A Parish Catechist

Spiritual exploration and faith development are personal and at the same time communal.  It takes interaction with a community and other individuals of faith to grow/mature in one’s faith journey.  Within various faith traditions, a community, any number of people and groups within faith traditions contribute the faith maturation of individuals. – pastors-rabbis-imams, faith formation staff, parishes, parish communities, prayer groups, faith circles and other communities….

Within that context, some individuals emerge who provide spiritual accompaniment: accompanists, faith mentors, spiritual directors, soul friends, and the like. 

Spiritual accompaniment is a relationship between individuals in which one individual helps facilitate another’s exploration and continued growth (maturity) in their faith journey.

Spiritual accompaniment takes innumerable forms, such as:

• A youth minister takes a spiritually curious young person “under their wing.”
• Someone at a parish notices that a parishioner “is at loose ends” or “looking for direction in their faith” and takes on a one–on-one faith guidance role.
• A parishioner who is experiencing a life transition – starting college, entering the workforce, having a child, losing a loved one, retiring, etc – asks their pastor for guidance and is directed toward “Hey, X or Y person would be a good person for you to connect with at this time.”
• An individual looking to potentially join a faith tradition – or a different denomination within a tradition – may be assigned a mentor and/or a lay minister to guide their faith inquiry.
• A parishioner may admire a fellow parishioner who has matured in their faith and ask the person for guidance and/or “faith friendship.”
• In various contexts, individuals exist who provide formal spiritual accompaniment to individuals looking for individual direction in their faith (spiritual directors, formal “faith mentors,” etc.). Such accompaniment often takes place when an individually formally seeks this out – when a person is actively looking to grow their faith; during a period of questioning, doubt, or struggle; during periods of transition (life transitions, transitioning from one stage of faith to another); when a person wishes to continually hold themselves accountable in faith.

A Parish Catechist encourages you to find and engage in spiritual accompaniment. Look to approach spiritual accompaniment with individuals who are well-rooted in a positive and maturing faith direction. Further insights into choosing a faith accompanist are discussed further at the Ignatian Spiritual Direction website.

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