spiritual direction

Shalom provides a comfortable and peaceful setting for spiritual direction.

What is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual Direction is a ministry in which people are trained in the art of helping others walk the journey of faith — of helping others know where God is in their life, what God might be saying to them, and how they might grow in discipleship.

The individual seeking spiritual direction meets periodically with a director-companion to talk through the events of life and to discern God’s message and call.

See a list of our spiritual directors below.

Seeking God is a universal human quest — common to all ages and to all cultures. Growth in the quest for God happens when we pray with honest, authentic desire.

The spiritual director helps an individual to sort out the various desires in their life, and to recognize and respond to their desire for God.

God wants a personal relationship with each one of us. God has a dream — and it is for our happiness, even in this earthly life. The Good News that Jesus came to bring us is that we are friends of God! (John 15.15)

Growth in that friendship gives meaning and brings true happiness to life! Spiritual direction assists people in such growth. Shalom is happy to offer an opportunity for Spiritual Direction.

For questions or to make arrangements for Spiritual Direction, call Shalom at 563.582.3592.

meet our spiritual directors

Sr. Marci Blum, OSF

Sr. Marci earned her Doctor in Ministry (D.Min.) from St. Paul Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, MN and her Spiritual Director certification from the Center for Spiritual Guidance, St. Paul, MN. Blum has also been awarded Masters in Divinity and Masters in Religious Education degrees. Additionally, she is the author of the book Living Like Francis Today that was published in 2005.

Sr. Ginny Heldorfer, OSF

Sr. Ginny Heldorfer completed the three year Spiritual Direction Preparation Program at the Franciscan Spirituality Center, LaCrosse WI in 2017. She has experience in discernment skills, support groups for separated/divorced, grief groups as well as co-facilitating reflection/retreats with parishioners and college students.

Jade Angelica MDiv, DMin.

Jade guides seekers by combining various religious traditions’ wisdom teachings with the classical spiritual direction model developed by the early desert mothers and fathers. They believed that the path to knowing God is through self-discovery, enlightenment is within us, and that identifying our passions, attachments, desires, and motivations will help clear away obstacles and fears as we journey on.

Jade received her Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School in 1992, her spiritual direction training from the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, DC, in 2005, and her Doctor of Ministry in 2012 from Andover Newton Theological School. She was certified as a spiritual direction supervisor at C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction at North Park Theological Seminary in 2017.

Marion Huettner

Marion is a married laywoman with two young adult daughters. She received her certificate of completion in Spiritual Guidance/Direction from Siena Retreat Center in Racine, WI in November 2018. She is a member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI). Marion is rooted in the Catholic Christian faith tradition and has an inter-spiritual heart. She believes that everything is sacred/spiritual and that everyone and everything belongs. She hopes to receive persons who are seeking spiritual direction with nonjudgemental, open-hearted presence, no matter what their spiritual background might be.

Sr. Suzanne Rubenbauer, FSPA

Suzanne completed the 3-year Spiritual Director Preparation Program at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in LaCrosse, WI in 1988. She has personal experience and education in mindfulness based stress reduction techniques, mind-body-spirit awareness and integrative daily scripture spirituality. As a cancer survivor and presently a caretaker for her aging parent, Suzanne realizes the gifts of compassionate listening to self and others, moment-to-moment awareness, and seeing God in the ordinary. She brings this to her spiritual companioning practice.