“Spiritual Direction I: Art of Accompaniment”
with Fr. Boniface Hicks
July 27–30, 2026
at St. Michael’s parish hall
Join Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks, co-author of Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love, and Personal Prayer: A Guide to Receiving the Father’s Love, in person in Portland, Oregon for “Spiritual Direction I: Art of Accompaniment” with Saint Vincent Seminary’s Institute for Ministry Formation.
Learn how to help others pray better, grow in their relationships with God, and help accompany others on their spiritual journeys to become better Christians. This course is for everyone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of the interior life, an understanding of the dynamics of growth in the spiritual life, and a listening heart to help others on that journey.
IMSD-601 Spiritual Direction 1: The Art of Accompaniment, 2 credits, Fr. Boniface Hicks
In person only: July 27 – July 30
Location: St. Michael Catholic Church
Class times: Monday–Thursday: 9–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–4:30 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
This course may be canceled if minimum enrollment is not met. A decision will be made on July 1.
This course is open to students in our Spiritual Direction Program or to those seeking personal enrichment as a Continuing Education student.
Application (if you are not already an IMF student):
To enroll in this course, you must first apply and be accepted as a student with the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary. Please be sure to review the Application Checklist. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee.
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Tuition and Fees:
Tuition for this two-credit course is $1340 for academic credit or $670 for Letter of Completion (Pass/Fail) participation. All students also pay a $150 technology and sundry fee each semester.
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Course expectations and requirements:
SD1: The Art of Accompaniment is a graduate-level, 2 credit course offered in a 5-day intensive format. While you will have time for liturgies, the coursework will otherwise require your full dedication, including possible late nights or early mornings to complete the coursework. Students are required to attend all lectures, complete daily reading and writing assignments, and engage in accompaniment practice sessions. Students will need a laptop or other device that is adequate for reading course materials and for writing, submitting assignments (document uploads), and posting to the discussion board (iPads are not recommended). These requirements apply to both Pass/Fail (Spiritual Direction Letter of Completion or CE) and Credit (Spiritual Direction Certificate or CE) students.
For students taking the course for credit (Certificate or CE): There will be an exam due Tuesday 11:59 ET, 4 days after classes end. An 8-12 page research paper is due the Monday (11:59 ET) that falls three weeks after classes end.
An audit option is available subject to capacity. Please note that audit students do not participate in accompaniment practice sessions. The tuition for audited courses in the same as the Letter of Completion tuition. Please note that audited courses cannot be applied toward a Letter of Completion program.
Questions? Please contact IMFAdvising@stvincent.edu.
Housing, transportation, and meals:
Students arrange for their own housing and local transportation for this commuter course. We are pleased to be able to offer students a light breakfast, coffee, and lunch Monday through Friday. Students will arrange other meals on their own. Airbnb or Vrbo are recommended for students who require housing. Please contact Greg Sherwood (503-407-4369 / ggsherwood1gg@yahoo.com) with questions about local accommodations.