The Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute offers a nationally-recognized training program in the art and skill of spiritual direction. Participants gather three sessions, each time for an intensive week. Session 3 for Cohort 6 of the Spiritual Direction Institute will focus on dealing with particular populations, such as victims of abuse and LGBTQ+ persons. A session on setting up a spiritual direction practice will be included. Each student will present two case studies of spiritual direction from their practicum in…
We live in a goal-oriented society, a world that expects us to be productive every waking moment. But what if life is not about getting through a series of tasks or to a particular destination? What if the journey itself is where we are meant to find our purpose and God’s promise? When we look at Scripture, we see that it is often on the journey that the great spiritual lessons occur — on a trek up a mountain, pulling…
Faith is a person’s way of seeing him-or herself in relation to others against a background of shared meaning and purpose. ~Fowler, 1981 In spiritual direction, we meet our directees on their own landscape. We ask them, “What does that landscape look like? Where does God fit in? Where do you fit in? What in your life experience has brought you to know God?” In this interactive virtual workshop for Spiritual Directors, we will look at James W. Fowler’s Stages…
The Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute offers a nationally-recognized training program in the art and skill of spiritual direction. Participants gather for three sessions, each time for an intensive week. Session 3 for Cohort 6 of the Spiritual Direction Institute will focus on dealing with particular populations, such as victims of abuse and LGBTQ+ persons. A session on setting up a spiritual direction practice will be included. Each student will present two case studies of spiritual direction from their practicum in…
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ~John 14:15-17 Opening your chakras and allowing cosmic energies to flow through your body will ultimately refresh your spirit and…
An individually directed retreat focuses on the way God is active in the individual’s life, and each retreat follows a uniquely personal path. Retreatants meet with a spiritual director once a day to reflect on God’s presence and movement in their life as revealed in prayer, the events and relationships in their life, and the response to God that is being made. The spiritual director may make suggestions (prayer forms, Scripture, reading materials, etc.) to support and deepen the retreatant’s…
Amy Sorensen Kulesa shared this poem with us, originally from ordinary on purpose. All of these are the perfect reasons to call out to God in prayer. GOD HEARS! More Hope... God hears. God hears our fancy, formal, memorized prayers, fingers slipping over beads. God hears our bitter, angry prayers. Why, God??? How??? What am I supposed to do now, God??? God hears our tiny, whispered pleas. Every single word. Please. Help. Be near. Or even… God???? God hears through our…
This week's blog post is written by Sr. Sara Dwyer, a regular retreat presenter at the Center. She will be leading a week-long retreat in August and this post is a little snapshot of what the week will hold. You can learn more about the retreat and Sr. Sara by clicking HERE. Whispers of Grace I chose “Whispers of Grace” as the title for a weeklong retreat because that’s how I generally experience grace in my life. Grace is the…
In Maryland, March 13 is recognized as Good Samaritan Day. Today, we celebrate those that act as Good Samaritans, serving, caring, and loving those in need. Let's take a moment to remember the story of the Good Samaritan: The Parable of the Good Samaritan On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He…
In December, the Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours welcomed Simone Blanchard as the Director of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC). Simone shares with us a beautiful reflection of finding her place within the legacy of Bon Secours. Please join us in welcoming Simone! The photo included is Simone and her lovely family. Sometimes, we must look back to see the way forward. On November 1, 2024 (All Saints Day) Sister Rose Marie Jasinksi, Congregation Leader…
