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Curious: Spiritual Direction


Kylie Spinelli

Curious: Spiritual Direction  

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Kylie Spinelli

How often do you meet with your spiritual director?

 

(I can't figure out how to make a poll, so just write in your answers, I guess...)

 

NEVER MIND! I got it! :D

Edited by Kylie Spinelli
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domenica_therese

I only just recently made the plunge and got one, so I've only met with mine once, but for now we'll be meeting once a month.

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Are there any communities of women religious nearby?  Often, especially if they have some kind of retreat center, they have sisters who offer spiritual direction.

 

Sorry if you have already tried that avenue... just a thought!

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Are there any communities of women religious nearby?  Often, especially if they have some kind of retreat center, they have sisters who offer spiritual direction.

 

Sorry if you have already tried that avenue... just a thought!

 


The only one I know of in my diocese is the one I just learned I was not accepted to so I would be most uncomfortable receiving direction from them after only a month.  I wish my pastor could oblige but he's so busy and I don't have my own car anymore.  I wish my parish wasn't 7 miles away.  :(

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Julie de Sales

Me too, I don't have a spiritual director. I met with a priest a couple of months ago, I thought it was the good one, but now, I don't know...I don't have the desire to see him another time. But I would find difficult to obey to him and to my confessor at the same time, they could have different points of view. So, I think for the moment I will stick to my confessor.

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I used to have a spiritual director and he is the pastor of my former parish.  However, I felt he was doing more harm than good and both St. Teresa of Avila and St. Francis de Sales warn against badly trained spiritual directors.  I only met with him for 6 months and then stopped because I was always confused when I left his office.  The problem was that he had never had any experience in spiritual direction.  When I contacted the diocesan office for a list, they didn't have any knowledge of spiritual directors in our diocese.  :(

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MM, that's a difficult situation to be in.  I guess I'm spoiled where I live because there are a lot of different religious communities located in a relatively small area.  My experience has been that there are more professionally trained spiritual directors in religious life than in parish situations.  I think it was wise for you to stop meeting with him based on your own reflection on the situation.  People who offer spiritual direction but don't have the credentials can be great directors or not so great directors but there is definitely something to be said for finding someone specifically trained in spiritual direction.  I hope you can find someone soon.

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Spem in alium

While I was overseas I found an amazing SD and was seeing her once a week. Now I'm trying to find another, but will probably talk to my priest/confessor.

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My spiritual director is my parish priest. He has never done spiritual direction for women before but he has for men plus I love his perspective. His homilies are always informative and orthodox and he delivers them with a sense of humor. That's why I started attending that parish regularly and why I eventually asked him to be my SD. :)

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MM, that's a difficult situation to be in.  I guess I'm spoiled where I live because there are a lot of different religious communities located in a relatively small area.  My experience has been that there are more professionally trained spiritual directors in religious life than in parish situations.  I think it was wise for you to stop meeting with him based on your own reflection on the situation.  People who offer spiritual direction but don't have the credentials can be great directors or not so great directors but there is definitely something to be said for finding someone specifically trained in spiritual direction.  I hope you can find someone soon.

 


I can't count the number of religious communities that ask me if I have a spiritual director.  When I tell them I don't, they automatically say that I need to get one.  Some communities don't understand that there are some dioceses that are not rich in spiritual formation.  Our bishop IS trying to make improvements (he allowed some communities to come together to have a women's discernment day) but spiritual direction really needs to be encouraged.  If I had a car, I would go to a religious community about 2 hours away.  But, since my own transportation is non-existent, it makes it much more difficult.  :(

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I can't count the number of religious communities that ask me if I have a spiritual director.  When I tell them I don't, they automatically say that I need to get one.  Some communities don't understand that there are some dioceses that are not rich in spiritual formation.  Our bishop IS trying to make improvements (he allowed some communities to come together to have a women's discernment day) but spiritual direction really needs to be encouraged.  If I had a car, I would go to a religious community about 2 hours away.  But, since my own transportation is non-existent, it makes it much more difficult.  :(

 

I'll be praying that God works something out for you... maybe when and how you least expect it an opportunity will present itself!

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I'll be praying that God works something out for you... maybe when and how you least expect it an opportunity will present itself!

 


I hope so!  I hate to be without one -- especially after receiving the news that I wasn't accepted to the order I applied.  I've been having days where I am so confused that it's difficult to give it up to God and move on.  But I am doing my best.  Thank you for your prayers.  :)

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I put once a month, although I'm about to switch to a director that due to distance it will be every two months (and if I do move then it will become monthly again).

 

BTW -- the only time I've heard of meeting with a spiritual director on a weekly basis is in one of two circumstances (a) where you and your director are getting to know one another, so you meet every week for a few weeks at the beginning, or (b) if you are doing the 29th annotation of St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises, where if you are doing it one-on-one (and not a group setting) then you *have* to meet weekly for continuity, for about 8 months.

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