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Spiritual Direction Training Programme 2022-2024

“A spiritual director who intimately knows and loves Christ can help the directee to achieve that same love and intimacy”
Pope Benedict XVI

Introduction

The Spiritual Direction Training Programme (Carmelite Tradition) – which has been running since September 2019 – builds on an interpretation of the experience of journeying towards intimacy with God as expressed in the life of the Carmelite saints and deriving principles from this for the growth and flourishing of the spiritual life. The programme, therefore, has its foundation in the spirituality of the Carmelite tradition. At the heart of this spirituality is a prayerful listening and response to the God who befriends us and an expression of this experience through a life of contemplative awareness and friendship with one another.

The Programme is centred on journeying with others who seek to deepen and grow in their personal relationship with God. There are no set rules for this, and no single pathway, but a willingness to deepen one’s contemplative awareness and to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit who is ever calling us and working towards the greater fulfilment and wholeness of each person.

One does not need to be a Carmelite or even know much of Carmelite spirituality to be part of the Programme. All that is necessary is to have a heartfelt desire to draw from the rich tradition of Carmelite spirituality in deepening one’s own bond with God and to walk with others as they journey through life.

Our Team

Alexander Ezechukwu, OCD
Fr. Alex is a Carmelite priest and serves as the prior of the Carmelite community at Boars Hill, Oxford. Fr Alex is a trained spiritual director with many years of pastoral experience in guidance in the spiritual life. He holds a Licence in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. Fr Alex also serves as the co-director of CACS.

Candida Kirkpatrick, OCDS
Candida is the North American Coordinator for CACS.
Candida is blessed to be a wife and a mother of two wonderful adult children living in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been a vowed member of the OCDS Community of St. Joseph in Phoenix for almost 20 years, and works as a spiritual director, retreat master, speaker and blogger of Carmel in the Desert for those seeking closer union with Christ in the Carmelite spiritual tradition.

Liam Finnerty, OCD
Fr. Liam is a Carmelite priest and serves as the prior of the Carmelite community in Avila, Dublin. Fr Liam has been involved in the retreat ministry and spiritual direction for many years. He holds degrees in social work and theology. Fr. Liam is the co-director of the spiritual direction training programme for CACS.

For any inquiries from the US please contact Candida:
candida.cacs@gmail.com
+1 (602) 481-6028


Vision

To form spiritual directors within the Carmelite lived tradition. The model is distinctive as its emphasis is not only on having Carmelite spirituality as its foundation but in its aim to prepare candidates to undertake spiritual direction both on a one-to-one or group basis but as importantly, to be a guiding and prayerful presence in the world. They achieve this through being witnesses of the spirit of Carmel as a presence in the world in their everyday lived experience. The course may also enhance the ability in spiritual Direction of those candidates that apply who currently hold accredited qualifications or experience in other traditions of Spiritual direction or formation.


Aims of the Course

  • To form Carmelite spiritual directors in a two-year course
  • To use diverse learning methods including distance learning and internet technology for the delivery of the course
  • To encourage an experience of living and praying in a Carmelite community
  • To encourage self-awareness and the flourishing of the spiritual life through deepening one’s intimacy with God
  • To empower candidates in developing the skills needed in spiritual direction and the ability to walk with others as they journey through life
  • To broaden an understanding of the wider context of biblical spirituality and theology, the history and practice of Christian spiritual direction
  • To encourage best practice and self-care in spiritual direction through an understanding of proper ethical guidelines, the importance of reflective practice and supervision.


