Spiritual Direction

Sarah Donnelly has been receiving and participating in spiritual direction since 1990, and began to offer this listening ministry in 2002. Spiritual direction has also been called spiritual companioning.

Thomas Merton wrote: “Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director - the Holy Spirit - hidden in the depths of our soul.”

The following is a summary of Sarah’s reflection on the ministry of spiritual direction, and how she is able to offer this ministry today:

“I was born and raised in southern Ontario, receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo and my Masters of Divinity from St. Peter's Seminary (University of Western Ontario). I was the Director of the Family Resource Centre, Catholic Diocese of Calgary from 1994-2001, working in the areas of marriage preparation, support and enrichment, separated/divorced support, other healing and educational ministries, and offering workshops and retreats. I also started my own business during that time which allowed me to work within broader ecumenical circles.

A serious car accident in 2001 involved the death of my fiancé, and the ending of both my parent's marriage and my employment with the Diocese of Calgary. It was an extremely difficult and sad time in my life. But my road to recovery led me to meet and Scott Pittendrigh, Rector of St. John's Anglican Church in Cobble Hill. After moving to Vancouver Island I continued to work in areas that I love: offering retreats, workshops, grief support groups, spiritual direction, and funerals to the ecumenical Christian community on Vancouver Island, throughout western Canada and beyond. I was baptized in the Anglican tradition, raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, and rejoined the Anglican Church of Canada in 2008. Scott and I live in Cowichan Bay, BC.

I began to receive spiritual direction in 1990 when I started my Master's of Divinity and have enjoyed journeying with a spiritual director - usually meeting on a monthly basis - ever since. I have found the constant support, both in terms of prayerful encouragement and advise to be invaluable - it is one of the greatest gifts I continue to give myself. A spiritual director is someone who can offer a more objective perspective, and can remind us of truths that we often forget in the midst of busyness or a bout of discouragement. Because this relationship is not "therapy" it can be ongoing, often lasting several years.

I first began to offer spiritual direction in 2002 following my car accident. Since then I have had the privilege of accompanying many people on their own journey. While I did receive some training in this ministry during my studies at St. Peter's Seminary, the listening skills I offer have emerged through the lived experience of participating in this ministry both as "directee" and "director," personal reading and study, and belonging for several years to a monthly support group for spiritual directors to provide peer supervision. I am currently enrolled in the “Spiritual Direction in the Jungian Mystical Christian Tradition” Training Program offered by The Haden Institute, held at Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls. This is a two year program of distance learning with four one-week residencies, beginning in October 2010. I graduate from this program in May 2012.

While I am available to anyone who would like to explore whether I would be a suitable spiritual director for them, I am particularly interested in working with people who have a desire to reflect upon the loss they have experienced in their life, whether that be a physical death, loss of good health, a loss of faith, hope or direction. As my experience is grounded in Christian spirituality from a "progressive" point of view I am most comfortable working with people coming from a Roman Catholic, Anglican or mainline Protestant background, whether they are currently attending a church or are on a ‘sabbatical’ from organized religion.”

Sarah’s current rate is $50-60 per session in Victoria and $40-60 per session at her home office in Cowichan Bay.