Spiritual Direction
Support for your journey in faith
“We don’t know all the reasons that propel us to go on a spiritual journey, but somehow our life compels us to go. Something in us knows that we are not just here to toil at our work. There is a mysterious pull to remember…” (Jack Kornfield)
Explore your life journey one-on-one with a caring listener. All spiritual directors are trained professionals with a minimum of two years of certified course work. This is an opportunity for adults seeking a safe place to share hopes, joys, struggles, and losses.
Discover how God is present in your life when faced with transitions and difficulty. God is in everything.
What spiritual direction can offer
Faith and Discernment
- Helps those searching for relevance in God.
- Assists individuals in articulating their God experiences.
- Supports people during life transitions when it feels like God is distant.
Listening and Care
- Provides a safe place for people to have their stories heard.
- Is open-ended based on the individual’s needs.
- Centers prayer and conversation around your life journey.
Who will walk with you on your journey? Lay people from the Holy Family community who are trained in spiritual direction and knowledgeable about Christian spiritual practices, and people committed to their own faith journeys and spiritual development.
“When we honestly ask which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand… being present to each other is what really matters…” (Henri Nouwen)
Companions for your sacred story
Chris Evon
It’s a great honor to be part of the Spiritual Direction team at Holy Family. It isn’t always easy to find someone who is eager to listen to your faith journey. I would say it’s a spiritual gift, a grace from God, when you find another who shares in your eagerness to become closer to God, and who will listen intently to your story.
As a spiritual director, I hope to share in the discovery of how and when God is inviting you into a deeper relationship.
My professional background is in teaching, promotions and marketing at Wilson Sporting Goods, and running an international pickleball event, the US OPEN Pickleball Championships. I am a graduate of the 2-year Living School Program at the Center of Action and Contemplation under Richard Rohr, OFM, and I have completed the three-year Spiritual Directors Internship Program at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington.
I am active at Holy Family in the One In Love LGBT ministry and as a Minister of Care. I am blessed to have the opportunity to be with people in some of the more vulnerable times of their lives.
Say a prayer, listen quietly, and your heart will lead you to where God wants you to go.
Paul Horcher
I am grateful to be part of the Spiritual Direction Ministry at Holy Family. I am a parishioner at St. Anne in Barrington and have been my entire life. I have been married for 38 years, have 6 adult children and 6 grandchildren, and have been sitting with people in spiritual direction for over 12 years since completing a 3-year spiritual direction internship in the Ignatian tradition at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington Hills.
I also received a post-graduate diploma after completing 2 years of spiritual direction training in the Carmelite tradition through the Center for Applied Carmelite Spirituality.
I am a seeker and have been involved in a number of formation and self-discovery journeys over the last 25 years, including Called & Gifted lay ministry formation, hospital ministry as a Minister of Care, retreats and mission trips for high school students, study at Catholic Theological Union, extensive work in St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, men’s spirituality, the 2-year Living School through the Center for Action and Contemplation, nature-based spiritual reflection, and dream work.
I long to help people uncover their true self and discover how desperately they are loved. My perspective is that God’s love is all-encompassing and can be found in every situation.
Carol C. Pankros
I am privileged and blessed to be a part of the Holy Family Spiritual Direction ministry. I welcome you into this journey where God’s loving presence is leading us in conversation and prayer.
Several years ago, I met with a spiritual director from Holy Family and it changed my life. I was so grateful to discover how God was an intimate part of my daily life. He is here for us even when we don’t see or hear Him, and I am grateful to walk with others as they experience God’s love and care.
This life journey is what brought me into spiritual direction: the desire to listen and encourage others as they walk in their journey with God. I call our sessions “holding space” with someone centered and grounded in God’s love. I offer our time together as a confidential listening resource for whatever feelings you may be experiencing.
My training has been with Bellarmine Jesuit House in Barrington in their three-year program with ongoing resources. My practice is centered in the Ignatian tradition. I am a member of Holy Family Parish, married to my husband, Paul. We have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and 6 grandchildren.
Teresa Calpino
Teresa Calpino is an active member of Holy Family Catholic Community where she is the ministry lead for Small Christian Communities and the co-leader of the Phoebe Women’s Ministry. She is also on the team for the Beloved retreat ministry at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago, IL.
She is a graduate of the 2-year Spiritual Guidance Training Program with The Siena Center in Racine, WI and holds a BS from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and an MA and Ph.D. in Theology from Loyola University Chicago where she teaches Theology.
Teresa is passionate about the healing and transformational power of story. As a spiritual companion, she strives to listen deeply and hold space for each seeker’s sacred story.
She believes that spiritual direction is about walking with, listening to, and reflecting back the love of God that is within each human being. Through spiritual direction we become more aware of God’s presence in our daily life, explore our unique divine calling, and deepen our trust that we are God’s beloved child.