Every person who is baptized is called by the Spirit to a life of holiness.  A spiritual director companions a person along his or her journey toward holiness.

In The Practice of Spiritual Direction William Barry, SJ and William Connolly, SJ describe the relationship between a director, a directee and the Spirit as:  "The focus of spiritual direction is the relationship between God and the person. The person is helped not so much to understand the relationship better, but to engage in it, to enter into dialogue with God." 

In a spiritual direction relationship, we usually meet every four weeks or so for an hour.  I do not have an office.  I like to meet with directees in their home parish or in a mutually agreeable location, like a retreat house.

I do charge a fee for direction, but it is quite negotiable.

Please pray for me and for all of the men and women I am directing.

My 'Style' of Direction
It has taken me several years to identify my approach to spiritual direction.  I am sure the folks I was directing knew pretty quickly.  With the help of some of my directees I have identified five characteristics of my 'style'.
  • I will pray for you constantly, and work to listen to the promptings on the Spirit for you and your prayer.
  • I do not believe that our spiritual life is separate from our daily life.  Daily life is where we meet God most powerfully. A goal of spiritual direction is to become more actively aware of the many ways God is present to us.
  • I talk more than most directors.  I believe our relationship will be most helpful if we are both fully present and engaged.  However, I try to only talk about my life as a way to help you reflect on your own life.
  • I listen with my heart.  That is, I listen intently to the story of your soul.  That helps me remember key things you said a long time ago.
  • I know that God loves you deeply, and I will never give-up supporting you in your effort to experience God's love.

I am very comfortable with mainstream Christian spirituality - whether you are Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, and am  interested in Celtic spirituality and our relationship with rest of God's creation.

The death of my first wife, Janet McNicholas, and the process of healing has taught me that all of us are in some type of recovery.  This has helped me listen with understanding to men and women working on their own recovery in AA, CODA and FA.

Psalm 139: 1, 13-14

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you. for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.

Feedback from A Directee:

Pat’s approach to Spiritual Direction is exactly what I need.  He is there to help me get to where I want and need to be.  He does not have a set plan that you must follow and get through each month but lets the Spirit guide he and I through the process.  Some of his ideas amaze me because he doesn’t  know what I am going to bring to our discussion but he finds the right thing to say.  Once,  I asked him how he does it and he responded that it wasn’t him but the Spirit working the situation.     

Thanks Ed  (Ed and I have met monthly for two years.)