Called To Be A Spiritual Director

The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might speak
a word that will rouse them.
~ Isaiah 50:4

If you are called to guide others on their spiritual journeys, as well as wanting to nurture and deepen your own relationship with God, we invite you to explore Dominican Center’s three-year education and formation program to become a spiritual director. The Spiritual Director Formation process at Dominican Center is designed to attune your ear and deepen your contemplative practices for tending your own inner journey and championing spiritually with others. The Spiritual Director Formation focuses on prayer, study, companioning with others, and practice. You will be paired with a mentor who is a seasoned Spiritual Director who will journey alongside you; be part of a spiritual formation community who are participating in this shared study experience; and build and collect resources that reflect the works of holy people who have gone before you.

 

Spiritual direction training and certification was a three-year commitment rich in learning, relationships, and deep transformative growth. The experienced instructors were encouraging and a well-spring of knowledge and wisdom. I highly recommend the journey both for personal and communal growth in Christ.
~ Richard Bates, Spiritual Director

Explore Becoming a Spiritual Director

Spiritual Directors guide others by listening to a person’s life story with an ear for the movement of the Holy Spirit and offering prayerful response. An important component of listening is discernment of patterns and relationships that lead toward God or away from God. A Spiritual Director is a co-listener, or co-discerner, who sits before the Word as it stirs in the heart of the person seeking direction.

Spiritual Director Practicum (Online)

Spiritual direction is like panning for gold. A directee comes, and together we dip into the stream of their life … hoping to find a fleck or a nugget of pure gold.
~ Janet Ruffing, RSM

 

Spiritual direction is the art of contemplative listening carried out in a one-to-one trusting relationship or within a group of your peers. It is when one guide journeys with another person or group, listening to life stories with an ear for the movement of the Holy Spirit and offering prayerful response.

Spiritual Director Practicum Admission Process

  • Successful completion of the Foundations in Spirituality course
  • The completed application and required personal recommendations will be reviewed by Dominican Center's spiritual formation team
  • An interview with the spiritual formation team to discern readiness to participate in the Spiritual Director Practicum
  • An acceptance offer to the applicant

Spiritual Director Practicum Expectations

  • Dedicated to a two-year formation course of study and practice
  • Three modules each year that are framed around spiritual direction, Christian discernment, and adult development
  • Active participation within a cohort made up of others participating in the course of study
  • Complete required readings and a written integration paper for each module
  • Practice spiritual direction with directees - practicum participants are recommended to offer spiritual direction to 6 to 8 directees each year
  • Participate in individual sessions with a paired mentor who is a seasoned Spiritual Director for a total of nine meetings each year
  • Continued development of a life of prayer and contemplation, and on-going review of a personal rule of life
  • Extensive study of the Spiritual Exercises and Guidelines for Discernment of St. Ignatius of Loyola
  • Attendance at annual four- or six-day directed retreat

Dates and Times – Spiritual Director Practicum Year I

Please check back soon for dates for 2021-2022.

Dates and Times – Spiritual Director Practicum Year II

Please check back soon for dates for 2021-2022.

Spiritual Director Practicum Tuition

  • Tuition is $2,000 for each year.
  • Application fee of $25 is required
  • Tuition includes instruction and facilitation by the Dominican Center Formation Team, individual mentoring sessions with a seasoned Spiritual Director, and materials provided before each session
  • Fees do not cover cost of required textbooks

Practicum Overview, Applications, and Recommendation Forms

Please download, review, and complete and return the following documents:

Location

Until it is possible to gather in person, the Spiritual Director Practicum will meet via Zoom. Help is available for those new to this technology. You will receive details regarding Zoom prior to our first meeting in September.

Credit Hours

Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan gives credit hours to participants completing the Spiritual Director Program at Dominican Center at Marywood. The Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana, also accepts credits from Dominican Center’s Spiritual Director Program.

Questions and Information

If you have questions or need more information on how to become a Spiritual Director, please contact:
programs@dominicancenter.com
616.514.3108

Foundations in Spirituality
Spiritual Director Practicum
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Practices
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