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I am delighted to tell you all about an expansion of the ministry of spiritual direction at Saint Patrick – Saint Anthony Church and the Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry. For years now there has been quiet growth in the ancient and sacred practice of spiritual companioning here at the church and ministry center. What was once ‘quiet growth’ seems to have turned into a ‘growth spurt’ with an increase in the number of people seeking spiritual companioning and in the number of trained spiritual directors in our community.
Spiritual Direction, like faith, is something hard to define and only minimally easier to describe. I describe it as “a journey of discernment that takes us into deeper awareness of the self and relationship with the Holy.”
Liz Budd Ellmann, M. Div., Executive Director of Spiritual Directors International says this: “Spiritual direction explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories every day. Spiritual direction has emerged in many contexts using language specific to particular cultural and spiritual traditions. Describing spiritual direction requires putting words to a process of fostering a transcendent experience that lies beyond all names and yet the experience longs to be articulated and made concrete in everyday living. It is easier to describe what spiritual direction does than what spiritual direction is. Spiritual direction helps us learn how to live in peace, with compassion, promoting justice, as humble servants of that which lies beyond all names.”
Tilden Edwards, author of the book Spiritual Director Spiritual Companion: Guide to Tending the Soul says simply, “The ministry of spiritual direction can be understood as the meeting of two or more people whose desire is to prayerfully listen for the movements of the Holy Spirit in all areas of a person’s life….”
Spiritual direction, as practiced at the Franciscan Center, will include, but not be limited to:
Individual Direction in which persons seeking a deeper relationship with God meet regularly, one-on-one, with a trained spiritual director. Appointments usually occur once per month for an hour
Group Spiritual Direction, where people of like intention meet monthly for 90 minutes for quiet, inspiration and shared reflection, usually around a particular shared life experience or shared scriptural reflection (for example: The Prayer Ministry, persons mourning a loss, entering more deeply into living a full human life, etc.)
Storyholding, a new and emerging model of spiritual direction with those ‘on the margins’ of society (i.e. the homeless, addicted, etc.) in which directors make themselves available in informal, and often impromptu, settings to listen deeply and hold sacredly the stories of people’s lives.
If you are looking for a deepening of your spiritual life and a centering of self in God for yourself or your group, then spiritual direction may be a blessing for you. All of the directors practicing at the Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry have completed, or are engaged in, a formal program of formation as spiritual directors, are actively engaged in individual or peer supervision and abide by the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct as set forth by Spiritual Directors International. Spiritual direction is sacred time, and as such, confidentiality and privacy are of the utmost importance and all information is held in strict confidence. There is no cost associated with this ministry.
To learn more about the art and practice of spiritual direction you can visit Spiritual Directors International at www.sdiworld.org or The Spiritual Life Center in Bloomfield at www.spiritlifectr.org.
To enquire about entering into a relationship with a spiritual director at the Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry please call Fr Tom Gallagher, ofm at 860-756-4034, or send an email to mailto:tgallagher@spsact.org. who will be happy to answer any questions you might have and set up an initial interview with you (the first step in the process as outlined below).
Process
-Contact Fr Tom Gallagher at 860-756-4034 or email to discuss spiritual direction and/or set up an initial interview.
-Initial interview takes place – this is a time to sit with Fr Tom and share a bit about your life, your relationship with God and your
desires for your spiritual growth.
-Fr Tom will consider your conversation prayerfully and will have one of the directors at the Ministry Center get in touch with you.
-First meeting with director – this will be a time to meet with your director, share a bit about yourselves and your expectations, take
care of housekeeping (appointment times, etc.) and decide whether you would like to meet again.
-Spiritual direction continues until one or both of the participants feel it is time to end the direction relationship.
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