1988: Sr. Harriet Schnurr SSND was hired by Archdiocese as a part-time spiritual director. Her duties included spiritual direction, workshops, and retreats. Direction sessions were held in rented space at John Paul II Centre. Stipends were paid to the archdiocese as recovery.

1992 – 1994: The Jesuit Community decided to gift the archdiocese with a training program for spiritual directors (Jubilee Year of Jesuit Order).  Rev. Paul Dungan, S.J. and Sr. Harriet Schnurr, SSND, approached Archbishop Charles Halpin who approved the program.  The training program was sponsored by the Archdiocese of Regina, Campion College and The John Paul II Centre.  The two-year training was held weekly at the John Paul II Centre.  The above leaders were assisted by Rev. Joseph Schner, S.J., and Rev. Monty Williams, S.J. The cost to the archdiocese was low due to donated time of team.  Ten participants of the program were commissioned as spiritual directors of the Archdiocese of Regina.

1996 -1998: A second two-year Training Program for Spiritual Directors was led by Rev. Paul Dungan and Sr. Harriet Schnurr, SSND, assisted by Rev. Joseph Schner S.J., Shirley Pady, Marlene Miller, and Marcia McGovern. Cost to the archdiocese was again low because time of team was donated. Ten participants of the program were commissioned as spiritual directors by Archbishop Peter Mallon.

1998: Sr. Harriet Schnurr and Marlene Miller approach Maurice Reider regarding a yearly budget for Spiritual Direction which includes salary of Sr. Harriet, rental of rooms at the John Paul II Centre, related costs for retreats, reflection evenings and materials, costs for resource person(s) for ongoing renewal of spiritual directors, promotion, etc. which is approved.

2000: Sr. Harriet left the Archdiocese and there was no staff replacement. Marlene Miller acted as volunteer co-ordinator of activities of the group reporting to the Pastoral Director of the archdiocese. The group continuds to use facilities rented at the John Paul II Centre for group meetings and individual spiritual direction. The archdiocese continued to provide funds for ongoing education of spiritual directors through attendance at workshops and cost of books for the spiritual direction library.

2007-2009: On a volunteer basis the third two-year training program for Spiritual Directors was led by Marlene Miller and Judith Pellerin with assistance from all members of the spiritual directors group in areas of program planning, candidate discernment, spiritual direction of candidates, small group sharing, and retreat support. Volunteerism extended to being resource persons on particular topics of spirituality and spiritual direction. Other resource persons (not spiritual directors) were given a stipend for their time and expertise.

The first year of the third training program was held at John Paul II Centre, and the group continued to use its facilities for retreats and meetings.  When John Paul II Centre closed, the second year of the program was held at St. Michael’s Retreat House.

2013-2015: The fourth two-year Spiritual Direction Formation program was held at St. Michael’s Retreat House. Eight Roman Catholic candidates and five from other denominations completed the program.

2017: Archdiocesan spiritual directors trained together to be able to offer the First Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius program in the archdiocese. It was then used in the Archdiocesan Lay Ministry Formation Program.

2018-2020: The Fifth two-year training program begins in September 2018 and concludes in June 2020 with eight new spiritual directors commissioned by Archbishop Don Bolen. Because of the Covid 19 Pandemic, which caused a worldwide lockdown and people were asked to isolate in their homes, April’s weekend took place online, May’s retreat to the LMFP folks was held online, and the commissioning was done online as well via Zoom.  The organizing team of Karen and Dennis Ziegler, Marlene Miller and Stephanie Molloy is supported by the efforts of many other current spiritual directors and resource people”.

During the beginning of the pandemic, spiritual directors found ways to continue to support their directees by meeting over the phone, using FaceTime, Zoom, WhatsApp, and even outdoors in parks when weather permitted. Spiritual Directors offered to be part of the support group that the Archdiocese of Regina set up for people struggling with the spiritual and isolating effects of the pandemic.

2021-2024:  Holy listening is the central call of Spiritual Directors in the Archdiocese of Regina.  During the second year of the pandemic, the creative Spirit of God continued to inspire the Spiritual Directors of the Archdiocese of Regina with new ways to continue to serve God’s people with holy listening via Zoom, Facetime, telephone, or any virtual way that accommodated them.  A blessing of meeting virtually is that gatherings support spiritual directors from other provinces, i.e. Kingston, Ontario; Brandon, Manitoba; Nanaimo, British Columbia; and New Zealand.

2022: During the third year of the pandemic, some spiritual directors slowly began to serve God’s people in person again while the creative Spirit of God continued to inspire all the directors of the Archdiocese of Regina with ways to continue with holy listening and meeting as a group via Zoom, Facetime, telephone, or any virtual way that accommodated them.

2023: Directors continue to support those who need support through post covid and the return to regular flu season while dealing with past fears and isolation brought on by the pandemic. In September 2023, the Spiritual Directors from the Archdiocese of Regina discerned to host another Spiritual Direction Formation Program.

2024: The sixth Spiritual Direction Formation Program begins with 10 candidates in their first year of the two-year formation program. The formation team consists of Karen and Dennis Ziegler, Terry Harty and Susan Askin.  Many of the existing directors help as resource people giving presentations and as prayer support.

The Archdiocese of Regina has 23 active spiritual directors journeying with those who come to them seeking spiritual direction, seeing people either in person or online, and journeying informally with people.  Some directors guide people through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and the First Spiritual Exercises.  Some directors use the skills and training of spiritual direction as they visit care homes, hospitals, meetings and daily life.  A college student interviewed a director on the subject of spirituality. Several directors attended the Archdiocesan synod gatherings, acting as facilitators of Spiritual Conversation, the conversation style founded by St. Ignatius.