Spiritual Directors for Students
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Dan Allen
Associate Director of Spirituality and Service, Alumni Association
I serve at the Notre Dame Alumni Association overseeing our spirituality and service outreach. Spiritual direction has been a part of my life both as an undergraduate student at Notre Dame as well as part of the Master of Divinity program. It has been an honor to be part of the spiritual direction ministry on campus for the past few years. My topics of particular interest for spiritual direction include relationships, vocational discernment, marriage and family life, and Franciscan spirituality. While I am originally from Hays, Kansas, my wife and I now live in the area with our four children.
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Kate Barrett
Associate Director of Liturgy, Campus Ministry
I have worked in Campus Ministry at Notre Dame in many capacities over the years, while raising our four now-adult children with my husband. Through my own experiences in ministry and prayer, as well as spiritual direction training through Campus Ministry, I am particularly drawn to accompanying students discerning their next steps, seeking integration of their faith and identity, and exploring the ways God is present in all creation. I'm originally from "Chicagoland" as we say when we're not really from Chicago, and I love reading, running, biking and gardening.
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A. J. Bellia
O’Toole Professor of Constitutional Law
I have been teaching law at the University of Notre Dame for over 20 years. A central part of Notre Dame’s mission is to help students develop the “disciplined habits of mind, body, and spirit that characterize educated, skilled, and free human beings.” It is a privilege as a faculty member to participate in all facets of this educational mission, including spiritual direction—the help given by one to another to grow in relationship with God.
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Becky Czarnecki
Assistant Director of Faith and Justice, Campus Ministry
I am a campus minister at Notre Dame focused on providing students opportunities to encounter God through the poor and marginalized in our communities and around the world. I grew up all over the country due to my father's military career and after graduating from Providence College and completing the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, I came to the University of Notre Dame for the Master of Divinity program in 2009. Since graduating, I have remained in South Bend, serving in homeless ministry, parish work, and pastoral care with Notre Dame students. I am passionate about inviting students to embrace the radical call of the Gospel through attention to the "still small voice" of the Lord, through personal encounters with people who are marginalized, and through action on behalf of the oppressed. I'm a Midwesterner at heart with a handyman husband and two small children. You can find me drinking coffee, neglecting my house plants, and talking to strangers about Dorothy Day.
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Katie Diltz
Associate Director, ECHO
I work in the McGrath Institute for Church Life where I accompany graduate students in the Echo program and direct the Catechist Academy, which invites Notre Dame students to serve as catechists in local parishes. Much of my work involves forming people to serve the Church through professional and volunteer ministry. I welcome the opportunity to accompany graduate and undergraduate students who are seeking to grow closer to God through spiritual direction. Through conversation and attentive listening, we can explore helpful prayer practices and develop an awareness of God's presence and action. I am married and have three young children who ensure my life is never boring!
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Fr. Robert Lisowski, C.S.C.
Rector, Baumer Hall
I am a Catholic priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross. Currently I am blessed to serve as the
rector of Baumer hall on campus and to assist in a few areas in campus ministry. I hold a
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from St. John’s University in Queens, New York and M.Div.
from Notre Dame. A native of Scranton, PA, I am the oldest of three children. When not engaged
in ministry I enjoy reading, writing, swimming, traveling, theater/film, and socializing with
friends. Areas of special interest as a director include: contemplative prayer, vocational
discernment, and LGBTQ. -
Mary Catherine McDonald
Program Coordinator of Pastoral Care
I am a campus minister at Notre Dame focused on accompanying folks wherever they are in their spiritual journey. I have particular experience accompanying those in grief, doubt, disagreement, and discernment of relationships and vocation. I love accompanying people as they discover and embrace the gifts and challenges of their uniqueness. I grew up in South Bend, spent some time in Latin America, India, the Northwest, and Appalachia, before returning home. I love creating art, dancing, and nature walks.
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Fr. Frank Murphy, C.S.C.
Faculty Chaplain and Coordinator of Spiritual Direction
fmurphy4@nd.edu
P: (574) 631-5242
I am a Holy Cross priest and have been offering spiritual direction for over twenty years. In addition to being the faculty chaplain, I also coordinate the training and support of spiritual directors on campus. I trained in spiritual direction and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius at Loyola House, Guelph, Ontario. I have accompanied people of many backgrounds in East Africa, Canada and the USA. I enjoy helping others grow in their prayer life, relationship with God, and the discernment of decisions.
