Spiritual Direction Team
Ann Siverling
Ann Siverling is currently not receiving new directees. Ann is a teacher, pastor, chaplain, spiritual director, writer, musician, and bereavement counselor. Ann received her B A. from St. Olaf College, M.Div. from Luther Seminary, MBA from Bethel University, certification in Spiritual Direction from the Christos Center in Lino Lakes, certification on Servant Leadership from University of Madison Continuing Studies, and certification in Thanatology (the study of death, dying and bereavement) from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Ann has also been an oblate of St. Paul’s Monastery since 2013. Ann has been blessed by the listening and guidance of her own spiritual directors for the past 25 years. She has experienced being listened to “with the heart of God” by her own spiritual directors, and that is what she tries to do with her own directees. Ann’s spirituality can best be described as both Benedictine and Ignatian. Ann finds immense joy and wonder in listening deeply to others, and to help them see God’s “fingerprints” in their lives. Ann loves to help others see where God’s direction is leading them to follow God’s call both in the ordinariness and in the extraordinariness of life. Ann believes it “takes a…
Gwen Pickering
Gwen is accepting new directees. Given the fact that I have ADHD, failed second grade, and struggled through the early years of school, it is a surprise even to me that I have a masters degree in counseling. After many years of leading marriage retreats with my husband and teaching about relationships, I heard God call me to the ministry of Spiritual Direction. I was being called to switch from helping people with their relationships with one another to helping them grow in their relationship with the Divine. I answered the call and enrolled in a program to be a spiritual director at The Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse WI from 2016 to 2019. Because Ignatian Spirituality, particularly the Exercises, have had a huge impact on my life, I also trained to lead the Ignatian Exercise through Sacred Ground in 2020. I am fascinated by the dance between spirituality, psychology and science – especially quantum physics and neuroscience. I have special interests in healing the unconscious, mindfulness, The Welcoming Prayer, Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, the Ignatian Exercises, and the way our thoughts and emotions create our world. Through Benedictine and Ignatian spirituality, I have come to know the…
Jennifer Frenz
Jennifer Frenz is a graduate of the Spiritual Direction Formation Program at Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. She is a trained group facilitator with a Business degree from Purdue University. Jennifer is the mother of 3 adult children and has been happily married for 34 years. She is a member and volunteer at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Jennifer Frenz is open to receiving new spiritual directees at this time. She is available to meet in person at the Benedictine Center or virtually on Zoom. Jennifer is a compassionate spiritual director focused on helping people deepen their relationship with God. As a person of faith, she has always felt called to serve others, and finds great joy in accompanying people on their spiritual journeys. Jennifer’s approach to spiritual direction is deeply rooted in the teachings of Saints Ignatius and Benedict. She believes that God speaks to us through our experiences and that we can discern God’s will by paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and desires. In spiritual direction, she encourages directees to cultivate a contemplative stance towards life, to listen for the movements of the Holy Spirit, and to discern how God is calling them to…
Laurie Erickson
Laurie is open to receive new spiritual directees. I remember my first spiritual direction session, the acceptance and non-judgmental listening, without a need to fix or change me. I felt truly heard and seen, able to speak out the heartbreak in my heart. God loves us ‘imperfections’, wounds and all. Encountering the stories of Jesus and listening for the Holy Spirit is life giving and sustaining. Being together is healing. I love to listen with others to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit. Noticing where God’s presence and action within is coming alive, or being very quiet. Sometimes we encounter difficult and or disturbing situations and we have a hard time seeing where God’s love, comfort and peace is. Together we can listen, be curious and discover God’s healing balm and Jesus’ loving presence. If you are yearning to discern God’s presence and will in your life, please contact me for a free initial session. More: I was trained as a Spiritual Director at Christos Spiritual Formation Center in Lino Lakes. I encourage Centering Prayer or other contemplative practice to prepare one’s heart to listen for God’s guidance and direction. I enjoy using bio-spiritual focusing as another way to listen…
Sister Virginia Matter, OSB
(Sister Virginia is open to meeting with retreatants, but is no longer meeting with ongoing spiritual directees.) Virginia Matter, OSB is a member of St. Paul’s Monastery and came to the Center from the health care field. She worked in nursing and in pastoral ministry. Virginia has done significant preparation in the area of spirituality, Centering Prayer, Bio-Spiritual Focusing, retreats, and Spiritual Direction. She also has experience in pottery and Native American creative arts. CONTACT e | vmatter@benedictinecenter.org Available for: One-on-one spiritual direction Bio-spiritual focusing Pottery instruction Questions about Centering Prayer
Peter Watkins
[Peter Watkins is not accepting new directees at this time.] Peter Watkins, M.Div. is a certified spiritual director and retreat leader at the Benedictine Center. He holds a certificate in spiritual direction from Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality where he teaches and accompanies people through the Ignatian Exercises. He is a life-long runner, father of three sons, and a bluegrass banjo player.
