The Spiritual Direction Formation Programme (Carmelite Tradition) has been running at the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS) in Oxford since September 2019 and is aimed at forming spiritual directors within the Carmelite lived tradition.

The six-course modules are taught over a two-year period by seasoned experts and explore in-depth the essential topics in spiritual direction, leading to a Certificate/ Diploma from CACS or a Postgraduate Certificate / Diploma awarded by St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

The course builds on an interpretation of the experience of journeying towards intimacy with God as expressed in the life of the Carmelite saints and deriving principles from this for the growth and flourishing of the spiritual life.

“At the heart of this Carmelite spirituality is a prayerful listening and response to the God who befriends us and an expression of this experience through a life of contemplative awareness and friendship with one another,” said course tutor Alexander Ezechukwu OCD.

“One does not need to be a Carmelite or even know much of Carmelite spirituality to be part of the Programme. All that is necessary is to have a heartfelt desire to draw from the rich tradition of Carmelite spirituality in deepening one’s own bond with God and to walk with others as they journey through life.”

Last month 22 members of the 2021-23 cohort were invited to travel to the Spanish city of Ávila – spritual home St Teresa of Ávila and the Carmelites – on a graduation pilgrimage in the company of Fathers Kelvin Ekhoegbe and Yamai Butari OCD, who had assisted in the course participants’ spiritual formation.

One of those who travelled to Ávila was Pauline McEvoy-Williams, who gave this moving account of her experience:

“The opportunity to graduate in Ávila on completion of our two-year Spiritual Direction Formation Programme (SDFP) with the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS) in Oxford, UK, was one which offered much allure and a once in a lifetime experience to follow in the footsteps of Carmel’s two great Spanish Doctors of the Church, St Teresa of Jesus & St John of the Cross. Where participation was not possible, an online Graduation Ceremony was scheduled to follow so all students could celebrate together and acknowledge our achievement.

“A group of 22 people, including five CACS graduates and a number of Third Order Carmelites from different parts of the UK, were fortunate enough to embark on this Teresian pilgrimage. We were ably accompanied by Father Kelvin Ekhoegbe OCD & Father Yamai Butari OCD, who had assisted in our spiritual formation, together with Fr Matt Blake OCD, a man with encyclopaedic knowledge and so passionately imbibed with the spirit of Saints Teresa and John of the Cross that he brought them to life, keeping us spellbound as he shared facts, stories and anecdotes of their lives as we travelled, which helped to crystallise our learning and formation and catapult us into the complex world of the Spanish Middle Ages with its rich intrigue and mighty challenges.

 “In true Teresian tradition, we rapidly formed a Christian Carmelite Community for the duration of the retreat-pilgrimage as we shared Eucharistic celebrations & walked on the hallowed ground of Teresa and John in Toledo, Segovia, Alba De Tormes & Ávila. The opportunity to see and experience first-hand the places where Teresa in particular lived, and where she and John died, was an enormous privilege, giving one a deep sense of gratitude for their lives so well lived, a greater understanding of the hostility and challenges they faced and overcame, as well as a deep sense of awe and thanksgiving for the enormous legacy of their spiritual writings and the lived experiences of prayer that both have bequeathed to the Catholic Church and the world.

 “On the feast day of St Teresa, Sunday 15th October 2023, our Graduation Ceremony took place in CiTeS, where her legacy was so evident, not just among the many tomes of her writings in its extensive library, but also in the modern building design itself. Teresa saw her foundations as a star shining the light of Christ and love of God through prayer out in to the local community and the world beyond. CiTeS architectural design is shaped like a star, and on entry, one descends rather than ascends levels, thereby reflecting the journey inwards and going deeper into our personal “Interior Castle” as we grow and mature in our Christian faith. The layout of corridors and rooms conveys a sense of simplicity and detachment, a sense of the sacred grounded in nature and creation which is visible in its welcoming social spaces, giving rise to a keen awareness when there, that all is a gift of God and led us to praise and thank Him for the many graces and blessings we each had received throughout the SDFP Course.

 “In true Carmelite hospitality, we celebrated a very joyful Eucharist with the Friars, together with those in residence and many other invited friends of Carmel and guests and then shared a bountiful festive lunch. Thereafter, we had a private guided tour of the building and then came together to graduate in the simplicity and beauty of the Meditation Room where the tabernacle sits at the centre point, putting Jesus, just as Teresa did, at the forefront of our ceremony as we shared this special moment together in praise, thanksgiving and gratitude for the SDFP journey now completed, yet which beckoned us on to new horizons.

 “The ceremony included opening music, scriptural readings, a time for silence, some closing remarks from Father Kelvin and the recitation of a poem called “A New Beginning”. This led into a Ritual of Light where those on pilgrimage personally lit a candle and those online had one lit for them, symbolizing that we each, like Teresa and her foundation ‘Stars’, are taking God’s light out into the world. Commissioning for Service and the presentation of Certificates followed with prayer offered for each graduate and his/her ministry during this time. The fact that the same graduation format was undertaken both on pilgrimage and online enabled the essence of Carmelite spirituality and the prayerful beauty of contemplative silence to be directly encountered and created a memorable shared experience each graduate will retain. Just as Teresa built ‘Foundations’, so too have we built a foundation through our formation studies at CACS to work as spiritual directors. In the spirit of Teresa, so evident in both graduation ceremonies and in parts of CiTeS design, we know that we remain “unfinished” because our Heavenly Father continues to transform us into the likeness of His Son, through the working of His Spirit. It will be through His grace and merciful love, that as graduates, we can shine our light like a Teresian ‘star’ and fruitfully accompany others, placing all, as in the words of her poem, “In the Hands of God”.

 “For Teresa, God alone suffices and it is He who has enabled those of us who completed the Carmelite pilgrimage to be so richly blessed as we walked in her footsteps and those of St John of the Cross to graduate as Spiritual Directors in Ávila. Teresa’s hometown is a place of rich history, deep beauty and intimate prayer which offers a spiritual homecoming for all who embrace the spirituality of the Carmelite tradition & wish to walk with others as they journey through life.

“This is a pilgrimage worth undertaking as it enriches one’s understanding, love and appreciation for Carmel’s great Saints. It is one which will continue to yield many blessings in our work as Spiritual Directors, as we accompany others and continue the ‘golden chain’ of apostolic succession within the Church, giving witness to the merciful love of God in the spirit of Carmel’s two great Spanish Doctors of the Church, Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross, in whose footsteps we were greatly privileged to follow and whose deep and rich legacy we wish to generously share with all those whom we accompany.”

CLICK TO LEARN MORE:

Carmelite Priory,
Boars Hill,
Oxford
OX1 5HB

T: 07927 563653
E: admin@carmelite.org.uk
W: https://www.carmelite.uk.net/