Sister Kathy Adamski
After several surgeries made it difficult for Sister Kathleen Adamski to meet the travel demands of her ministry with the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, there was no thought of retiring.
“My Franciscan ministries have always been my passion,” she says. “I’ve had a half dozen careers in the 45 years since I became a Sister of St. Francis.”
Her most recent is as a certified Spiritual Director, working with people looking to strengthen their relationship with God and seeking His purpose for their lives.
It’s a perfect use of her theology and clinical psychology degrees, although there are distinct differences. “Counseling is more goal-focused. People need help with solutions to issues. Spiritual Directors accompany individuals who reflect on their lives because they want to draw closer to God, other people and nature, and to deepen and perhaps intensify all their relationships so that they are less superficial,” Sister Kathleen says.
Sister Kathleen asks new directees why they are looking for spiritual direction; she instructs them to pray daily and recommends they use the scriptures from daily Mass as a starting point.
“Think about that reading throughout the day. What connections can you make between that reading and what you encounter?” she says.
She’s not entirely comfortable with the term ‘director,’ preferring ‘mentor’ or ‘companion.’ Her role, she says, is one of asking “evocative questions and deep listening.
“I help directees see how God connects with them,” she says. “I ask them, ‘Have you thought that maybe that was God in that experience?’” She encourages them to recognize how God draws them closer to Him at work, home and through nature.
“We’re constantly being formed in our lives, formed and deformed,” she says. “That’s why we have to reflect on our lives.”
Spiritual Direction on the Rise
News stories abound with statistics on the declining numbers of people identifying with a formal religion and attending church services. But the number of people saying they are open to spirituality and want to grow in spirituality is on the rise, according to a survey by Barna Group, a research firm focused on faith and culture.
Almost three-quarters of those surveyed say they want to grow spiritually, and 44% report being more open to God now than before the pandemic. What may be especially surprising is that, of those wanting spiritual growth, 73% are Gen Z and 77% are Millennials.
“What they are seeing in their workspace or our country and the world is that we’ve lost our moral compass,” says Sister Kathleen Adamski, a certified spiritual director. She ministers to people in several states and all walks of life: a doctor, an attorney who recently became a deacon, a working mom with young children and several engineers. One client recently told her that she was retiring because the field in which she worked had become difficult.
“She said that she wasn’t worrying about retiring or leaving the field because she learned that she has to trust in God,” says Sister Kathleen.
The divisiveness in politics and even within the Catholic Church also draws people to spiritual direction; people also are dealing with the conflict between religious teaching and their personal beliefs.
For those wondering whether spiritual direction is right for them, Sister Kathleen recommends asking yourself these questions:
- How do I describe my relationship with God and others? Is nature meaningful to me?
- How do I pray? How often?
- Do I read spiritually themed-books? Do I have a favorite spiritual author?
- Where do I volunteer my time?
- What is my attitude towards God’s least among us?
“If one or more of your answers to these questions leaves you floundering, spiritual direction may be for you,” Sister Kathleen says.
How do I find a Spiritual Director?
Several of our Sisters are certified Spiritual Directors. If you want to connect with one, send your name and contact information to rcassella@sosfnc.org, and she will help you connect.
Check Spiritual Directors International: www.SDI.com or www.spiritualdirection.com
Ask your parish pastor
A majority of U.S. adults desires a spiritual dimension to life.
David Kinnaman
Barna CEO
https://www.barna.com/research/rising-spiritual-openness/
