Cenacle of Our Lady
of Divine Providence
School of Spiritual Direction®
School Courses
Meet our Instructors
Application Process
Graduate Seminars
Cenacle School of Spiritual Direction Overview and Schedule
The Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spiritual Direction® is a unique combination of the experiential use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and didactic material of authentic Catholic teaching. The School is approved by the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, and is in association with and certified by the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. This program is designed to form spiritual directors to serve others on their journey to holiness. Through the program’s Ignatian prayer model and reflective sharing, the students experience extensive healing in their lives. This formation relies on God’s transformative power as students pray on Scripture and share their experiences, insights and graces. As recipients of God’s healing and mercy, through these prayer experiences, students become more compassionate and attentive listeners. They are prepared to become useful instruments, allowing the Lord to work freely in those they direct, or in Ignatius’s words, “To allow the Creator to deal with His creature” designed to form and train candidates over a two year period through prayer, teachings, and supervision.
School Schedule
The Spiritual Direction Program consists of 3 two-week sessions, each session a year apart. You may choose either the January, June or October session, of which you would attend the same session for all three years.
Houston Campus
To accommodate the growing number of applicants, a second Cenacle School of Spiritual Direction opened in Houston, Texas in 2015 through an affiliate community, the MARIAN SERVANTS® of the Incarnate Wisdom. The Houston campus has one session each year, in June, and is aligned with the Cenacle School in Clearwater through livestream technology, sharing in real time the same didactic materials, professors, presentations and class discussions. The Houston summer campus, although aligned with the Clearwater campus, is a separate school and has their own application process. If you are interested in attending this campus, please contact the Marian Servants of Incarnate Wisdom below or visit their website at www.MarianServantsHouston.org.
Calendar of Upcoming school dates:
- January 10-25, 2025 (Clearwater)
- June 13-28, 2025 (Clearwater & Houston)
- October 10-25, 2025 (Clearwater)
- January 9-24, 2026 (Clearwater)
- June 12-27, 2026 (Clearwater & Houston)
- October 9-24, 2026 (Clearwater)
- January 8-23, 2027 (Clearwater)
- June 11-26, 2027 (Clearwater & Houston)
- October 8-22, 2027 (Clearwater)
School Courses
Notable instructors, authors and professors teach the Courses from Franciscan University of Steubenville, major seminaries and religious orders.
THE ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION – Included in every session
This is a foundational course presenting principles and goals of good Spiritual Direction. Presentations and practice sessions will focus on developing the skills and art of good listening and responding, interpersonal dynamics, and the use of Scripture in direction. This involves role playing, demonstrations, and assisting the potential spiritual director to be objective and respectful of the uniqueness of God’s action in each individual.
DAILY PRAYER WITH GROUP SHARING – Included in every session
A distinctive feature of the Spiritual Direction Program is the healing that results from praying on Scripture and the sharing of those prayer experiences in a group setting. Self-disclosure, genuineness and compassioning are highlighted as important elements in the Spiritual Direction process. Through the Ignatian model, the students experience extensive healing in their lives which is necessary as God moves each participant into a deeper relationship with Himself. Healing helps the student attain a deeper self-knowledge, a more profound understanding of who God is, and become a more compassionate and attentive listener.
GIFTS AND FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Provides a Scriptural and theoretical background for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and lays a foundation of a person’s prayer life through the action of the Holy Spirit and devotion to the Blessed Mother.
SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS
Saints of the Church will be discussed in light of the great streams of spirituality that they represent.
HEALING PRAYER MINISTRY
Designed for individuals who desire both a theoretical knowledge of healing and a practical workshop on how to pray for themselves and others in the context of Spiritual Direction.
IGNATIAN RULES OF DISCERNMENT
Discernment as both a quality and a process will be presented from spiritual, Scriptural and psychological viewpoints as presented by the Ignatian Rules of Discernment weeks 1 and 2.
CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN PERSON
This course will represent the non-Christian models of the human person and the Christian/Catholic understanding of the aspects of the human person under the topics of freedom, conscience, call and mission, relationship and love. “Man fully alive is the glory of God.” This statement of the early church father will be explored and demonstrated.
IGNATIAN 30 DAY RETREAT OR 19 ANNOTATION – completed between the first and second year.
By experiencing the Ignatian Exercises, students are able to examine their own lives more deeply, draw closer to Christ, as well as help discern their own vocation so as to better guide others through the same spiritual process.
SUPERVISED PRACTICUM – completed between the second and third year
Student meets with a person seeking spiritual direction once a week over a four month period. Candidate will be supervised and evaluated before certification is granted.
School Application Process
The application process includes the following documentation and must be received in its entirety before you may be scheduled for a school session; this includes:
- A completed application form;
- Two letters of recommendation; one from your Pastor and one from your current Spiritual Director, if applicable;
- A non-refundable application fee of $150.00;
- Personal Interview via Zoom, Skype or FaceTime.
Please note that each potential student’s application request will be reviewed by the admission committee. The committee will consider the applicant’s interview, letters of recommendation, and personal statement before making a decision for acceptance or non-acceptance. Once accepted into the program, the student candidate remains on probationary status, for ongoing evaluation of readiness and response to the call to be a spiritual director.
Send Your Question or Begin the Application Process
Graduate Seminars
Participation in the full Ignatian Exercises is a requirement of the School of Spiritual Direction and is a key part of our students’ program. The four-day graduate seminar is a continuation of this training, and deals with the main meditations and flow of the Exercises. Each seminar presents spiritual topics directly related to the Spiritual Exercises and offers graduates the opportunity to strengthen their gifts in directing others, as well as time to deepen their own spirituality.
These seminars are offered twice a year, March and September, by various instructors schooled in the Exercises and is only open to graduates of the program.
Upcoming Dates for Graduate Seminars:
- September 12-16, 2025
- March 18-22, 2026
- September 16-20, 2026
