I imagine that there are people who pray with their eyes turned heavenward. They seek God outside themselves. And there are those who bow their head and bury it in their hands. I think that these seek God inside.
~ Etty Hillesum, An Interrupted Life
Open Door SDI-trained directors can be found throughout the Shenandoah Valley, Tidewater, Richmond and Charlottesville areas of Virginia.
Spiritual directors are soul friends. They are not licensed counselors, social workers or therapists; if your needs are medical in nature, we urge you to speak with a practitioner.
If you are interested in finding a spiritual director, please contact us indicating your location and including any information that may be helpful.
Evangelii Guadium & Spiritual Direction
In Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of The Gospel), he encourages all to be involved in spiritual direction. Below is an excerpt (paragraphs 169-173) where Pope Francis writes about the need for everyone to be initiated into the “art of accompaniment.”
Personal accompaniment in processes of growth …In our world, ordained ministers and other pastoral workers can make present the fragrance of Christ’s closeness and his personal gaze. The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5). The pace of this accompaniment must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life.
Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) pdf – full text