Virginia Bemis working toward becoming a Spiritual Director

Virginia Bemis has just completed the first year of a two-year licensing program in spiritual direction at John Carroll University in Cleveland. She will begin her second year in September. After certification, she plans on starting a spiritual direction practice.

Virginia describes spiritual direction as

training to listen to what God is saying in your life. It's growing your prayer life. It's discovering yourself and how you related to God. It's not psychotherapy, and it's not being told what to do. Instead, you start on a journey, along with a guide, to find out more about how you and God speak to each other at this point in your life. This guide is known as a spiritual director and is sometimes described as a personal trainer for your spiritual life.

The first year of the licensing program consisted of theological study, including the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The second year will combine theological study with internship. Virginia will work with directees under the guidance of an experienced supervisor, and will then be eligible for certification.

The University offers the licensing program through its Institute of Ignatian Spirituality.

Action by the Anglican Communion

You are probably aware, if you have been reading news reports, that (in the words of the CNN headline) "Anglicans suspend Episcopal Church over same-sex marriage."

As a Diocese and as a parish, we have tried to provide a safe home for LGBT Christians, so this action by the larger body of world-wide Anglicans is very troubling. I encourage you to read:

• The message from our own Bishop Hollingsworth
• The message from Presiding Bishop* Michael Curry contained in this article from the Episcopal News Service.

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*The "Presiding Bishop" is also known as the Primate, and is the chief pastor for the entire denomination.