Who are we?
Conference of Spiritual Directors Australia (CSD Australia) is a professional not-for-profit association of spiritual directors committed to a contemplative approach in the ministry of spiritual direction. Our members include spiritual directors who have graduated from spiritual direction formation courses that share the same contemplative spirit and philosophy. We welcome spiritual directors of all beliefs who share our contemplative approach to spiritual direction.
Currently about half of our membership are single or married women and men; and about half are members of religious congregations or men and women who are priests.
CSD Australia supports Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction (AECSD) which is a council that serves the spiritual direction community in Australia. CSD Australia is one of three national spiritual direction associations that look to AECSD as the body that sets out standards and guidelines for the formation of spiritual directors and their ethical practice.
Our beginnings date back to 1986. Its inspiration came initially from courses conducted by the Centre for Religious Development (CRD) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
ADMINISTRATION TEAM
National Chair
Rita Malavisi
chair@csdaustralia.com
0419 299 065
Treasurer
treasurer@csdaustralia.com
Membership Co-ordinator
Communications Co-ordinator
Karen Englebretsen
communications@csdaustralia.com
0413 883 251
MEMBER PROFILES
To get to know our community of spiritual directors this page will progressively include a photo and brief profile of Conference of Spiritual Directors Australia (CSD Australia) members.
Rita Malavisi, our National Chair was the first to be profiled, also appearing in the new Member Profile section of the March 2021 newsletter.
To read Rita’s profile and other CSD member profiles click here.
OUR CONSTITUTIONS
Conference of Spiritual Directors Australia (CSD Australia) is a voluntary unincorporated association of persons in Australia engaged in the ministry of spiritual direction. Its origin and its philosophy stem from the contemplative approach to spiritual direction formerly practised and taught at the Centre for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The association is a not-for-profit organisation and any monies held will be applied exclusively for the aims and objectives of the association and will not be redistributed to members, except in the eventuality that the association is dissolved.
To download or view a copy of our Constitution, click here.
OUR HISTORY
1986 – Our Beginnings
A gathering was held at Healesville with graduates from the full-time course at the Centre for Religious Development (CRD), Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduates from the 10-week courses in Adelaide (1985) and Melbourne (1986) presented by Bill Connolly and Madeline Birmingham in Australia.
An association was formed named ‘CRD Graduates Australia’ and members from various Australian states took turns to organise an annual Conference in their state for the national group.
The inaugural CRD Graduates Australia Conference was held in Point Piper NSW in 1987.
1995
Formulation of a Code of Ethics and Constitutions was begun that reflected the CRD philosophy and contemplative practice of spiritual direction.
2006
The association changed its name to Conference of Spiritual Directors Australia (CSD Australia).