Learning Outcomes

  • All graduates of the course will have the confidence, knowledge and skills to act as spiritual directors within the lived Carmelite tradition.
  • An understanding that to act as a Carmelite spiritual director means that how you live and influence people by your presence in your everyday life is as important as the formal contracting to undertake spiritual direction with an individual or a group.
  • An understanding of the history, nature, purpose and fundamental principles of the Art of Spiritual Direction
  • An understanding of how Spiritual Direction is distinctive from Counselling, mentoring and coaching and what elements they share.
  • A deep understanding of the Call to Carmel as a call to a spiritual home and to a life dedicated to allowing God’s gift of prayer to enrich candidates, the wider Church and the world at large.
  • A deepening contemplative awareness – closing the gap between their intellectual understanding and their lived experience of – being, seeing, listening and perceiving reality in an integrated and holistic fashion
  • An understanding of prayer within the Teresian sense of intimacy with God
  • The ability to help people to grow in their prayer and spiritual life
  • Deep knowledge of the history of Carmelite spirituality, its biblical roots and where it sits within the history of Christian spirituality and in particular contemplative Christian spirituality.
  • Experience of at-homeness with a living Carmelite community
  • Gaining a deep knowledge of the life, writing and teachings of Saints Simon Stock, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Brother Lawrence, Edith Stein and Francisco Palau. The candidates will have appropriated the disciplines they illuminate so compellingly: silence, solitude, community, contemplation, presence, prayer, listening, discernment, hospitality and integration.
  • A deeper self-awareness through working with a Carmelite spiritual director, peer supervision and intellectual, spiritual and emotional growth gained in the course.
  • Knowledge of how the history and selected practices within Western psychology can inform and support a candidate’s work in a spiritual direction.
  • The creation of a personal enhanced Carmelite Spiritual Direction model that integrates the professional skills candidates may bring into their practice of the Carmelite Spiritual Direction model. For example existing coaching, counselling or skills in lay, priestly or religious ministry in the Church or secular life can be integrated into the model.
  • A deepening of their understanding of Catholic worldview informed by scripture, the living tradition of the Church, the living magisterium, the lived experience of members of the Church who may live peaceably with the Church’s teaching and those who struggle with it.
  • Experienced mentoring and spiritual guidance being modelled both individually and in group leadership by experienced spiritual directors
  • An understanding of biblical Christian Anthropology and our core identity as Beloved of God, informed by insights from Carmelite saints
  • A portfolio of spiritual resources to use in one-to-one or group spiritual direction, e.g. journaling, images, symbols, etc.
  • An understanding of the use of Triads and one to one supervision to develop and reflect upon the effectiveness of their spiritual development practice

Key Features

The following are the key features of our unique programme. They are the ten features that make the Spiritual Direction Training Programme (CT) distinct.

  • Hybrid Model. The unique combination of residential and online learning makes it possible for people with various jobs and other commitments to have access to the programme without needing to give up these other commitments.
  • Focused in Structure and Approach. The six-course modules taught over a two-year period by seasoned experts explore in-depth the essential topics in spiritual direction. They are delivered with sustained momentum which facilitates continuous learning while allowing dedicated time for exploring and experiencing the key features in the contemplative practice of spiritual direction.
  • Contemplative in Focus. Contemplative prayer – with prayer understood in the Teresian sense as an intimate conversation with a friend – is Carmel’s essential contribution to the Church. The programme is intent on introducing participants to, and immersing them in, formats of learning and the practice of spiritual direction that will encourage them to grow in intimacy with God and in their own capacity for contemplative awareness, which is a way of being, living, seeing, listening and perceiving reality in an integrated and holistic fashion.
  • Authentically Catholic. Our Programme is based on a Catholic worldview with an emphasis on biblical principles. It strives to continue the work of the Spirit in the Church as articulated by Benedict XVI: “As she has always done, today the Church continues to recommend the practice of spiritual direction not only to those who desire to follow the Lord closely but to every Christian who wishes to live responsibly his or her Baptism, that is, new life in Christ. Everyone, in fact, especially those who have heeded the divine call to follow Christ closely, needs to be accompanied personally by a guide reliable in doctrine and expert in the things of God; this guide can help people to watch out for facile forms of subjectivism, making available their own knowledge and experience lived in the following of Jesus.” (Address of Pope Benedict XVI to the Carmelite Pontifical Theological Faculty, “Teresianum”, Rome, 19 May 2011)
  • Ecumenical in Outreach. The prayer of Christ, that all his followers may be one, and our common baptism impel us towards greater unity and thus Christians of all faith traditions are welcome on the Programme and our selection process deliberately encourages this diversity. We recognize that, as the Spirit is at work in all Christian traditions, our Programme provides a forum where the mutual enrichment of Christians from diverse faith traditions, ministerial experiences, as well as educational and cultural backgrounds, can be made possible.
  • Influenced by the Venerable Carmelite Tradition. Our Programme is founded on a tradition with an 800-year history from which has emerged a host of great saints and writers who have enriched the Church and guided countless pilgrims along the road of prayer and in their spiritual search including Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, Elizabeth of the Trinity and Edith Stein. Our curriculum incorporates the key contributions of Carmelite saints and mystics with regard to Christian spirituality and spiritual direction and encourages practical appropriation of the disciplines they illuminate so compellingly in their writings: solitude, silence, community, contemplation, presence, prayer, listening, discernment, hospitality and integration.
  • Led by Seasoned Practitioners. All who contribute to our programme – speakers, mentors and facilitators – are experts in their fields with many years of experience in the practice of spiritual direction.
  • Communal in Emphasis. Through our Carmelite Community of Spiritual Directors (CCSD) Covenant everyone involved in the programme – candidates, mentors, facilitators – are invited to identify themselves as a pilgrim and learning community whose integrity is founded in keeping their covenant commitments to one another. Dynamics of group spiritual companionship and direction are employed throughout the entire duration of the course.
  • Mentor-Guided. Throughout the Programme, personal and interpersonal care remain in view. The mentor’s role is to support and assist course participants, both one-on-one and in a small group. Mentors help to facilitate participants’ engagement with the learning process, integration of the insights from shared guidance and discernment of the journey towards ownership of the gift of spiritual direction.
  • Experiential and Practical Learning. Each course module facilitates experiential and practical learning by providing opportunities for growth and integration gained from personal reflection and communal activities.