Sheryl Rose
(Sheryl Rose is open to receiving new spiritual directees at this time.) Sheryl Rose is an Oblate of St. Paul’s Monastery, a Spiritual Director at its Benedictine Center and a daily practitioner of Lectio Divina. Sheryl offers retreats for those seeking peace and connection to the Divine using the sacred path of the labyrinth and presents workshops on the challenges and blessings of living with chronic illness or conditions of pain and/or fatigue, drawing from her own experience of living with fibromyalgia over the last 18 years. Milestones on her spiritual journey include training as a spiritual director at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI, certification as a Labyrinth Facilitator at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and a graduate degree in Leadership and Spirituality from St. Catherine University. Sheryl is retired from over 25 years of parish ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. (Sheryl Rose is open to receiving new spiritual directees at this time.) Sheryl writes: Being a first born overly responsible type, I worked full time while raising two children and volunteering at our parish and in the community. This life was managed by color coded calendars, sticky notes and to do lists posted…
Steve Arnold
Steve is open to receiving new directees. Steven (Steve) F. Arnold is a Deacon within the Lutheran confessional movement of the Church catholic. Steve is certified as a Director of Christian Education and as a Lutheran Teacher and has served the Church through parish ministry, teaching at a Lutheran high school, and serving on the faculty of a Lutheran university where he taught parish leadership and lifespan faith formation. Steve currently serves as a Chaplain at Crest View Senior Communities. Steve is a Spiritual Director, in the Christian tradition, and is a member of Spiritual Directors International. Steve continues in ongoing personal formation as a spiritual director. Steve’s formation as a Spiritual Director took place through The Christos Center. Steve has served as an organizational consultant and also has served on many boards and committees over the years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Wittenberg English Ministry and on the Board of Directors for Venite Ministries in Minneapolis. Steve is a teacher, retreat leader, speaker, author, chaplain, tour leader and bridge-builder. His work has included a number of cross-cultural and international experiences of bringing Christians together from around the world to learn and grow together. Steve’s doctoral work and…
Kami Pohl
(Kami Pohl is open to receiving new spiritual directees at this time.) Kami Pohl received her training as a spiritual director from the Franciscan Spirituality Center (La Crosse, WI), and she has received advanced training in BioSpiritual Focusing from the BioSpiritual Institute. Kami has experience in working on a church staff as Director of Community Engagement, in classroom teaching, in organizational development and training, and in being a full time Mom. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in human resource development from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband live in Plymouth and enjoy time with family, friends, taking long walks, listening to live music and reading. Kami writes: I am a mirror that follows the Light to notice, listen, connect, reflect and encourage. That is my short explanation for who I am as a spiritual director or companion. The longer story of my involvement with spiritual direction began in the fall of 2012 when I was going through a time of transition. Changes in my family and work helped me realize I did not feel that I was living out my call from God. I longed for my spiritual journey to be woven into the fabric of each…
Tod Twist
(Tod Twist is open to receiving new spiritual directees at this time.) Tod trained as a Spiritual Director through the program at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI. He works in building maintenance at St. Paul’s Monastery as his “day job,” and he likes it a lot. He was a grad student in biblical studies for a long time before that, and then a stay-at-home dad before he began working at the Monastery in late 2019. Tod writes: After things went differently in mid-life than I thought they were supposed to, spiritual direction was a big part of my learning to live the life that was actually happening for me, as opposed to the life that I thought I was supposed to be living. It took a long time for me to adjust, and I needed others to listen to me as I trudged through it all. Aside from marrying my beloved spouse and being blessed with our two children, the best thing that has ever happened in my life is growing in my experience of God’s presence. For me, that experience of God’s presence comes along different pathways—some traditional, some unexpected. These days, I’m aware of…
Rev. Peggy Thompson
(Rev. Peggy Thompson is open to receiving new spiritual directees at this time.) Rev. Peggy Thompson (known as Margaret Carroll in the art world) is a chaplain, spiritual director and artist who enjoys combining creativity and spirituality in her own work and with her clients. Peggy received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, an M.Div. from United Theological Seminary, and certification in spiritual direction from The Cenacle Retreat Center. She is ordained in the United Church of Christ and is board certified in The Association of Professional Chaplains. Peggy has been an Oblate of St. Paul’s Monastery since 1993 and has been trained to teach Centering Prayer. She maintains a studio in the Northrup King Building in Northeast Minneapolis where she paints, as well as a family cabin in the North Woods where she finds rest and renewal. Learn more at www.mcarrollartist.com.
