`The Church of Saint Anthony of Padua

"Do you have a minute Father?"

People reach out to their priests for all kinds of things, particularly in times of  struggle and difficulty. Maybe you or someone you know has faced a loss of a  loved one or is dealing with a health issue of any kind. Perhaps you are  struggling with faith or finding it hard to find hope at a particularly  overwhelming time in your life. Sometimes people have questions about the  faith or prayer or are just looking for ways to deepen their connection with God.  There are many reasons why a person might ask, "do you have a minute Father?" We are happy to make ourselves available for spiritual direction or pastoral counseling as it is sometimes called for as many minutes as you may need! 

What is spiritual direction? It is different than going to see a professional therapist or counselor in the clinical sense. Instead, the focus of spiritual direction or pastoral counseling is to help a person answer the question, "where is God in all of this?" Through prayer, discussion, and other spiritual opportunities, by God's grace, a person is led to a deeper awareness of God's presence in their life and a clearer sense of direction. In essence, sometimes all we need is another person of faith in our life to share our journey with who is there with an open heart and without judgment to just listen and to offer support and encouragement. As your priests, we are happy to accompany you in the name of our Lord on your journey.