The Institute for Ministry Formation was honored to serve as one of the sponsors for the 2025 Spiritual Direction Symposium, held last week, June 19-21, at Saint Vincent Seminary. It was an inspiring gathering where spiritual directors from across the nation came together for fellowship and ongoing formation.

The event welcomed  137 participants in person and 294 online. Sponsored by the Avila Institute, the symposium was a collaborative effort with participation from the IMF, Lanteri Center, Heart of Christ, and Divine Mercy University.

Highlights included keynote talks by Fr. Cassian Edwards, O.S.B., Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B., Fr. Tom Acklin, O.S.B., and Dan Burke. A special feature was Fr. Timothy Gallagher’s extended sessions on St. Ignatius of Loyola’s second set of rules, specifically tailored for spiritual directors.

Attendees also benefited from a variety of mini-sessions from various spiritual direction schools, providing practical tools and fresh perspectives for accompanying others on their spiritual journey.  Kristin Molitor from the Institute for Ministry Formation presented on “Building a Culture of Accompaniment at Parishes.”