Rosemary (Rose) McManus Carlsen
Rose’s faith is deeply rooted in a wide, expansive and personal relationship with the Divine. One of her guiding truths is that God is still speaking. This simple yet profound message informs Rose’s response to the inner workings and events of her own life and the world around her. In spiritual direction, Rose holds this awareness with curiosity and presence while accompanying others in listening for and naming the unfolding Mystery in their own lives.
“I have always felt a powerful connection with God and have been spiritually curious for as long as I can remember. My path to knowing this great Mystery, who and what God is to me, has been a complex adventure and a driving force throughout my life. My Catholic upbringing provided me with a strong spiritual foundation, deep appreciation for the power of ritual and much to wrestle with on my path of spiritual evolution. My introduction to spiritual direction in my early thirties was a godsend. I was a newly married East coast transplant to Minnesota, my beloved brother in law was dying and I felt completely unmoored. The humor, warmth and expansive spirit of my spiritual director provided the soft place to land that I longed for. With her, I was free to explore the complicated territory of my life and my relationship with God without fear of judgment or reprisal. She encouraged my curiosity about other spiritual traditions and those explorations expanded and deepened my God consciousness. Completing the Ignatian Exercises and continuing to study and integrate the wisdom teachings of the Christian mystics and other spiritual traditions, has deepened my awareness and experience of God’s presence in myself, in others and in all of life.”
Before joining Loyola as a spiritual director, Rose enjoyed a long and fulfilling career as a physical therapist. This work helped to lay the foundation for her calling as a spiritual director as she learned to accompany others in the intimate spaces of fear, loss and grief while empowering them to navigate new and unfamiliar landscapes with courage, strength and resilience. Rose’s personal experience with grief and loss drew her to engage more deeply with the many facets of this sacred and transformative journey and led to her work with the Enneagram and as an End-of-Life Doula.
Rose received her spiritual direction certification from the Center for Spiritual Guidance at Carondelet Center. She is a trained End-of-Life Doula through the International End of Life Doula Association and a certified Enneagram practitioner through the Chestnut Paes Enneagram Academy.
Rose lives in south Minneapolis where she and her husband raised their three children. She actively supports the rights of LGBTQ and other humans and finds joy and sustenance in her relationships, playing outside in all seasons, working, reading and traveling with her husband. Rose’s spiritual life is also nurtured and strengthened through her daily practice of prayer, meditation and journaling and by her faith community.
Rose offers spiritual direction, Enneagram consultation and workshops.
Rose is accepting new Directees.