Welcome to the spiritual directors who completed our Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College Foundations in Spirituality formation program. Pictured (L to R): Sr. Diane Zerfas, Mary Marks, Andy Rebollar, Kathy Hasty, Al Juarez, Andréa Vugteveen, Phillip Johnson, Barb Edgerle, Debra Paxton-Buursma, Jillayne Warners, and Kim Franke. (Not Pictured: Kyle Garberson)
The 2022 Circle of Participants began their Foundations in Spirituality face to face at the original Dominican Center at 2025 East Fulton. When COVID invaded the landscape we transferred to Zoom world and just kept moving forward.
Ten participants journeyed into the Practicum discerning a call to become a spiritual director. The Spirit surprised all of us with the power of Her presence, the strength of community and the flexibility of our program to form new directors in zoom boxes.
On Saturday, May 21, 2022, the spiritual director community welcomed this new group into our midst face to face at our new DCM at Aquinas College location. We blessed each other, walked an Emmaus prayer journey two by two and celebrated the joy of this ministry together. Alleluia!
Offering the “Dominican blessing” has become a tradition of this annual celebration and Saturday’s gathering was special indeed. The room was filled with active and seasoned directors invested in helping to mentor and guide the new participants along their journey. Two participants shared insights in ways they were “graced with community” support, and how they felt “ambushed by God '' throughout the intensive formation journey.
“To Sr. Diane and Andy, and to our mentors and spiritual directors, thank you for all the wisdom and love and care you poured into us. You shaped us more than we can say, and we will forever bear your imprint on our hearts and in our practice of spiritual direction,” said new Spiritual Director Kathy Hasty.
In welcoming these spiritual directors into our wider community, we feel the entrustment is indeed awesome as we continue to tend the holy in ways that are unique and spirit lead. This class of participants appreciated the rich experiential learning that helped to form and transform them while experiencing the blended program. Hasty eloquently shared, “our hearts were shaped and stretched, moved and transformed, and all was a gift’.
Indeed this ministry will be enhanced by the wonder and awe of the precious gifts each director brings to the sacred call of our ministry and we are graciously reminded that to be companioned by the spirit, is indeed “awesome”!