Spiritual Direction Program for Priests

Join Dr. Anthony Lilles, Dr. Joseph Hollcraft, and Dan Burke at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in Florida. 

Registration Includes:

• Retreat and Program
• Materials
• Lodging/Hotels
• Meals as per itinerary

Price:

$1900 

A SACRED CALLING

The work of the priest-spiritual director is an essential part of the Avila Institute vision for the High Calling Program. The many dedicated priests recruited and trained for this special ministry are made available by their bishops to accompany men in their discernment of a priestly vocation. The spiritual direction training program in the Avila Institute brings High Calling participants and priests together for this sacred purpose

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM?

Under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the mission of the Avila Institute is to draw Christians worldwide into deeper union with Christ through mystagogically-oriented spiritual education and formation. As a part of the Avila Institute, the High Calling Program helps to form men who are drawn to consider a vocation as a Catholic priest, either in a religious community or a diocese. All the Avila instructors interact weekly with their students through written reflections exchanged in order to assist in the dual process of understanding and assimilating a priestly vocation.

The discernment of a calling to the priesthood ought to be supported by spiritual direction in every High Calling participant. For this reason, the Avila Institute has launched a new program for the training of priest-spiritual directors who will accompany each High Calling learner over the course of his academic experience. These specially chosen and highly trained priests offer their directees the chance to discuss openly and freely the challenges of their discernment process.

A VOICE OF CLARITY

At his ordination, the Catholic priest is charged with the duty of “imitating what he celebrates” or modeling his life on that of Christ, the Sacrament of the Father. As a result, the priest daily strives to draw closer to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for all. From this well spring of his ordained life, the priest-director assists a High Calling discerner to understand priestly life and to keep a key question in focus: What is God’s will for me relative to a priestly vocation? The priest-director is charged with guiding the discernment process of each candidate towards a clear answer about whether he should apply to a seminary or religious order in answer to God’s call.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify as a spiritual director candidate, a priest must be ordained with no less than three years in pastoral service. He should be known for his depth and fidelity of understanding, not only of Catholic belief, but of its effective application in the lives of those he shepherds.

THE PROGRAM

Priest-director candidates are then enrolled in a seven module program of the Avila Institute that trains them in the basics of spiritual direction and its application to vocational discernment. Each module is composed of four 90-minute sessions; the entire program is scheduled over a 28-week period.

Have Questions? Contact: 

Lindsey Jedlovec at ljelovec@myavila.com

Thank you to our generous sponsors, an anonymous benefactor and the Initiative for Priestly Renewal, for subsidizing the costs for priests and seminarians to attend.