The Listening Heart is a two-year formation program offered by the Ignatian Spirituality Institute for those who feel called and desire to enter the ministry of spiritual companioning. Offered online, with a required residency retreat each year, the program invites participants into a sustained process of learning, prayer, reflection, and personal growth.
More than the development of skills, this is a formation of the heart. At ISI formation is experiential, rooted not only in the study of Ignatian spirituality but in the lived experience of prayer, personal reflection, shared conversation, and the practice of spiritual accompaniment.
Participants are invited to deepen their own relationship with God, grow in freedom and interior awareness, and become more attentive to the sacred pilgrimage of another person's relationship with God. Through the lens of their own experience of ongoing personal prayer, reflection, spiritual conversation with others, and attentive engagement with the Ignatian tradition, participants come to a lived understanding which shapes the practice of ministry. This formation unfolds from within, trusting that the capacity to accompany another grows through one's own continuing experience of being accompanied by God.
Formation of the Heart Rooted in the Ignatian Tradition
Though knowledge and technique are important, Ignatius recognized "it is not much knowledge that satisfies the soul." The art and skill of spiritual accompaniment develop over time. It begins with:
- listening to another person with care and reverence,
- listening for and recognizing the movements of the Spirit,
- honoring the freedom of the person accompanied,
- learning to trust the work God is already doing and trusting that God is at work in ways we may not fully understand.
Formation invites us not only to learn about the tradition of Ignatian spirituality, but also to allow its wisdom to shape our own interior lives, relationships, and practice of accompanying others. The program unfolds the tradition through:
- Sources of Wisdom: We engage with the Spiritual Exercises, the letters of Ignatius, his Autobiography, Spiritual Diary, and the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus.
- A Living Tradition: We learn from the lives and wisdom of those who embody and continue to shape the Ignatian charism.
- Experiential Formation: We enter into Ignatian spirituality through personal prayer, lived experience, shared reflection, and the practice of spiritual accompaniment.
- Learning Together: We integrate readings, presentations, case studies, and conversation with personal reflection and practical experience.
- Ongoing Transformation: We deepen our capacity to listen, discern, and accompany others through a willingness to be accompanied and continually formed by the Spirit.
Formation is not simply the study of a tradition but an opportunity to experience its wisdom and allow it to shape our lives. The Listening Heart program comes together as a learning community invited to a sustained process of scholarship and conversion, in which knowledge, experience, and reflection become integrated over time.
Our way of proceeding
- Two years of formation | September–June
- September–May (excluding December): Online gatherings twice each month for two hours, combining presentation, reading, prayer, conversation, and reflection.
- June: A first year and second year in-person residency retreat in Dallas, Texas, for shared prayer, deeper reflection, community building, and integration of learning.
- Between gatherings, participants will engage in assigned readings, presentations, and personal reflection to prepare for our time together.
The two-year journey allows space for learning to take root, questions to deepen, and the practice of spiritual accompaniment to mature over time. The second year, participants will have opportunities to move into spiritual accompaniment with mentoring by the ISI formation team.
Who Should Apply?
The Listening Heart is intended for those who feel called by the Lord and have the desire to journey with others through spiritual companioning in the Ignatian tradition. Applicants are encouraged to bring a desire to engage in personal reflection, participate actively in a learning community, and remain open to the ongoing work of formation in their own lives.
Admission begins with prayerful discernment. We invite each applicant to carefully review the Discernment for Readiness page, which offers important reflection points to help you consider whether this formation is the right next step for you at this time. We also ask that you read the Participant Covenant, which outlines the commitments, expectations, and spirit of the program.
If, after prayer and reflection, you sense the invitation to move forward, the next step is to complete and submit the application form. ISI practices rolling admissions for the limited spaces of the cohort. The admission process includes personal interviews scheduled with the ISI formation team once application is received.
Applications will open on November 15, 2026 and will close when the cohort is filled or on June 30, 2027.
Application Requirements
Applicants must:
- Have personally made the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius through either the 19th Annotation (the Exercises made in daily life one to one with a director) or the 20th Annotation (the thirty day Spiritual Exercises made in a retreat setting one to one with a director).