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Fr. Joe Pedersen, C.S.C.
Rector, Siegfried Hall
I am a Holy Cross priest and currently serve as the rector of Siegfried Hall. I am originally from Waterloo, Iowa. Before entering the Congregation of Holy Cross, I served in the Echo program, in which I focused primarily on young adult and college campus ministry, and taught high school theology. I completed my Master's of Divinity from Notre Dame in 2019. I am currently working on a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats from Creighton University.
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Brett Perkins
Assistant Director, Evangelization & Religious Education, Campus Ministry
I have been a campus minister at Notre Dame since 2004, and my primary ministry is in the area of Sacramental Preparation. In this work, I accompany students who are discerning a personal relationship with Jesus while exploring the possibility of becoming Catholic or reclaiming the Catholic faith. I am passionate about walking with students at any stage in this discernment, as well as those who seek to build an integrated life of prayer, or who are wrestling with questions about Catholicism. I also enjoy conversations with those who are just starting out in faith or exploring the possibility of belief in God. I became a Catholic Christian during my sophomore year here, and I hope to help students explore their place in the Body of Christ and what a relationship with Jesus could look like. I believe God desires a relationship of love with every person, and that we are most fully alive when we respond to God in love and strive to live as His disciples. I grew up on a farm in east central Illinois, and graduated from Notre Dame in 2001 (B.B.A., Finance & Theology) and 2011 (M.A., Theology). I love hearing stories over coffee, sharing life with family and friends, pilgrimaging to beautiful churches, cooking and baking, working on my house and yard, and otherwise savoring every season of Midwestern life.
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Rebecca Ruvalcaba
Director of Pastoral Formation, Master of Divinity Program
I am currently the Director of Pastoral Formation in the Masters of Divinity Program. I entered this role after five years of service as the Assistant Director of Outreach at University of Notre Dame Campus Ministry. I received my Masters of Divinity degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2017. I was born and raised in South Bend, In and have been married since 1996.
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Tami Schmitz
Associate Director, Pastoral Care, Campus Ministry
I have been in Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame for over 20 years. I received a B.A. in Sociology from St. Norbert College, a Masters in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in Chicago and my certification in Spiritual Direction from Creighton University. I welcome the opportunity to serve as a spiritual guide no matter where someone finds themselves on the journey of faith. Times of doubt and confusion can be some of the best opportunities for growth and understanding. I have a particular interest in the areas of grief, discernment, and relationships. I am trained in Ignatian Spirituality. I am originally from Door County, Wisconsin. I love Ireland, pickleball, hiking, the Green Bay Packers and the Amish.
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Mike Urbaniak
Assistant Director of Pastoral Care, Campus Ministry
Hello! I work as the Assistant Director of Pastoral Care, where I have the great honor of accompanying people in whatever is going on in their life, particularly through the eyes of faith. I also get to express this accompaniment in Spiritual Direction. I am interested in really helping people pray with the questions of life and becoming attuned to how God is speaking and moving in their lives. I find great peace in silence and contemplative prayer, but find great joy in helping people uncover their own "prayer fingerprint." I am originally from Toledo, OH, but have called South Bend home for 10 years. I am a graduate of Notre Dame ('10, M.Div. '14) and find great inspiration from the Congregation of Holy Cross. My wife, Megan, and I have three children who keep us on our toes, but mostly bring us so much joy. I like sports, (golf, in particular), musicals, nature, biking, and so much more.
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Fr. Rick Wilkinson, C.S.C.
Director of Health Care and Wellness, US Province of Holy Cross
I come from northern New Hampshire, where I got my first pair of skis when I was 3. I
entered the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1973 with a BA in Political Science. As a Holy
Cross seminarian, during my studies in theology, I spent a year in Bangladesh. After
ordination my ministries included pastoral ministry in the USA and Chile, and then
various ministries in formation of novices and seminarians. I served as Director of
Campus Ministry at St. Edwards’s University in Austin, TX for 14 years. In 2012 I was
appointed Provincial Vicar of the United States Province. Since 2018, my ministry has
been in healthcare with the Priests and Brothers of the US Province of Holy Cross. I am
the priest-in-residence at Walsh Hall. I believe spiritual direction is an essential part of
my journey and friendship with God and others. I find accompanying another person
on their journey an engagement of listening and attentiveness to God.