General Questions
Directed Retreat
Practicum
Readiness for Ministry Exam
Schoology Problems
Find a Spiritual Director
Pay My Tuition
General Questions
What courses are available?
Click here for the list of courses for the upcoming semester.
Is there a residency requirement?
No. The entire program can be completed online. Weekly classes are conducted synchronously and interactively on Zoom or MS Teams and attendance is required, with the student’s camera on. Some courses include additional recorded lectures that students are required to watch.
We encourage students in our Spiritual Direction Program to take advantage of the in-person, 5-day intensive courses offered over the summer. The courses offered in person are SD1: The Art of Accompaniment and SD2: Directing Prayer. This format offers a retreat atmosphere and the opportunity to engage in person with other students.
For the Catechetics certificate, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 Formation must always be completed in-person and not online.
Can I transfer credits?
With approval from the Academic Dean, a maximum of 25% of the credits for the program may be transferred from other graduate schools.
For Level 1 participation in the Spiritual Direction program, credit transfer can be addressed on an individual basis with the Director of the program.
Is there financial aid available?
Thanks to our generous benefactors we are able to offer financial aid on a case-by-case basis. To apply, complete the IMF Application for Financial Assistance.
Can I just take one course?
Yes! You will still need to complete the application and registration.
At the Institute for Ministry Formation, we share the treasures of Saint Vincent Seminary with the rest of the Church. We are very happy for anyone who wants to take a course for their ongoing formation.
We also offer various ongoing formation classes, conferences and retreats that are not for academic credit. You can see past offerings here.
What can I do with a Certificate?
A certificate is a credential that indicates you have completed a program of studies. You should check with your parish, Diocese, or other ministry/employer regarding the benefits of the Catechetics Certificate for your circumstances.
Our Spiritual Direction Program was designed in consultation with the Saint Vincent Seminary Board of Regents (our constituent bishops) which has indicated their acceptance of spiritual directors trained in our program. Whether a certificate (or letter of completion) in Spiritual Direction is sufficient for a parish or Diocese to formally approve or support someone in offering spiritual director will depend on the parish and the Diocese. We recommend that you determine whether your own diocese or parish has any requirements.
Can I audit a course?
We offer a “Level 1” or “audit” option. The cost is half-price. Note that most course work is required for Level 1 students, including class attendance and participation, reading assignments, and weekly assignments. Level 1 students are generally not required to take exams or write papers.
How much do courses cost?
Please see our tuition and fees page.
How much time does a 2-credit course take?
Students receive 50 minutes of instruction per week per credit (interactively or recorded) and should plan to spend up to 100 minutes per week per credit on assignments and studying. A 2-credit course will require approximately 100 minutes per week for instruction and up to 200 minutes per week for assignments and studying. Level 1 students typically are not required to write papers or take exams but should still be prepared to spend up to 100 minutes per week per credit for assignments and studying.
How do I pursue a Master of Arts in Ministry Degree?
For Level 2 students there is an option to pair the Spiritual Direction Certificate or the Catechetics Certificate with a Theology Certificate to earn a Master of Arts (MA) in Ministry Degree with Specialization. For details and additional requirements, please our Master of Arts in Ministry Degree with Specialization page.
Directed Retreat
What is the directed retreat requirement?
An approved, 8-day silent, directed retreat is a required component of the Spiritual Direction Formation Program. The full Ignatian 19th Annotation may be substituted for the retreat.
The retreat serves several purposes:
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It helps to consolidate the spiritual formation that is provided throughout the curriculum and helps it to take root in the spiritual life of the individual student.
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It serves to deepen the student’s prayer life in a significant way. A spiritual director must have a deep and rich, personal relationship with Jesus and a well-formed spiritual life.
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It provides an experience of a model that the student, as a future spiritual director, may be able to offer to others, namely the guidance of daily spiritual direction for an intensive retreat experience.
What are the criteria for the directed retreat?
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It must be a silent retreat, meaning that it takes place in a retreat environment marked by silence and reflection. The retreat need not be strictly silent the entire time, but silence and conduciveness to prayer and reflection must be a defining characteristic of the environment.
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The student must receive daily spiritual direction from an experienced spiritual director on at least the six middle days of the retreat.
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The retreat must be 8 days (at least 7 overnights).
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Optimally, the student will have the opportunity for daily Mass during the retreat.
What is the format of the retreat?
A typical format would be four prayer periods a day, each lasting one hour, in addition to Mass and other times of spiritual reading and reflection. Typically, the spiritual director assigns scriptures for each of the prayer periods and the spiritual direction meetings center around how God was speaking in those prayer periods. There can be a standard progression of assigned scriptures following the Ignatian patterns derived from the 30-day retreat. None of this structure of prayer periods and scriptures is strictly necessary, however, as long as the spiritual director and the retreatant agree on how to proceed.