- Be willing to participate fully in the two-year formation process, including online gatherings, assigned readings, personal reflection, and the two required June residency retreat in Dallas, Texas.
- Bring an openness to learning, self-reflection, and growth in the ministry of spiritual accompaniment.
- Be receiving spiritual direction currently and ongoing.
Costs:
Tuition for Two Year Program $3900
- Includes room and board for two required residency retreats
- Includes online access to materials and presentations
- May be paid annually, by semester, or monthly ($300 non-refundable deposit on acceptance to the program and applied to total cost of tuition)
- Participants will be responsible for personal travel expense to the residency retreat.
- It is possible a few books will be required for the program which participants will be responsible to purchase.
Program Schedule and Dates
- A listing of The Listening Heart program 2027-2029 session schedule and dates can be found here
The Ignatian Spirituality Institute welcomes those who feel drawn to this journey and who desire to cultivate a listening heart for the sake of others. Contact the Ignatian Spirituality Institute via our contact form or call 940-268-8788 for additional information.
Presenter(s):
Anthony Borrow, S.J.
Anthony is a Jesuit priest of the Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus. He completed his theological studies at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. Since Anthony's ordination in 2010, he served as campus minister, school counselor and theology teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston, Texas. He also served as the Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico and IT Director for Jesuit Refugee Service at the Roman Curia of the Society of Jesus. He is the author of Toward Greater Freedom, an adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Anthony has a Master of Arts in Counseling and Family Therapy from St. Louis University and has worked with gang members in Honduras and those incarcerated in prisons, jails, and detention centers. Anthony enjoys playing racquetball, cooking and promoting the use of open source software. He currently serves Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat at the Roman Curia of the Society of Jesus.
Billy Huete, S.J.
A native of New Orleans, Fr. Billy was the first-born of six sons. After graduating from Jesuit High School of New Orleans in 1970, he entered the Society of Jesus at Grand Coteau. He received his undergraduate degree from Spring Hill College, double-majoring in philosophy and English. He then taught English and geometry at Strake Jesuit in Houston for three years as a scholastic. He studied theology in Rome at the Gregorian University for three years, was ordained a priest in 1982, and followed up with one more year of theology studies in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After receiving his degree from Fordham University in Educational Administration, he was appointed principal of Strake Jesuit, a post he held for six years. From 1991 until 2008 he worked at the Jesuit Novitiate in Grand Coteau, first as the assistant to the Novice Director, and then as Director of Novices for thirteen years. Fr. Billy has served on the boards of Strake Jesuit, Jesuit College Prep of Dallas, and Cristo Rey Jesuit College Prep of Houston. Former rector of the Jesuit Community at Jesuit College Prep, Fr. Billy served as Socius of the Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus 2020 to 2025. He now serves in retreat ministry at Grand Coteau Retreats and as community superior in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. He enjoys movies, reading, and music.
Carol Atwell Ackels
Carol is Director of the Ignatian Spirituality Institute. A spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition she serves as retreat director of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in various formats. She offers weekend retreats, the Exercises in Everyday Life, and one-to-one directed retreats at Jesuit retreat houses across the United States. Carol regularly gives programs and days of reflection to parish and Church groups. She launched and continues to give workshops to shape persons, Jesuits and lay, who are moving into retreat ministry and spiritual companioning in the Ignatian tradition. Appointed by the Provincial, Carol served six years on the bi-province Commission on Ministry--the group that discerns long-range planning for apostolic work of the Jesuits and their colleagues. Carol co-authored with Joe Tetlow, S.J. the twelve week Ignatian retreat Finding Christ in the World, and worked with Anthony Borrow, S.J. developing the Toward Greater Freedom retreat for parents at Jesuit College Prep of Dallas. Carol holds a J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law, Dallas and a Master of Art in Theology and Leadership from Gonzaga University, Spokane. She and her husband reside in Dallas and are the parents of five adult children and their spouses, and grandparents to ten.
