Those interested in scheduling an Earth Retreat or participating in the Quiet Directed Retreat in May at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice may choose from the following spiritual directors. More information is available upon request.
Sister Paul Bernadette Bounk, CSJ
Sister Paul Bernadette
Previous to ministering at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, she finished six years as associate director for Rockhaven Center for Holistic Living, which features a sabbatical program. During her tenure there she presented programs on spirituality, myth, the new cosmology and creativity. In addition, she was a spiritual director to many women from a variety of spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
Her approach in spiritual direction is to be an attentive listener to a person’s story and, through this listening, to pick up signs and symbols that can influence her spiritual development. She believes that each woman has within herself what is needed to attend to communion with the Divine. Mother Earth and the Universe are strong indicators of the Divine Presence and she sees her place as guiding the person toward conscious listening to creation’s sights and sounds.
She finds that art, music and body movement can be fresh approaches to contacting the Divine. Enneagram, Myers-Briggs and Inner Child are also tools that she is comfortable using to bring clarity to someone’s story and her search for the God within.
Sister Jeanne Knoerle, SP
Sister Jeanne
Sister Jeanne thinks of spiritual companioning, or spiritual direction, as an opportunity to talk with another person whom you trust about where you are in your spiritual journey and where its direction may be taking you. The relationship between director and directee in this experience is based on a common belief in the presence of God in each person’s life, providing an opportunity to speak freely about very important, yet very ordinary things that illustrate that presence and one’s response to it.
Sister Jeanne has been involved in spiritual direction for more than 20 years, and has been in a spiritual direction relationship for many years prior to that. Her training has been through conferences and workshops at both Ferdinand and Beech Grove, but especially through her work with the Enneagram.
Sister Bernice Kuper, SP
Sister Bernice
Sister Bernice has been actively engaged in ministry of spiritual companion for the past 40 years, both within the Sisters of Providence and in parish ministry.
Her academic preparation for this ministry includes: graduate work in counseling and guidance at the University of Notre Dame, a certificate for completion of course work at the Institute for Spiritual Leadership (Loyola University), and an internship in spiritual direction at Milford Retreat Center.
Sister Bernice believes that spiritual companioning happens when two persons come together for the express intention of searching for the movement of the Spirit in the happenings of every day life.
Sister Catherine Livers, SP
Sister Catherine
Sister Catherine’s background for spiritual companioning comes from Jesuit University at Seattle, Washington, and a subsequent workshop.
Sister Catherine has been doing spiritual direction for the last 25 years among Sisters of Providence, parishioners when ministering as a pastoral associate and sisters of various congregations while serving as co-vicar for religious.
Her style is to listen and suggest what might help in one’s relationship with God. It is a sacred time and confidentiality is adhered to. Her approach is holistic and she encourages the companion to speak about all the phases of her life, spiritually, mentally, physically and socially, for all these have a great bearing upon one’s relationship with God and one’s view of God.
**CSJ: Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet
**SP: Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.