Spiritual Direction
What is Spiritual Direction?
Jesus Christ used to take the Twelve Apostles away to a lonely place to pray with them. He also would reveal to them the deeper meaning of the Scriptures and even revealed to some of them a special place or mission they had in His work.
Since then, and all throughout the history of the Church, spiritual direction has had an important place in the Christian life. Here at Saint Paul’s, we are dedicated to providing for anyone who wants it, good people to guide you in the spiritual life.
If you want to be holy then you are ready to have a spiritual director. Below we have an excellent list of priests and religious to act as spiritual directors for any who request them. You can contact a director at your discretion and meet with them on your schedule.
Your director will not speak for God, but will help you to better understand the Word of God and how God is speaking to you.
Interested in spiritual direction? Contact one of our spiritual directors listed below!
Fr. Eric Nielsen has been the Pastor of Saint Paul’s since 2006 and a priest of the Diocese of Madison since 1995. The oldest of seven children, Fr. Nielsen grew up in Oshkosh, graduated in 1984 from the UW in Civil Engineering, and entered Mundelein Seminary in 1990. As a young man he enjoyed a lot of outdoor activity and travel but now spends most of his time at St. Paul’s encouraging students to focus on study and prayer as a path to know, love and serve Jesus Christ.
Fr. Tim was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Madison in 2020 and has been the Parochial Vicar of Saint Paul’s since 2021. The youngest of four children, Fr. Tim was born and raised in the Madison area. In 2010 he graduated as an officer from the U.S. Air Force Academy and in 2011 he completed training to become an Air Force pilot. After flying for three years he responded to the call to enter seminary and serve as a priest. He is Co-Sponsored with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA to serve as both a diocesan priest in Madison and a military chaplain in the U.S. Air Force. Fr. Tim seeks to help students grow in their own spiritual life and find a greater love for the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith.
The Sisters of Mary Morning Star are available for spiritual direction to women! They are at Saint Paul’s on Wednesdays and Fridays and if that doesn’t work, you may be able to schedule a time to go to them. If you are interested in spiritual direction with a sister, email mariastella.madison@gmail.com or call (608) 224-0251!
Fr. Greg Ihm grew up in Lancaster, WI on a farm, attended seminary in Rome, and was ordained in 2010. He is currently the vocation director for the Diocese of Madison and the Bishop’s Master of Ceremonies.
Sr. María José Sousa has belonged to the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary since 2014. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to Florida, USA with her family in 2004. There she got to know the Schoenstatt Movement and became a member of the Girls & Young Women’s branch. She got a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Florida and then moved to Wisconsin to enter the community of the Sisters of Mary, following God’s call to consecrate her life to him completely. As a Sister, she has had the opportunity to serve the Schoenstatt Girls & Young Women’s branch in Wisconsin and Texas, leading them to a deeper love for Christ and Mary through formation meetings, retreats, summer camps, etc. She is now the vocations director for the North American province of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. She’ll be at St. Paul’s on Tuesdays, available for spiritual direction to women.
To set up a meeting, contact her at: srmariajose@schsrsmary.org
