Spiritual Directors

The Archdiocese of Dubuque has committed to maintaining a list of trained spiritual directors who have met the following qualifications:

• Completion of a Spiritual Director training program resulting in certification. Qualifying programs must be Catholic and aligned with Catholic Church teachings.
• Be in good standing with the Catholic Church.
• Provide evidence of a strong spiritual life (e.g. a daily personal prayer life, a commitment to regular reception of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, and actively practicing the faith, etc.).
• Endorsement by their parish pastor through a Letter of Recommendation.
• Show evidence of skills essential to the ministry of Spiritual Direction (e.g. good listening skills, good interpersonal skills, hospitable, pastoral, etc.).

Those who have provided evidence they meet the above qualifications upon consideration by an Archdiocesan committee have been included on the list below. That said, as the Spiritual Directors operate independently, the Archdiocese of Dubuque does not endorse any spiritual director's work nor are we responsible for the quality of any direction. Also, directees are responsible for paying the cost of a session of spiritual direction (each director determines what, if anything, they will charge). 

Ask questions of a spiritual director before securing him or her for direction. Also, it is very common for a person to change directors after an initial meeting or after an extended time. Though a director/directee relationship may last for years, even decades, neither the director nor directee need feel embarrassed or offended when one or the other believes a different director may better serve the spiritual needs of the directee.

Spiritual direction is for each person who has a hunger for holiness and a desire for a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. A spiritual director is a man or woman, ordained or lay, who is trained and holds a certificate or degree in spiritual direction. A spiritual mentor, on the other hand, may have no professional training, but is someone you believe to be holy, spiritually wise, listens with an open and compassionate heart, non-judgmental, comfortable with silence, and skilled in asking pertinent questions.

*The spiritual directors listed here are not employees of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The services provided by them function independently of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and are the responsibility of the spiritual director. The Archdiocese of the Dubuque is neither responsible nor liable for any advice, teaching, or other services offered by these individuals. Compensation rates are determined by each spiritual director at their discretion.