AZ M.A.L.E.s SPIRITUALITY
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM
Illuman is a global not for profit organization committed to supporting men who are seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. We are an organization that is open to all men based on the simple belief that we are all brothers. While Illuman was founded in 2012, it emerged from the remarkable work of Men as Learners and Elders (M.A.L.Es) founded by Fr. Richard Rohr. In December 2012, Fr. Richard blessed Illuman as the organization approved to continue the work begun by M.A.L.Es, and the Men’s Rites of Passage.
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.
ILLUMAN’S MISSION
- We are men transforming men through a power greater than ourselves.
- We are seeking a life changing spirituality.
- Our primary concern is inner work that makes a difference in the world.
- We are fed by the wisdom traditions of forgiveness and radical inclusivity.
- Our work recovers traditional patterns of male initiation, affirms a masculine path to healing, reveals the true and false self and honors the path of descent.
- We do this through the power of ritual, image, story and council.
ILLUMAN'S FIVE TOUCHSTONES
- Centering – we are men grounded in the power of the here and now.
- Gathering – we are men who listen deeply to each others stories.
- Connecting – we are men who choose another to walk with – shoulder to shoulder.
- Releasing – We are men who let go of the ways that no longer serve us.
- Serving – we are men who honor the earth and serve the whole human community.
WORLDWIDE ILLUMAN CHAPTERS
Illuman has many chapters throughout the United States and Internationally. For most current information please see Connect » Illuman.
“None of our current social or church issues is going to change until the ordinary male matures spiritually.”