"Introduction to Spiritual Direction" Course Starting Saturday 13 June 2015

What topics does the course cover?

This introductory course covers three key areas:

- The first steps in the spiritual life: what are these steps, how should we understand them and how might we best accompany others in these stages. In particular, how can we discern what is helpful to support spiritual growth through understanding the person and the action of the grace of God.

- What is covered by the term spiritual direction: what it is and is not, the traditions and different schools of spiritual direction and how they have evolved, the levels and types of discernment and how the needs of the individual change as they grow spiritually.

Where does spiritual accompaniment and spiritual direction fit in: responsibility for our own spiritual life and the invitation to support others on the journey, how this serves growth and what, from a practical perspective, do we need to keep in mind.

This course will draw on the teachings of the Desert Monks and those of three doctors of the Church who wrote extensively on this topic - St John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila and St Therese of Lisieux.

Please note that this introductory course lays the groundwork for the follow up course on Spiritual Direction which we hope to run later in 2015 and attendance is therefore a pre requisite for anyone wanting to do the follow up course.

Where and when is the course taking place?

The course will take place at St Mary of the Angels, Moorhouse Road, Bayswater, London, W2 5DJ on Saturday 13th, 20th and 27th June from 10am - 4:30pm.

The course will be taught by Jean Khoury, a theologian who has studied and taught Spiritual Life in the Church for over 20 years. As well as lecturing world-wide on spiritual life and meditation, Jean is the author of several books, articles and studies on spiritual life and the founder of the School of Mary, a 3 level formation in spiritual life (www.amorvincit.com). Jean obtained a degree in Philosophy and a Masters in Spiritual Theology from the Institut Catholique de Toulouse (France) and holds a Licence in Theology from the Teresianum (Rome). He is currently completing his PhD in Spiritual Theology at the Angelicum (Rome) with Monsignor François-Marie Léthel. Jean is based in the Archdiocese of Westminster, London, UK.

Costs

Fees: £75.00 for the full course. £50 deposit to book a place before the course starts with remaining balance to be paid on 13th June.

Any pre requisites?

In order to get the most from the course, participants will need to have a reasonable understanding of the goal and stages of the spiritual life. As such, the course is open to:

Participants who have already attended the School of Mary course on "Introduction to the Spiritual Life".

Participants whose background has given them a basic appreciation of the key concepts needed. If you are in this latter group, we will ask you to send us a short (1-2 paragraph) summary of what you would like to get out of the course and any previous experience you may have in accompanying others in the spiritual life so that we can make sure the course is a good fit for what you need.

How do I sign up?

As the venue can only accommodate 25 and we expect demand for this course to be high, participants will need to register and pay in advance:

Participants who have already attended the School of Mary course on "Introduction to the Spiritual Life" should register for this course by emailing schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com and we will be in touch to provide details on how to pay.

Those who would like to attend but who have not completed the "Introduction to the Spiritual Life" course should email schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com with a short (1-2 paragraph) summary of what you would like to get out of the course and any previous experience accompanying others in the spiritual life so that we can make sure the course is a good fit for what you need, answer any specific questions you may have and, if appropriate, register you for the course.

Contact : Should you have any questions about the course then please contact schoolofmarylondon@gmail.com or call Fiona on 07702 37 17 57.