Center for Catholic Spirituality

Certifications in Spiritual Direction &
Spiritual Companionship

More and more of the Christian faithful in Eastern Oklahoma are seeking advancement in the spiritual life. To address this need, the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma provides training in two distinct areas: the Spiritual Direction Certificate and the Spiritual Companion Certificate. Both certifications, in distinct ways, aim to train qualified persons in the art of directing and accompanying souls to the attainment of Christian perfection—in accordance with their particular state of life and in conformity with the intellectual and spiritual tradition of the Catholic Church.

The Center for Catholic Spirituality takes as its patroness and protector the Blessed Mother, under the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

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Instructors & Mentors

Rev. Elkin González, S.T.D.

Prof. Richard Meloche, Ph.D.

Prof. Aaron Henderson, Ph.D.

Rev. Alessandro Calderoni, S.T.L.

Rev. Sean Donovan, S.T.L.

Very Rev. Jack Gleason, S.T.L.

Rev. Joshua Litwack

Very Rev. John O’Neill

Rev. Richard Cristler

Rev. James Caldwell

Ms. Betsy McNeil

General Information

Program Overview

The Spiritual Direction Certification is open to clerics and qualified laypersons who are discerning the call to be spiritual directors. Participants will explore that call, engage in personal spiritual growth, and enhance the knowledge and skills needed for this ministry. A spiritual director performs a sacred ministry of the Church, in which he provides guidance to individuals who are striving after perfection. To do so, the spiritual director must be well educated and practiced in the sciences of asceticism and mysticism, and have a firm understanding of the demands and duties of various states of life.

The Spiritual Companion Certification is directed towards clergy and lay people who desire to become intentional missionary disciples by encouraging others to a deeper life of prayer and commitment to the Church’s mission. A spiritual companion is not a spiritual director but rather accompanies people in a fraternal manner in their spiritual walk, offering encouragement and accountability.

Prerequisites

Enrollment in the Spiritual Direction Certification requires the applicant hold:

(a) a BA in Theology or Spirituality or some other related discipline from an accredited Catholic university/college or

(b) another type of approved theological formation, e.g., diocesan diaconate program, secular institute formation, religious tertiary training, etc.

The sufficiency of any prerequisite education is determined by the Admission Committee. Candidates should be thirty (30) years of age or older, be in good standing with the Catholic Church, and be willing to adhere to canonical and diocesan norms, especially regarding Child and Youth Protection. Candidates must undergo at least one (1) year (i.e., twelve consecutive months) of spiritual direction before entering the program.

Enrollment in the Spiritual Companion Certification requires no formal academic formation. Applicants should be eighteen (18) years of age or older, be in good standing with the Catholic Church, and be willing to adhere to canonical and diocesan norms, especially regarding Child and Youth Protection.

Course of Studies

The Spiritual Direction Certification is an 18-month program, while the Spiritual Companionship Certification is a 12-month program. Classes will meet on one (1) Saturday a month from 9:00am-11:50am. Each three (3) hour class will equal one (1) credit hour (cr. hr.) of formation.

Each class will require assigned readings, two hours of lecture, and one hour of active discussion or similar activity per per class session. At the end of each class, students will provide a written reflection to be graded by the instructor. The reflection’s length will be determined by the instructor. The pedagogy of each class may adapt to different professors and subjects.

Spiritual Direction Certification Courses

Holiness in the Bible	3 cr. hrs.
History of Catholic Spirituality	3 cr. hrs.
Prayer and Devotions	2 cr. hrs.
Human and Spiritual Development	2 cr. hrs.
Asceticism and Mysticism	2 cr. hrs.
Spiritual and Vocational Discernment	2 cr. hrs.
The Practice of Spiritual Direction	2 cr. hrs.
Seminar on Counseling	2 cr. hrs.
Directed Retreat	----------
*Total Credit Hours*	18 cr. hrs.

Spiritual Companionship Certification Courses

Holiness in the Bible	3 cr. hrs.
History of Catholic Spirituality	3 cr. hrs.
Prayer and Devotions	2 cr. hrs.
Human and Spiritual Development	2 cr. hrs.
Discipleship and Mission	2 cr. hrs.
Directed Retreat	----------
*Total Credit Hours*	12 cr. hrs.

Costs & Logistics

Monthly classes will be held on Saturdays at the Chancery Offices in Broken Arrow, OK from 9:00am-11:50am. The annual program retreat will be held at the Our Lady of Grace Retreat Center in Stillwater, OK.

Classes and instruction will be held in English. When possible, class texts will be available in both English and Spanish. A Spanish study group will be provided for Spanish speakers to supplement class instruction. Spanish mentors will be available for those who will be ministering to Spanish-speaking communities.

Program costs are $400 per participant—$200 is to be provided by the participant, and $200 is to be supplied by their parish sponsor.

View the Course Calendar

Applications Due July 1st

Apply Now

All Applicants are required to have the following:

A Letter of Intent, not to exceed 5 pages
A Letter of Recommendation & Suitability, to be provided by your Pastor

The following questions are to be addressed in your Letter of Intent:

What is the role of the Spiritual Director/Companion in the life of the Church?
What has motivated you to become a Spiritual Director/Companion?
What unique gifts, talents, and prior formation do you possess that would make you a good Spiritual Director/Companion?

Please do not proceed with the application process until you have these documents ready.

To preserve the integrity of your application, we recommend using the PDF file format.

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For:

Applicant Information

Name(Required)

First Middle Last

Email Address(Required)

Phone(Required)

Date of Birth(Required)

Home Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code

Home Parish(Required)

Must be in the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma

Program Application Information

I am applying for the:(Required)

Spiritual Director Certification

Spiritual Companion Certification

Highest level of education completed:(Required)

Awarding Institution:(Required)

Name of current Spiritual Director:(Required)

Length of relationship:(Required)

Document Upload

Letter of Intent(Required)

Please upload your 1-page Letter of Intent, which should include a 3-page Spiritual Autobiography. To preserve the integrity of your application, we recommend a PDF.

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Pastoral Recommendation

Please upload a letter of recommendation & suitability from your parish pastor. To preserve the integrity of your application, we recommend a PDF.