HISTORY

A group of experienced spiritual directors met in October 2001 at the Milltown Institute in a response to a perceived need of many practitioners in the area of spiritual guidance to form a representative group. They agreed on the need for an ecumenical, broadly-based organisation to offer support to the practitioners of spiritual guidance, akin to that enjoyed by counsellors.

They invited thirty eight practitioners to become founder members to assist in the setting up of an Association for Spiritual Guidance. A number of committees were founded to help with this process, namely, Ethics, Credentialing and Accreditation, Events Planning and Registration.

Patronage was received from The Milltown Institute, All Hallows, CORI, and the University of Wales at Lampeter, for the launch of the Association which took place on the 27th April 2002.

Thus the All Ireland Spiritual Guidance Association was formed and was registered as a company limited by guarantee in April 2003.

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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims and objects for which the Association has been established are:

• To promote high standards of practice amongst its members who are spiritual guides, spiritual directors, spiritual counsellors, spiritual practitioners, spiritual consultants and spiritual supervisors

• To be a self-governing, non-profit organization which promotes a code of ethics and discipline among its members

• To represent its members with civil, religious and church organizations

• To address directives on behalf of its members in matters relating to the practice of spiritual guidance, spiritual direction, spiritual counselling, spiritual practitioning, spiritual consultancy and spiritual supervision

• To regulate for its members spiritual guidance, spiritual direction, spiritual counselling, spiritual consultancy and spiritual supervision through accreditation and credentialing

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CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS

Tom Cooney (Financial Secretary)

Una Brigid Agnew (Company Secretary)

Geraldine Holton (Vice-Chair)

John Finnegan (Chair)

Eileen Houlahan (Board Member: Events Co-ordinator)

Brendan Comerford (Board Member)

John Bennett (Board Member)

Appointed Director in November 2007

Noreen O’Shea, (H.Dip in Spiritual Guidance), Good Shepherd Provincialate, 245 Lower Kilmacud Road, Goatstown, Dublin 14

Membership / Events Secretary:

Sorcha Woods

FOUNDER MEMBERS

The founder members group consisted of thirty eight practitioners engaged in the ministry of Spiritual Guidance. They were representative of the various colleges, institutes and schools of theology and spirituality and religious formation in Ireland and Northern Ireland. They are:

Una Agnew, Spirituality Dept., Milltown Institute

John Bennett, Grace Dieu Retreat House, Waterford

Carmel Boyle, An Croí, Ashbourne

Phyllis Brady, Chaplain, Milltown Institute

Frances Canavan, Spiritual Director

Monica Comerford, Manresa House

Rose Marie Conlon, Spiritual Director, Adult Ed Clogher Diocese

Tom Cooney, Pastoral Dept., Milltown Institute

Jim Cogley, Spiritual Director

Eleanor Dorgan, All Hallows

Kevin Egan Behavioural Sciences Dept., All Hallows

Jeanne Estella, Spiritual Directors International

John Finnegan, AISGA Chairperson; Spirituality Dept., Milltown Institute

Bernadette Flanagan, Spirituality Dept., Milltown Institute

Denis Gleeson, Spiritual Director

Brian Grogan, President, Milltown Institute

Elizabeth Hanna, Rector and Spiritual Director

Angela Higgins, Manresa House

Martin Hogan, Mater Dei Institute

Geraldine Holton, An Croí, Ashbourne

Eileen Houlahan, Spirituality Dept., Milltown Institute

Maria Jansson, Rector and Spiritual Director

David Kelly, Spirituality Dept., Milltown Institute

Michael Leonard, Maynooth

Finbarr Lynch, Manresa House

Anne Lyons, Grace Dieu Retreat House

Dermot Mansfield, Manresa House

Bernadette McCarrick, Spiritual Director

Johanna-Mary Merry, Pastoral Dept., Milltown Institute

Gerard Moore, AISGA Secretary

Laurence Murphy, Manresa House

Conall O'Cuinn, Manresa House

Leon O'Giollain, Manresa House

Brian O'Leary, Spirituality Dept., Milltown Institute

Myles O'Reilly, Anamcharadas

Ciary Quirke, Manresa House

Kevin Scallon, All Hallows

Michael Serrage, Grace Dieu Retreat House

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OFFICE DETAILS

AISGA can be contacted in one of four ways:

Post : AISGA, c/o Milltown Park, Sandford Road, Dublin 6

E-mail: info@aisga.org

Mobile Phone: (+353) (087-202-8056)

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