my experience with Ignis is blessing. Ignis has been such a blessing for me this past semester because it has helped heal the wounds of broken relationships by providing me with new friendships rooted in the Catholic faith. It has been inspirational to be involved in a supportive Catholic community full of people who desire the Holy Spirit to work through them for the good of Christ’s Kingdom. Ignis has allowed me to grow immensely in my Catholic faith alongside others who are also pursuing Christ. I am so grateful that God blessed me with this community.
Sally is a senior studying Biology with a minor in Religion. She plans to attend veterinary school next year.
Ignis provided me with something that I have never really had: a Catholic community of my peers. I didn’t realize how strongly I was hungering for a community like this until I had one. In the Ignis community, I was blessed by being surrounded by people who were actively seeking after Jesus and helping others to do the same, and this allowed deep and meaningful friendships to develop. I was continually built up by the prayers and support of these brothers and sisters in Christ of mine who became a family to me in a very real way.
Jacob is a senior majoring in Christian History and Theology with minors in Math, Physics, and Statistics.
Ignis is a family through which, in very real ways, God’s love has been poured into me this year. Through this group, I have learned more about the Holy Spirit, how He works, and I have seen Him working in astonishing ways, both in the lives of others and in my own life. This group has made my heart more humble and open to God’s grace, which I have received through the prayer and the powerful example of my Ignis friends. I say this in a very real, down-to-earth manner – this group has forever changed my life.
Alicia graduated from Hope in May. She majored in Biology with a minor in Biochemistry and will attend graduate school at Dartmouth in the fall.