Spiritual Direction

What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is a conversation with a trained spiritual companion. It is a journey of discovery through prayer and active discernment. A Spiritual Director is not a therapist or a “guru”, but a person who listens and asks you questions to help you articulate your day-to-day observations about your relationship with God, understanding of God, and how the Holy Spirit is working in your life. Saint Ignatius of Loyola understood the role of a Spiritual Director as one who helps another grow in relationship with God by listening, offering, and then getting out of the way.

Why would I seek Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is a tool to help one grow deeper in their spiritual life. The desire to seek Spiritual Direction might be prompted by a particular event, a need for help discerning God’s will, or it may be due to a general desire to grow in holiness. Spiritual Direction will assist you in becoming more aware of how the Holy Spirit is moving in your life at every moment of every day. This knowledge will help you to better understand who God created you to be within the scope of His immense love for you. 
 
What should I expect when I meet with a Spiritual Director?
All meetings take place at the parish office. If you have no prior experience with Spiritual Direction, you will have an initial “introductory” meeting. You will be greeted warmly and assured that whatever you share will be held in the strictest of confidence. Keep in mind that you and the Spiritual Director sit together in the presence of the Holy Spirit; it is not just two of you present, but always three. In the Introductory Session, the Spiritual Director will ask you to share a bit about your life and your reasons for seeking spiritual direction. The Spiritual Director will listen attentively to your story, answer your questions, and clear up any concerns you may have. This meeting will last about an hour. If you choose to move forward, you will set up another meeting and go from there, meeting on a regular monthly basis if desired. The Spiritual Director will allow you the autonomy you need; follow-up meetings should be initiated by you. 
 
In a typical Spiritual Direction session, you or your Spiritual Director will open the session with either a prayer, a reflection, or a biblical passage to invoke the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. You will then share with your Spiritual Director your experience of how your relationship with the Lord is unfolding; to include your prayer life and your experience of God’s presence in and through whatever is going on in your life. The Spiritual Director will listen to you without judgement while also being attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit in his/her heart, asking appropriate questions to help you better recognize and articulate your experiences. A typical session will last no more than an hour but may close earlier at a natural stopping point and will end in prayer or silence. Within a few meetings, it is important to feel that you have/or believe you will be able to develop a sense of trust in your Spiritual Director to assist you in seeking a deepening relationship with God through prayer and observable experience. If you feel that you are just not “clicking” with the Director or vice/versa then meeting with another Director would be appropriate and encouraged.
 
What are the Requirements to Become a Spiritual Director?
The ministry of spiritual direction requires a calling from God and a thirst for spiritual growth. Additionally, spiritual directors need to be properly formed in the Catholic faith and spiritual traditions. The Diocese of Charleston has developed standards for the training of spiritual directors and requires future directors to select a program that meets the following standards.

1. A Catholic Institution obedient to official teachings of the Roman Catholic faith.
2. An accredited, graduate level certificate of spiritual direction program that grants academic credits.
3. 30 hours (credit or non-credit equivalents) of prerequisites in: Scripture, Church history, spirituality, moral and dogmatic theology, if these courses are not required by the certificate program. If these courses are not met, the Coordinator of the Office of Spiritual Directors will design a personal, independent program to complete the requirement. Fulfilling the requirements will be done with little or no cost.
4. Because spiritual growth is an essential component of the training, each student is required to be in ongoing spiritual direction and attend required retreats as part of the curriculum.
5. Online or distant learning, with or without residency requirements, is acceptable.
6. Programs can be from any Catholic spiritual tradition, such as: Ignatian, Benedictine, Dominican, Augustinian, Franciscan, etc., if they meet the above standards.
7. Once a future spiritual director chooses a program, they must present their choice of Catholic institution for study to the Coordinator, Office of Spiritual Directors, for confirmation and written approval. Please contact the Office of Spiritual Directors for approval before enrollment.

Contact Deacon Tom Whalen at [email protected] for more information.
https://charlestondiocese.org/spiritual-directors/approved-centers-for-spiritual-director-training-certificates/  (February 8, 2025)