Spiritual Director Training

Description:
The Institute of the Transfiguration is a new initiative of the Archdiocese of Dubuque Adult Faith Formation Office dedicated to providing an opportunity for deepening the spiritual lives of Catholics in the Archdiocese, and also training men and women to serve as Spiritual Directors. This Institute will seek to meet a need for more trained Spiritual Directors to be available to offer spiritual direction in the Archdiocese. 

Overview:
The first two-year program will begin in September of 2022. Sessions will take place monthly on Saturdays, with assigned reading and writing to be done in-between. The program will also include multiple retreats. The dates for Year 1 are listed below. Tentatively, the timeframe will be 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM for the Year 1 sessions (timeframe subject to change).

Location:
The monthly, Saturday sessions will take place at Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids.

Cost:
The cost for the program is $800 per person, per year ($1,600 total for both years). This program fee does not include the costs of books, travel, or the Summer 2023 mid-program personal retreat. Payment for each year will be due by the beginning the program year.

Those who are pursuing this training on behalf of their parish, in order to serve their parish through the ministry of Spiritual Direction, may apply for financial assistance from Archdiocesan Grants, and/or may talk with their pastor to see if parish funds may be available to help offset the program costs. To inquire about Archdiocesan grants, please contact Matt Selby.

Participant Qualifications:
This spiritual formation and Spiritual Director training is most especially for priests, deacons and their wives, faith formation leaders, pastoral associates, and alumni of our Lay Formation and IMPACT Programs. To qualify, individuals must have had some previous formal formation in the Catholic faith (for example, seminary formation, diaconate formation, lay formation, IMPACT, a degree in theology, 5 years+ of ministry experience, or other formation that is comparable).

Expectations of those Accepted into the Program:

• A commitment to a daily Personal Prayer Life (a minimum of 20-30 minutes daily of private prayer is the goal).
• A commitment to regular reception of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confession, along with regular attendance at Mass.
• A commitment to participating in all retreats and all monthly sessions (exceptions can be made for some circumstances, like illness, the death of a loved one, or pre-planned travel, in which case you must watch the recordings of the session content).
• A commitment to completing the required reading, reflection papers, practicum activities, and other assigned work.
• A commitment to receiving monthly Spiritual Direction.
• A commitment to paying the full costs for the program ($800 per year, plus costs of books, travel, and the mid-point personal retreat). You may seek to obtain Financial Assistance through your parish, an Archdiocesan grant, or other means.
• A commitment to being open and receptive to the formation provided in the program.

The first cohort will be capped at 20-25 participants. 

Application:
To apply for the 2022-2024 Institute of the Transfiguration cohort, please complete the application found here: www.dbqarch.org/spiritual-director-training-application

Applications are due by May 1, 2022. You will be notified about whether or not you were accepted into this cohort by June 1, 2022.

In addition to completing the application, you must obtain a letter of recommendation from your Pastor (or PLC), the Superior of your Religious Order, your Spiritual Director, or a letter of suitability from the Vicar General (if you are a priest). Please have these letters sent by email to Matt Selby at m.selby@dbqarch.org by May 1, 2022.

Descriptions and Dates for Year 1 Content and Sessions:

Year 1 - To be Transfigured: Knowing the Lord and His Love
The Institute will offer a one-year program in which participants are given an in-depth introduction to the Christian Spiritual Tradition. This program is a prerequisite to participating in Year 2, the Spiritual Director Training Program, Servants of Transfiguring Love: Helping Others to Know the Lord and His Love.

Program Details:

• Eight monthly, Saturday sessions will offer a systematic and in-depth introduction to the Christian Spiritual Tradition. Each session will include pre-reading from assigned texts, presentations by a speaker, discussion, and reflective writing to process the content after the session.
• The program will begin with a weekend-long opening retreat.
• Monthly, Saturday sessions will be held at Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids.
• Each participant is expected to secure for himself/herself a spiritual director that is approved by the Institute and to receive monthly spiritual direction during the program.
• Participants will be expected to go on a silent retreat during the summer after Year 1.

Opening Retreat - September 16-18, 2022:

• "The Transfigured Jesus: An Invitation to His Holiness"
• Location: New Melleray Abbey, Peosta
• The opening retreat will be a preached retreat reflecting on the central Scripture passage of inspiration for the Institute of the Transfiguration. The weekend retreat begins on Friday evening and ends on Sunday afternoon. 

Session One - October 15, 2022:

• Topic: "Christian Spirituality: The Sources and Contours of Living the Life of Discipleship"
• Description: This introductory session will ground the participants in the sources of Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Church. The main question addressed in this session will be: What is Christian Spirituality, and is there one Christian Spirituality or many Christian Spiritualities in the life of the Church? The role of Scripture, Sacraments, and Devotion will be explored. This foundational session will ground the rest of what will be explored in the year-long program.

