Print Issue: August 1, 2002

RUAH Program Training Spiritual Directors Graduates Last Class

Staff of the RUAH program are shown, l-r, Joy Evans, Ph.D., Carol Hamill, Sister Loretta McCarthy, SBS, Sister Barbara Young, rc, and Sister Susan Arcaro, rc. Not pictured is staff member Jim Powers.

By Cathy Weaver Biscan, Special To The Bulletin

DECATUR - "Ruah, a Hebrew word, meaning the breath of God . . . filling the void with life, breathing life into our souls," said Archbishop John F. Donoghue in his homily at the commencement Mass for RUAH graduates.

On May 28, seven lay people received a certificate upon completing two years of the intensive program in spiritual direction. This is the third and last group to complete the RUAH program, which now has a total of 25 graduates. The Mass was held at St. Thomas More Church.

It was eight years ago when new Catholics emerging from parish RCIA programs and graduates of the archdiocesan Pastoral Ministry Formation program were asking questions about their faith. These were best answered by spiritual directors. The problem was, there weren't enough spiritual directors around, and even more, people asked, "Just what is a spiritual director anyway?"

And so, religious educator Carol Hamill and Sister Loretta McCarthy, SBS, gathered a group of laity, Religious and potential participants to explore and discern the possibility of developing a training program for spiritual directors in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. At the end of two years, RUAH was born.

Barry Grecu, a RUAH participant from Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Atlanta, was away from the Catholic Church for 25 years. He served as a Pentecostal preacher for some time and then felt God calling him back to the Catholic Church. He is a discipleship counselor for Grace Ministries, which teaches about identity and freedom in Christ. Grecu has been able to integrate what he has learned into the ministry.

"RUAH is one of the most profound experiences of my life . . . I don't need to do-just be," Grecu said. "RUAH reminded me God is much more interested in me being his son than anything I could do for him. Any ministry I have is an overflow of who I am."

And just what does a spiritual director do? Janet Claussen, author of several books for St. Mary's Press on mentoring young girls, says that a spiritual director "is like a personal trainer for the soul."

She explains that when people decide to get their bodies in shape, they begin to eat right, exercise, get enough rest. They want to get more serious about their health and go to an expert on nutrition and exercise. So it is with faith. People reach a point of wanting more guidance, more accountability, strength and maturity.

Several years ago, I was in need of a mentor and approached a woman in my parish about being my spiritual director. I was youth minister of St. Benedict Church in Duluth at the time, and was drawn to Marian Monahan's confidence and strength. We began a relationship then in which we have journeyed together through many peaks and valleys in my spiritual walk.

"RUAH is such a rich experience," Monahan said. "It is more than about the learning . . . It helps you develop skills of listening, being present to someone and being aware of what is going on inside of me . . . God's unconditional love is so present when we give them our hearts and our time and are open to them and invite them to tell their stories."

"RUAH can be applied to anything I do for the rest of my life," said Monahan.

Those completing the program this year, in addition to Grecu and Monahan, are Mary Bresnock, Peggy Brooks, Ellen Herrel, Scotti Holcombe and Phyllis Morris.

"There are 25 trained spiritual directors who live all over the archdiocese. (They) listen to people, guided by the Holy Spirit, to hear their concerns, to pray with them and allow the Holy Spirit to direct their responses," Hamill said.

"There is no license for spiritual directors, so they are not 'certified.' Spiritual directors receive certificates for completion of the program. For those seeking spiritual direction, no fee is ever stated. A donation is legally acceptable and directees are asked to give as they see fit, according to one's heart," she said. These donations are partially used to support ongoing formation for the spiritual directors.

A staff of six people, all of whom hold master's degrees or higher in specialized areas, ran the program. Hamill emphasized that "everything was discerned." The staff was comprised of Cenacle Sister Susan Arcaro, who was in charge of supervision and mentoring, Joy Evans, Ph.D., psychologist, Hamill and Sister McCarthy, who headed up curricula and format, and Jim Powers, who was in charge of finances. Cenacle Sister Barbara Young was the director.

"I can't say enough about the staff," Monahan said. "They made a big impact on me. It was a huge commitment to do what they did."

This was the last year the RUAH program will be offered. After much prayer and discernment, the staff has decided that they are each to move on to other apostolic commitments. Sister Arcaro and Sister Young will be part of the staff of a new spiritual direction training program by Spring Hill College at Ignatius House.

There is a group consisting of RUAH and other spiritual directors that meets on a regular basis at the Maisha House of prayer in Atlanta, run by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, for ongoing enrichment and sharing about the ministry of spiritual direction.

"The Spirit will not wait long to call upon the talents of those who place themselves in God's service," the archbishop stated at the end of his homily. He congratulated the seven "for assuming a ministry that is very much needed in our day and time."

Those interested in receiving spiritual direction may call Linda Mitchell, regional coordinator of Spiritual Directors International, at (770) 481-2362.