Course Content

The Training Programme consists of three main modules:

  1. THEOLOGY & ART OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION
  2. CARMELITE SPIRITUALITY & PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL THEMES
  3. RESOURCING SPIRITUAL DIRECTION AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

There are four five-day intensives in residence at the Carmelite Priory, Oxford (or El Carmelo Retreat Center, Redlands, California for North American participants) for the two-year Spiritual Direction Training Programme (two intensives per year). The remainder are 12 online sessions (6 per year). The online programme is delivered in the form of real-time video conferencing and a phased release of reading materials and videos with tutorial support made available through the CACS learning platform.

The intensives begin on a Wednesday and finishes on the following Monday morning after Traveller’s Eucharist and Breakfast.

The Certificate and Diploma in Spiritual Direction (Carmelite Tradition) will be awarded at the successful completion of the training programme by the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality. CACS is an Associate Centre of the Pontifical Institute of Spirituality (Teresianum), Rome. The Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction will be awarded by St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London at the completion of the training programmes.  St Mary is a widely recognised Catholic institution of academic excellence and International leader for training for ministry.

ONLINE FROM SEPT 2022 (2022-2024)

                                                TERM 1:  SEPTEMBER 2022– DECEMBER 2023
SEPTEMBERINTENSIVE – RESIDENTIALWEDNESDAY 7TH – MONDAY 12TH (UK)
WEDNESDAY 28TH – MONDAY 3RD (US)
OCTOBERONLINESATURDAY 22ND
NOVEMBERONLINESATURDAY 19TH
DECEMBERONLINEFRIDAY 16TH
JANUARYBREAK 
FEBRUARYBREAK 
                                           TERM 2:  MARCH 2023 – JUNE 2023
MARCHINTENSIVE – RESIDENTIALWEDNESDAY 8TH  – MONDAY 13TH (UK)
WEDNESDAY 22ND  – MONDAY 27TH (US)
APRILONLINESATURDAY 22ND
MAYONLINESATURDAY 20TH
JUNEONLINESATURDAY 17TH
JULYBREAK 
AUGUSTBREAK 
                                                 TERM 3:  SEPTEMBER 2023 – DECEMBER 2023
SEPTEMBERINTENSIVE – RESIDENTIALWEDNESDAY 6TH  – MONDAY 11TH (UK)
WEDNESDAY 20TH – MONDAY 25TH (US)
OCTOBERONLINESATURDAY 26TH
NOVEMBERONLINESATURDAY 25TH
DECEMBERONLINESATURDAY 16TH
JANUARYBREAK 
FEBRUARYBREAK 
                                                 TERM 4:   MARCH 2024 – JUNE 2024
MARCHINTENSIVE – RESIDENTIALWEDNESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY – MONDAY 4TH MARCH(UK)
WEDNESDAY 13th – MONDAY 18th (US)
APRILONLINESATURDAY 27TH
MAYONLINESATURDAY 25TH
JUNEONLINESATURDAY 21ST
 GRADUATION DAYWEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15TH 2025
   

Five of us from the Lectio Divina Group in Ireland joined the Spiritual Direction Training course which began in Sept. 20. We have been blessed as a Core Group and given a definite direction to follow together. This course has empowered us in our different leadership roles and has reflected on the larger group. The following is a summary of our thoughts.