Session Two - November 19, 2022:

• Topic: "Biblical Spirituality: What does the Bible say about Christian Spirituality?"
• Description: This session will delve into what the Bible teaches about the way of prayer and spirituality. We will explore and ponder how the great people of the Bible prayed, we will delve into the Spirituality of the Psalms, and lastly we will look at the distinctive way of Prayer that Jesus taught in the Our Father. Without the grounding of Scripture, the rest of Christian Spirituality will not make sense. We will also look at the celebrated way of prayer with Scripture, Lectio Divina, and the roots and beginnings of this holy practice with the Word of God.

Session Three - December 17, 2022:

• Topic: "Christian Spirituality and Christian Moral Life"
• This session will explore the intimate connection between Christian Spirituality and the Moral Life. We will look at the role of grace and virtue in the spiritual life. We will also look at the role of sin and woundedness in the spiritual life. We will explore how growth in grace is directly connected to growth in the moral life. 

• Topic: "Christian Spirituality Through the Ages I: Martyrdom and Monasticism"
• Description: This session will address the age of Martyrs and how the spirituality of Martyrdom has deeply influenced Christian Spirituality through the Ages. We will look at some of the great martyrs of the early Church and the spirituality that emerges from their lives. The second part of the session will look at the beginning movements of monasticism as it is expressed by the Desert Fathers and Mothers which began in the life of St. Anthony of the Desert. In this session we will see how the beginnings of monasticism emerge directly from a desire for martyrdom, and how the spirituality of martyrdom is foundational to understanding Christian Spirituality. This session will also explore the far-reaching influence of St. Benedict and the Western Monasticism that he inspired in the life of the Church. We will investigate what St. Benedict taught in his rule and how succeeding generations have interpreted it. We will also apply some Benedictine Treasures into our own walk with the Lord.  

Session Five - February 18, 2023:

• Topic: "Christian Spirituality Through the Ages II: The Mendicant Movement: Franciscans and Dominicans"
• Description: This session will explore the mendicant movement founded by St. Francis and St. Dominic. We will explore both saints’ lives and how the orders they founded renewed the Church in gospel simplicity and also eagerness to share the Gospel of Christ with others. We will explore the enduring influence of St. Francis and St. Dominic. St. Catherine of Siena will make an appearance as well. We will glean from their orders aspects of Christian Spirituality that can help us, with an emphasis on poverty.

Session Six - March 18, 2023:

• Topic: Christian Spirituality Through the Ages III: The Spanish Mystics: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. John of Avila
• Description: This session will explore the renewal movement in the Carmelite order that was begun by St. Teresa of Avila who partnered with St. John of the Cross. We will look at the key themes and understanding of prayer in the teaching of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. We will look at the Interior Castle and the Poetry of St. John to see how Teresa and John through their experience deepened and solidified our understanding of following the way of holiness and deeper love for Christ. Specifically, we will look at the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways in the spiritual life and how that path is essential in understanding St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. At the same time, we will introduce the figure of St. John of Avila, the most recent doctor of the Church.

Session Seven - April 15, 2023:

• Topic: "Christian Spirituality through the Ages IV: Contemplatives in Action: St. Ignatius of Loyola and Way of Discernment"
• Description: This session will explore the great contribution to Christian Spirituality made by St. Ignatius of Loyola and his Spiritual Exercises. We will delve into his life, his mission, and the order he founded. We will also have introductions to the Spiritual Exercises, Rules of Discernment, and the lasting effect of Ignatius on Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Church. 

Session Eight - May 20, 2023: 

• Topic: "Christian Spirituality through the Ages V: The French School of Spirituality: St. Francis de Sales, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Jane de Chantal, St. Louise de Marillac, and St. Therese of Lisieux"
• Description: This session will explore the great contribution to Christian Spirituality made by St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of Lisieux, who are both Doctors of the Church, and will explore the impact of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Jane de Chantel, and St. Louise de Marillac. We will especially focus on St. Francis de Sales’ masterpiece The Introduction to the Devout Life, as an essential text for delving deeper into the spiritual life.

Concluding Retreat - Summer 2023

• Each participant will be expected to go on a silent, directed retreat either in the annotated format or in 3- to 5-day retreat format with daily spiritual direction during the summer after the first year of the program is complete. Participants will be responsible for choosing a location and date, and arranging the details, along with covering any costs. Guidance will be provided by the leadership of the Institute.

Year 2 - To Be A Servant of Transfiguring Love: Helping Others Know the Lord and His Love
After the To Be Transfigured Program, participants who are accepted into Year 2 - To Be a Servant of Transfiguring Love will begin a one-year program of Spiritual Director training. The one-year training program will consist of the following components:

• Eight monthly, Saturday sessions (topics and dates TBD). Each session will include pre-reading from assigned texts, presentations by a speaker, discussion, and reflective writing to process the content after the session.
• Continuation of regular Spiritual Direction received from a trained/certified Spiritual Director during the year.
• Offer Spiritual Direction to at least one person.
• Participation in a concluding retreat.
• Practicing prayer processing exercises.

The end result of the Spiritual Director Training Program will be a certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Archdiocese of Dubuque and Mt. Mercy University, and being listed on the Archdiocesan Spiritual Directors list.