Where do I make my retreat?
Retreats are not offered through the IMF. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements for their own retreat. There are many options for retreat centers and retreat directors. Some recommended options include St. Joseph Retreat Center in Milton, MA, Our Lady of Divine Providence Retreat center in Clearwater, FL, Broomtree Retreat and Conference Center in Broomtree, SD, The Joseph and Mary Retreat House in Mundelein, IL, Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center, Atlanta, GA, and Jesuit Retreat Center in Parma, OH.
When do I make my retreat?
You can make your retreat at any time during the program; however, in order to register for the Practicum, you will need to have completed the Directed Retreat course no later than the semester prior to the Practicum.
Does my retreat have to be approved?
Yes. Before making your retreat, you should complete the application for approval.
How does my retreat get applied toward the retreat requirement of the Spiritual Direction Formation Program? What is the Directed Retreat course?
You will need to register for the IMSD-696 Directed Retreat course in order to get credit for your retreat. The course includes a required reflection paper that is due two weeks prior to the end of the semester. IMSD-696 Directed Retreat can be taken in any semester. The application for approval of the retreat includes a request for registration for the IMSD-696 Directed Retreat course.
Practicum
What should I expect in the Practicum Courses?
The Practicum enables students to learn and practice the art of spiritual direction under the supervision of a mentor. The mentor will meet regularly with students, one on one, to shape their practice of spiritual direction. The practicum also helps students to grow in self-awareness, sensitivity, compassion, and understanding, while being challenged to reflect on their faith understanding, theology, and experiences in relation to those to whom they minister.
The student will be expected to meet with directees for four hours per month during the Practicum (2 directees biweekly or 4 directees monthly). The student is responsible for recruiting their own directees. (A limited number of referrals may be available to practicum students.) A mentor will be assigned to the student by the Director of the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program. Students are expected to meet online with their mentor monthly during the Practicum.
Evaluation will consist of verbatims, oral examination, and written reflections at the discretion of the mentor. A learning agreement which articulates the goals and scope of the practicum is developed among the student, the supervisor, and the Director of the Spiritual Direction program.
Students should take Practicum I in the Fall semester of their final year in the Spiritual Direction Formation Program. Registration requires an application.
IMSD-697 Practicum in Spiritual Direction I (1 credit)
Prerequisites:
IMSD-601 SD1: The Art of Accompaniment
IMSD-602 SD2: Directing Prayer
IMSD-696 Directed Retreat
At least 5 additional credits in the spiritual direction program
IMSD-698 Practicum in Spiritual Direction II (1 credit)
Prerequisite:
IMSD-697 Practicum in Spiritual Direction I
Readiness for Ministry Exam
What is the Readiness for Ministry Exam (IMSD 699)?
The IMF Spiritual Direction program requires a final Readiness for Ministry Exam. This is the final requirement of the program and so this Exam can only be taken after all the other requirements of the program have been completed and the student should register for this exam in the final semester of their program.
The exam consists of three scenarios drawn at random which a student must answer before a panel including the Director of the Spiritual Direction program and one or more professors in the program. They present some typical spiritual direction scenarios and the student is expected to describe his or her thought process for how to approach those scenarios. Each question lasts approximately ten minutes and so the exam should require at most a half hour.
The exam is held over Zoom and the timing of the exam is scheduled individually at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and the Director of the Spiritual Direction Program.
Schoology Problems
Where can I log into Schoology?
You can log in right here. If you have an access code or need more information, click here to visit the IMF Schoology Info page.
What if I’m not able to log into my Schoology account?
If you need to change or reset your password, click the links below the login for Change Password and Forgot Password as shown in the image below. If you are still not able to log in after visiting the Schoology page and entering your username and password, you may submit a service request to servicedesk@stvincent.edu. Support requests can also be submitted in person at the IT Service Desk (found in the ground floor of Alfred Hall) or by phone at 724-805-2297.
Find a Spiritual Director
How Do I Find a Spiritual Director?
Begin your search by praying for a spiritual director who will aid your discernment. Next, contact a priest whom you trust such as your parish priest. If he is unable to become your spiritual director, he may be able to point you in the right direction, perhaps even recommend a potential spiritual director to you.
Upon completion of our IMF Spiritual Direction program, we encourage our alumni to register with SeekDirection, a computer-based matching of spiritual directors and those seeking direction. If your parish priest is unable to provide you with spiritual direction himself or to suggest a potential director, you may visit https://seekdirection.app/ to be matched with a potential spiritual director.
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