Mary O Dwyer. The SDTC has been a journey of discovery and I have learned to engage with and look for a deeper meaning in life and in my own situation realising what is within my own grasp. The learning is informed by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.

Fr Alex and his dedicated team lead this Programme. While the course is welcoming, gentle and inclusive it is also rich in Spirituality, nurturing a deeper relationship with God through prayer and with neighbour. Like the first question in St Johns Gospel it offers an invitation to “come and see”. I am grateful I did.

Mary Ryan – This course has reawakened a spirit of prayer and trust for me. I am learning from Teresa to be aware that Jesus lives within me and in each person. I view life in a more meaningful way. God’s creation is so precious. I value God’s creatures’ I have become more aware of butterflies and wild flowers and the beauty of the world. This course has helped me to contemplate on the mystery of God’s love and worldly things have less meaning

Mary Harrington The course has been a wonderful boost for me as I progress on my Spiritual Journey. The Carmelite Ethos and this Programme is one of friendship, of acceptance and of positive affirmation. How wonderful it is to be surrounded by Spiritual friends if only on Zoom so far. My eyes and ears have been opened in a loving and gentle way to the lives of the saints of Carmel, their wisdom and their love of God and neighbour. The Carmelites in Boars Hill are continuing this legacy as they shine a light before us all.

Josephine Kearney The course has been enriching at a personal and spiritual level. I have already been saying less and listening more. I am beginning to see the fruits of this Holy Listening in my life. I have learned that my life can be gradually transformed through intimacy with God in prayer.

Theresa Hegarty I have found this course to be a light shining in darkness. It maps out a way for the journey by the stages St. Theresa outlines for me. Through getting to know St. Theresa I have a guide and a friend. The group that I am with have become a spiritual, loving, supportive family. I thank God for His providence and for leading me to do this course.

Cost

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION FORMATION PROGRAMME

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA, POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE, COURSE DIPLOMA & COURSE CERTIFICATE AWARDS

The suggested costs to enable us to offer this programme are outlined below:

 ProgrammeYear 1Year 2
   Auditing  £1,500 / $2,100  £1,500 / $2,100
   Certificate in Spiritual Direction  £1,850 / $2,500 
   Diploma in Spiritual Direction  £1,850 / $2,500  £1,850 / $2,500
   Postgraduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction  £2,150 / $2,500 
   Postgraduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction  £2,150 / $2,500  £2,150 / $2,500

Additional costs: books, accommodation during the Intensives are not included in the above fees.

The closing date for September 2023 intake is 30th June 2023. For further information please contact admissions@carmelite.org.uk

Our quoted prices are for tuition and refreshments during course days.

Accommodation

For those who wish to stay at the Carmelite Priory during the Intensives, email for updated information to admin@carmelite.org.uk.  (when accommodation is fully open – contact details – (+44) 7849596572 to find out about availability and rates and to book your accommodation).

Those wishing to stay at the El Carmelo, Redlands, California, for the intensives, please email the event coordinator, Nellie Lara at elcarmelorh@gmail.com or call (+1) 909-792-1047.

For any inquiries from the US please contact Candida: candida.cacs@gmail.com +1 (602) 481-6028

Application and Next Steps

To start the application process, please press the button below.

Registration is now closed, for further inquiry, contact admin@carmelite.org.uk

Instalment payments

To pay by cheque, please make cheques payable to:
Carmelite Priory and send to Carmelite Priory, Chilswell House, Boars Hill, Oxford, UK OX1 5HB

Bank Transfer:
Account Name: Carmelite Priory
Sort Code: 20-65-18
Account number: 80251216
SWIFTBIC: BUKBGB22
IBAN: GB94 BUKB 2065 1880 2512 16