Sr. Mary Jo Chaves, a Franciscan Sister,  is the Foundress and foundational heart behind the Franciscan Spiritual Direction Training Program at FSC. This program flowed out of her own heart to offer to those interested in becoming spiritual directors a unique opportunity to be trained from a Franciscan perspective in the art of spiritual direction.  She has a deep passion for helping to integrate the unique Franciscan values she has gained in 54 years of experience in Sisters of St. Francis Community, twenty two of which she has spent ministering  full time as a spiritual director in the Portland area. Sr. Mary Jo is the Director of the program and  hopes that each participant will graduate from our two-year training with a deeper understanding of his/her identity as one who ministers in spiritual direction with a Franciscan heart and perspective.

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Eileen Parfrey brings seventeen years of experience in pastoral ministry and spiritual direction to our program.  After twenty previous years in the construction industry, she has a finely-honed passion for helping people find the sacred in ordinary living.  Eileen embodies a Franciscan heart with her creativity, joy and passion for peace! She uses her artist's heart and poet’s inclination to help craft meaningful spiritual and practical experiences for our SDTP that help each participant discover his/her giftedness within.

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