EXPLORE

who we are

Illuman of Illinois is a group of men, many of whom have completed the Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP) created by Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM. Our goal is to promote spiritual growth, healing, and wholeness for all men. We do this by holding retreats, encouraging men to be honest and open with each other and helping men to connect through small group meetings which offer fellowship, growth and accountability.

Our COUNCIL of ELDERS is Bob Colaresi, Tom Cook, Steven Desmarais, Jim Healy, Bart Hisgen, Ramiro de La Garza, Bill Marquard, & Bill McElroy.

ILLUMAN of Illinois is led by our Co-Conveners, Gary Meagher & Chester Trocha.

neighbors sharing a journey

If you don’t know the kind of person I am
and I don’t know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

-William Stafford

ABOUT OUR WORK

There is a growing group of men located in throughout the world who have completed the Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP) developed by Richard Rohr. We meet regularly to encourage and grow together as men and brothers in this modern age. We desire to reach out to all men in our region. If you would like to learn more about us or have questions, please contact us via e-mail: convener@illumanillinois.org.

OUR HISTORY

Over the past 10 years we have gathered annually to connect around our interest in male spirituality. We also sponsor meetings and retreats for men. Many of us have attended meetings and retreats of our brothers in other chapters of ILLUMAN throughout the United States. There is a national umbrella group called Illuman that supports the regional MALEs groups.

Our programs and offerings focus on providing men with an opportunity to do their ‘inner work’ in the company of other men. We use ritual, teaching and ways of communicating that allow men to create an environment where men can explore what matters to them most. We foster an environment where:

  • Men can speak without being judged or shamed

  • Men can both speak about their emotions and be emotional

  • Men can forge real and authentic relationships with other men

  • Men can discuss real life challenges of the different roles we play –husband/partner, father, grandfather, provider, businessman, worker etc.

  • Men who participate in our work receive support as they journey through life and face some of life’s toughest challenges and transitions. Our programs are centered in ritual experiences rather than in conceptual teachings. Illuman creates opportunities for men that we know they can’t find on their own or anywhere else.

  • We seek to form future generations of men who will restore these practices while serving to build a world that celebrates the beauty of all beings.

Resources

Image by Steve Pavey/Hope in Focus, © All Rights Reserved.

Richard Rohr • Growing Up Men:
An Interview with Richard Rohr (On Being)

Men of all ages say Richard Rohr has given them a new way into spiritual depth and religious thought — through his writing and retreats. This conversation with the Franciscan spiritual teacher delves into the expansive scope of his ideas: male formation and what he calls “father hunger;” why contemplation is as magnetic to people now, including millennials, as it’s ever been; and how to set about taking the first half of life — the drive to “successful survival” — all the way to meaning.

Newsletters & Articles
Drumbeat (monthly ILLUMAN newsletter) • M.A.L.E.S. • Inner-Work Guide • Choosing Presence App • Practicing Presence

Print Resources

Robert Bly • A Little Book on the Human Shadow (1986) • Iron John (1990) • The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart (1992)
Carlos Cabarrus • La Danza de los Íntimos Deseos: Siendo persona en plenitud (1999)
Jim Clarke • Creating Rituals: A New Way of Healing for Everyday Life (2011) • Soul-Centered (2015)
Dan Dolquist • Being Here: Mindfulness and the Practice of Presence (2015) • Finding Your Wild (2019)
James Finley • Merton’s Palace of Nowhere (1978) • The Healing Path (2022)
Matthew Fox • The Hidden Spirituality of Men (2008) • Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times (2014)
Belden Lane • The Solace of Fierce Landscapes (2007) • Backpacking with the Saints (2014) • The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul (2019)
Brian McLaren • Do I Stay Christian? (2022)
Henri Nouwen • The Return of the Prodigal Son (1992)
John O’Donohue • Anam Cara (1997) • Beauty: The Invisible Embrace (2004) • Walking in Wonder: Eternal Wisdom for a Modern World (2018)
Bill Plotkin • Soulcraft (2003) • Nature and the Human Soul (2008) • Wild Mind (2013)
Richard Rohr • From Wild Man to Wise Man (1990) • Everything Belongs (1999) • Adam’s Return (2004) • Breathing Underwater (2011) • Falling Upward (2011) • Immortal Diamond (2013) • The Naked Now (2014) • Universal Christ (2018)
David Whyte • Pilgrim (2012) • River Flow: New & Selected Poems (2012)
Robert Wicks • Living a Gentle, Passionate Life (1998)