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In recent years, there has been a growing desire among Catholics for "spiritual direction," but this term is often misunderstood. Strictly speaking, spiritual direction is about your relationship with God and requires serious daily prayer; these meetings are ongoing. In my experience, most people do not need actual, ongoing spiritual direction but rather spiritual guidance and conversation, which can be repeated but not ongoing. Due to the intensity of what spiritual direction demands from the directee and the director, I am currently at capacity and cannot take on additional directees.
Most people seeking to meet with a priest are actually asking for spiritual guidance and conversation, often about some important questions they are facing; these are not ongoing meetings but come up as the need arises. Both are distinct from pastoral care, which deals with specific difficulties or crises you might be facing; if these issues are serious enough, they may require a referral to a professional counselor (for a list of such counselors, visit this link and visit this link for information about Catholic coaches). Obviously, there can be some overlap among these topics, but this should give you a general idea of what you can expect from each type of meeting. Check out the Catholic Noles Spiritual Meeting Spectrum below for more information about these distinctions as you seek an appointment.
Regular Confession Times at St. Thomas More:
Tuesdays from 4:15-5:10 PM for students before the 5:15 PM Mass (during the school year only) in the confessional near the choir side of the church
Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the church; normally, multiple priests are available
Please read these rules thoroughly before booking an appointment with Fr. Chris:
First, ask yourself the following QUESTIONS:
Have I talked about this problem with a trusted friend, mentor, or parent and sought their advice and counsel?
Have I searched online for answers to any questions I might have?
Especially with questions about the faith, it is important to first seek information from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Scripture, and websites and resources such as Catholic Answers. Sometimes a simple Google search will direct you to the right place to begin seeking your answers? When seeking answers to faith questions, I strongly suggest going to the sources and looking at official Church documents first; there is a lot of conjecture and opinion available on the internet that does not always reflect the Magisterium.
Is a priest the best person to help you with this problem?
Second, please note these REQUIREMENTS:
For an initial meeting, please schedule a 25 minute block; this allows more people to meet with Fr. Chris over the course of a week and provides a little wiggle room between meetings.
Unless otherwise discussed with Fr. Chris during an initial meeting, meetings should not occur more than once a semester unless Fr. Chris determines that more frequent meetings are necessary.
Please include a brief description for the reason of the meeting when signing up on Calendly.
Please prepare for the meeting as completely as possible. For example, that means that, if requesting confession, examine your conscience ahead of time; if asking questions or talking through a problem, write down your questions ahead of time.
As always, the best way to contact Fr. Chris is via email at frchris@cocathedral.com. If Calendly does not include times that fit your schedule, please email him to find a time that might work for both of you. Please DO NOT send DMs via GroupMe as those may or may not be seen for several days.
I am eager to meet everyone I can, but these meetings are in high demand. I ask patience from everyone as I try to meet your needs even if I cannot meet your timeline. Know of my prayers and gratitude for you!
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