Spiritual Direction is a form of personal accompaniment in which a trained guide (the spiritual director) acts as a spiritual companion to another person (the directee) in the directee’s own spiritual journey. The spiritual director’s first task, and most important role, is to listen: to listen to the experiences and prayer of the directee, and to listen to God as God moves and acts and speaks within the life-experience and prayer of the directee. The spiritual director does not direct or make decisions for the directee, but rather helps the directee to listen to God, in order for the directee to find clarity or direction. Usually, a spiritual direction session lasts for an hour.
Spiritual direction seeks primarily to enable the seeker to achieve a deep relationship with or grounding in God and thus to live a life of total freedom, individuality and deep love. – Alice McDowell, The Three Dimensions of Spiritual Direction
A spiritual director “helps the [seeker] to address God directly and to listen to what God has to communicate. The focus of this kind of spiritual direction is the relationship itself between God and the person. The person is helped not so much to understand that relationship better, but to engage in it, to enter into dialogue with God.” – William Barry, SJ, William Connolly, Sj, What is Spiritual Direction?
The work of retreats and spiritual direction is a ministry in the Church that has been entrusted by the Holy Spirit to the Cenacle Sisters, therefore the Sisters do not turn down any ministry request on the grounds of inability to pay. However, the Sisters also support themselves through their work, and it is also a matter of justice to give what one can rightly afford, for the ministry the Sisters give. There are basic rates for group retreats and individual retreats, which the Retreat Office can give you. Also, a stipend is given to the Sister for every spiritual direction session. The Retreat Office can give you the usual rates for spiritual direction. However, these rates for the Sisters’ stipend are only recommended; what is just for both the director and the directee is the principle followed.
