Palmerston North
Nicola McCarthy
31 March 2012
We are one of two groups of trainees in the Palmerston North diocese and this retreat was part of our three-year formation programme similar to that offered at Creighton Jesuit University in Omaha, Nebraska.
Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola the retreat was directed by Rex Begley (Palmerston North), Pa Steve Hancy (Whanganui) and Sr Cynthia Kearney (Gisborne).
The Spiritual Exercises have dramatically influenced the lives of countless people since the 16th century and members of our group were no less ‘blown away’ spiritually by our experiences in the tranquil environment of Magnificat.
As spiritual directors in training we have come to appreciate the enormous value of spiritual direction in our own lives. Our formation aims to develop the skills we need to walk alongside and help those building their own relationship with God. This usually happens on a one-to-one level in the context of daily life or during a retreat. At the end of our second year of formation we hope to be ready to offer spiritual direction ourselves under supervision.