Reflections from Our Directors
“You are not alone, you didn’t cause it, and there is HOPE for RECOVERY!
by Susanna Bertelsen Decades ago, in the 1980’s, I received a frantic call from my mother in Ohio, who announced over the phone, “Your brother has Schizophrenia. And they put him on Stelazine.” To say the least, at that time, this family news was both...
How can I Thank You Enough!
by Liz Kerwin As September approaches I am keenly aware that I will not be returning to Loyola after 35 years of the most blessed and rewarding ministry anyone could hope for. I am filled with gratitude for all of you whose lives I was privileged to share and...
Invitation to Reimagine Compassion
by Susanna Bertelsen “What the world needs now is love, sweet love It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love No, not just for some, but for everyone.” Where is that “sweet love” today? How might I find it? This...
Finding God in Everyday Places: Survivor Tree Resilience Symbolizes Hope
by Susanna Bertelsen Five years ago, I visited the 9/11 Memorial pools at the sight of reconstruction of the tower and memorial park and museum in lower Manhattan, 13 years after the devastating attack on the twin towers of the World Trade center. Amid construction...
Words Matter
by Kay Vander Vort As I am scheduling spiritual direction sessions for this September after an eight-month absence, I have noticed several people mentioning they are struggling with the divisiveness in our country. The question has come up, "is this an appropriate...
Painting on a Smaller Canvas
by Tom Allen As I grow older, I am faced with increasing limitations and diminishments, especially as an Alzheimer’s caregiver. I imagine myself as an artist painting / expressing my life on canvas, and the canvases grow smaller. I imagine God saying to me:...
The Biggest Little Farm
by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde Summer Rejuvenation: Praying the Examen “For what moment today am I most grateful?” “For what moment today am I least grateful?” -Examen questions from Sleeping with Bread Hyperlink:...
Striving vs. Alignment
by JoAnn Campbell-Rice I’ve been a transformation junkie most of my life. I have attended retreats and workshops, read uplifting books, and attached myself to mentors since I was a teen. I’ve always had a vision of who I wanted to be, articulated in the children’s...
Know a Spiritual (but maybe not religious) Young Adult?
by Carolyn Kolovitz I have several directees in their 20s which has me imagining what life might have been like if I had a spiritual director when I was that age. I vividly remember the energy and angst of launching after college - on fire to make a big splash in the...