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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: A Quiet Ministry at St. Anthony’s
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Fr. Dan Crosby, Fr. Tom Zelinski and Mary Testin offer spiritual direction at St. Anthony's. To learn more about these Spiritual Directors click here:
During the week and sometimes on weekends the friars and Mary offer spiritual direction to those who request it. Perhaps you have wondered exactly what this ‘directing’ is. For many laypeople this is a new experience.
What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey. Spiritual direction is really not about “directing” anyone at all; it about listening with the heart to another’s person’s life story and helping them to recognize the activity of God at work in them.
Spiritual direction is for anyone who is serious about growing in his/her life in God.
- It is for people who find their prayer life rich and satisfying,
- and it is also for those whose prayer has become dull or dry.
- Spiritual direction can help people with discernment about their life direction,
- and appreciation for the gifts God has given them.
I have friends with whom I talk about God—Is that spiritual direction?
Most people would agree that spiritual direction means companionship with another person or group through which the Holy One shines with wisdom, encouragement and discernment. Spiritual guidance can happen authentically in a vast variety of forms. Some is informal, more like a friendship. Some people have several relationships of this kind.
Formal Spiritual Direction
Another kind of direction is more formal, done with a professional, trained, supervised, and perhaps even certified to offer spiritual direction. We have such trained people on our staff. Formal spiritual direction includes relationships that have a clear separation of roles between director and directee. Meetings are usually scheduled in advance on a regular basis, and a directee normally has only one formal director. Most people meet monthly to every 6 weeks.
Is it like therapy?
No. Spiritual direction is not counseling and it is not therapy. Although the discussion of relationships is certainly part of a spiritual direction conversation, we don’t delve into the psychological issues that may fill one’s life. Our focus is an on-going dialog which asks, ‘Where is God present in your life right now?”
Can I try it out?
Yes. It can take time to find the right director to match your personality and needs. If you are interested in exploring the experience of spiritual direction, just call the retreat center. You can either ask specifically for one of the staff or ask Joan (our office manager) for a recommendation. The cost is $40.00 for an hour session, but we have a sliding scale based on need.
To meet the Spiritual Directors at St. Anthony Retreat Center click here: