Sept. 21, 2016

By Father Jay Seymour
Episcopal vicar for pastoral personnel

One of the needs expressed by many faithful in the Diocese is to have spiritual direction with someone willing to accompany them in their on-going Christian journey.

In particular, this need may have surfaced with those who have been through the Lay Formation for Ministry Program but it has also been expressed by a number of others from our parishes who simply want to grow in the spiritual life and develop a stronger relationship with Christ. 

Spiritual Direction is simply a way of discerning in a confidential setting with someone who has personal experience and knowledge of God and the spiritual life how the Holy Spirit is working in one’s life. Sometimes parishioners are reluctant to approach our priests for spiritual direction thinking that they are too busy.  Our priests are available for spiritual direction but, at the same time, the demand might exceed availability.

In responding to the need for more people who are qualified in this area, Bishop LaValley, in collaboration with a team from the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, initiated a program for the formation of spiritual directors in 2014. 

Pastors were asked to submit names of potential candidates and over the course of the past two years the group has undergone extensive training including retreats, group work, spiritual reading and the supervised practice of direction.

Candidates were also expected to meet with their own spiritual director once a month.

Not all 14 of the original candidates have continued with the program but at least three people have completed all the necessary requirements and have been approved by Bishop LaValley to offer spiritual direction in the diocese.

Those who are now available to offer spiritual guidance are Bob and Mary Farrington from St. Mary’s Parish in Potsdam (see story here) and St. Joseph Sister Maureen Sweeney from St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Church in Massena. 

Several others from our diocese are still in the process of completing the requirements of the program before being approved by the Bishop as spiritual directors. One of their frustrations is a lack of awareness on the part of the faithful about the nature of spiritual direction or even that it is being offered. 

Perhaps for this reason, some spiritual direction candidates are finding it hard coming up with directees willing to work with them even though it would be a relationship beneficial to both. 

All of the baptized are called to follow the Lord but sometimes it is difficult discerning just where the Lord is leading us.  On this common spiritual journey, we all need companions to support and guide us, hopefully pointing us in the right direction.  Not all will have a need for formal spiritual directors, as there are many ways of spiritual accompaniment, but if there is such a need, one should know that this option may be available.