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People of many faith traditions have received spiritual direction – or been trained as spiritual directors. Others have been enriched by retreats and days of prayer. And interested people throughout southern Michigan have together explored a variety of spiritual and theological topics. This diverse spiritual awakening and deepening has come about over the years through the ministry of the Dominican Center for Religious Development. For 21 years, the Center has been committed to serving the faith community of the greater metropolitan Detroit area. The DCRD’s Mission Statement best sums up the Center’s mission: "In the Dominican tradition, we strive to nurture the contemplative dimension of life by assisting people of every faith to relate to God."

The Beginning Years: Focusing the Mission

Founded in September, 1980 as the Detroit Center for Religious Development, the Center was opened by five staff members: Charlotte Hoefer, O.P., Director; John Gaughn, C.S.B.; Ray Maloney; Kathleen McGrail, O.P.; and Eleanor Stech, O.P. Since then, others joined the staff: Carol Johannes, O.P., Barbara Cervenka, O.P. and Rosemarie Kieffer, O.P.

The DCRD focused on three purposes:

• To provide spiritual direction to all who come to the Center – lay men and women, clergy and religious of a variety of faith traditions. The Center has always recognized that God communicates to all people, who become aware of this communication through contemplation and personal reflection. Spiritual directors help to clarify God’s message to each person.
• To offer a training and formation program for spiritual directors. The Internship in Spiritual Direction Program began in 1983, originally consisting of a year of theological training, pastoral education, ongoing theological reflection and individual supervision.
• To offer opportunities for adult faith development through retreats, workshops, days and evenings of reflection, and adult education courses.

Since its founding, the Center has always responded to the needs of the times. Beginning in 1984, for example, the interns offered spiritual direction to Grand Rapids Dominicans in Marywood until spiritual directors from the Grand Rapids area could be trained.

In order to offer ongoing professional opportunities for updating and continuing education, the DCRD staff began to offer annual Graduate Seminars in the spring of 1984. In 1987, the DCRD and Weber Center in Adrian jointly sponsored the Graduate Program. Charlotte and Carol initially planned the programs, and eventually the Colloquium for Spiritual Directors became a sponsored program of Weber Center. Today, the Colloquium attracts approximately 100 participants, all experienced spiritual directors. Charlotte and Carol continue their involvement planning the colloquium with Pat Benson, OP, of Weber Center.

In 1988, the Center expanded its program, offering directed retreats at three retreat centers in Michigan: Augustine Center in Conway, the Capuchin Retreat House in Washington and St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt. In addition, staff members directed retreats at motherhouses of other congregations and at various retreat houses and centers.

The Middle Years: A Move Brings New Life

1993 was a year of significant change for the DCRD. It was in that year that the Center was moved from Detroit to Dearborn Heights, sharing space with the Nokomis Mission Chapter office. Charlotte, Carol, Barbara and Rosemarie continued on at the new location. They were later joined by Veronica Maher, Gail Bacigal, Therese Craig, OP, and Father Victor Clore. At the same time, the Center’s name was changed to the Dominican Center for Religious Development.

In response to the needs of full-time ministers, the Center also changed the spiritual direction internship program from a full-time, one-year commitment to a two-year, part-time program. This allowed participants to continue with their ministries while attending classes for one full day every other week. Today, program material includes the stages of spiritual growth, the history of Christian spirituality, personality theories and issues in spiritual direction. The Spiritual Direction Practicum includes case studies, individual supervision and skilled dialogue.

The Expansion Years: The Ministry of DCRD Moves Beyond Southeast Michigan

The DCRD also expanded its programs to reach people outside the immediate Detroit area. In 1992 Sisters Carol, Charlotte and Suzanne Eichhorn, a Dominican from Grand Rapids, began an Internship in Spiritual Direction Program at St. Francis Retreat Center in Dewitt, MI. Today they continue to offer that program.

In 1994, Charlotte, Suzanne and Father Phil Shangra began an internship program in Grand Rapids, MI. After the first class graduated, Charlotte left the program, Suzanne and Phil continued until Nancy Brousseau, OP, a graduate of the DCRD Internship Program, took over.

Staff members also extended their influence by serving as adjunct faculty at St. Joseph College in Hartford, CT and Aquinas Institute of Theology, both at its original location in Dubuque, Iowa and at its current site in St. Louis, MO. They have also served as adjunct faculty members of Michigan schools: Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Orchard Lake, St. John’s Seminary in Plymouth and Sacred Heart Seminary and Marygrove College, both in Detroit.

Through All the Years: Committed to Adult Faith Formation

Along with spiritual direction and the internship program, the DCRD is "also committed to supporting adult faith development through working with local churches, religious congregations and individuals" (DCRD Mission Statement). To this end, the Center offers such programs as Theological Foundations, a series of adult education classes offered in collaboration with St. Colette Parish in Livonia. These Saturday morning classes, offered monthly from October through March, explore such topics as "The Wisdom of Job," "Method in Theology," "Women in Scripture," "New Questions in Bio-Ethics" and "Spirituality and Justice: Confronting Dualism in the 21st Century."

As a member of Spiritual Directors International, the Center staff also contributes to the professionalism of spiritual direction. With Charlotte as regional contact for SDI in southeast Michigan, the Center staff critiques the quality of spiritual direction offered in the region and develops programs according to need to ensure the continued quality of spiritual direction.