Michelle Anderson
Michelle’s journey in Ignatian spirituality began with the Finding Christ in the World program at her parish and continued through her formation as a spiritual companion with ISI. As an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, she walks with others as they explore their relationship with the Lord and recognize God’s presence in their lives. She also accompanies those making the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises and has served as a companion for several ISI offerings including Finding Christ in the World, the Forgiveness Retreat, Prayer in Practice and Ways of Praying Ignatian course. Michelle serves as ISI’s Coordinator for Spiritual Direction and is a member of its Board. A former Catholic school educator, she remains active in her parish as a senior acolyte, a mentor to engaged couples, and a facilitator for a women’s group. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Plano and have three adult children and seven grandchildren.
Sheila DeSantis
ISI Founding Board and former Board Chair, ISI Formation Team
Sheila is an Ignatian spiritual and retreat director. She helps others make the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday life, as well as serving as companion for the Toward Greater Freedom retreat at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, and Finding Christ in the World retreat in various parishes and churches. She has continued serving the retreats for many years while also helping form and train new Companions. Sheila served as founding Chair of the ISI Board of Directors. Sheila was in the first group to make both the Toward Greater Freedom retreat and the Finding Christ in the World Retreats. She participates in days of reflection and retreats at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House including both personal and couples retreats, and numerous ISI workshops. Sheila made the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday life and completed the ISI Spiritual Companioning program in 2015. Sheila is an architect, and enjoys traveling, viewing art, and painting. She and her husband live in Dallas and have two adult children.
Cyndy Mathews
Spiritual Exercises Retreat Coordinator and ISI Formation Team
Cyndy has worked with ISI since its inception in 2013. Prior to that, she served for many years in parish ministry and leadership, including spiritual companioning. Cyndy completed the spiritual director formation program at Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spirituality in Clearwater, FL. She meets with individuals in ongoing spiritual direction and serves as a guide for the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Cyndy has experience in facilitating faith-sharing groups as well as ISI courses on prayer and Ignatian spirituality. She regularly attends retreats and workshops and participated in the Foundations program led by Fr. Joe Tetlow, SJ. Cyndy also serves as a spiritual director for one-to-one directed retreats at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House, and has offered days of reflection there as well. She and her husband, Jack, are parents of wonderful adult sons, an amazing daughter-in-law, and take great delight in having entered the joyous season of grandparenting.
MK Simion
ISI Formation Team
MK began her Ignatian journey with the Toward Greater Freedom retreat at Jesuit College Preg Dallas in 2008. Soon after her initial experience she continued her journey by making the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises. She served three years as the director of the Toward Greater Freedom retreat for Jesuit College Prep parents and continues to serve as a companion for groups making the retreats in everyday life in various parishes and churches in the Dallas area. She continues her ongoing ministry as spiritual director and serves on the ISI formation team preparing others to accompany God's people. MK generously served two years as Chair of ISI's Board of Directors, and continues her work as a member of the Board. MK is married to Steve Simion and they are the parents of four grown children.
Melissa Smith
Melissa is a formation leader and spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition. She enjoys accompanying others in one-to-one and group spiritual direction, facilitating retreats and serving as a guide in the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises. Melissa made the 19th Annotation Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life and completed her formation as a spiritual companion through ISI. She currently serves ISI in Program Development. Melissa holds a Master of Arts in Religion with a specialization in Christian Formation and Catechesis from Trinity Anglican Seminary. She has served for numerous years in parish, diocesan and provincial ministry and leadership and currently as the Director of Children’s, Family and Women’s Ministries at Christ the Redeemer, Fort Worth, Texas. Melissa is a Level 1 and 2 Catechist in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and is in formation as a Level 3 Catechist. She is continually in awe from the grace of listening to how God invites both the young and the older of us generously into His presence. She and her husband, Roger, live in Fort Worth, TX, and have 3 adult sons and two daughters-in-law. Spending time with family, her dogs, a good book and the stillness and beauty of nature brings joy and refreshment.
Debbie Wallace
Debbie Wallace is a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition. She enjoys facilitating retreats and days of reflection rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola. Debbie received her formation from the Ignatian Spirituality Institute, recently joining their Board of Directors. With a spiritual direction certification from Truett Seminary, and a lecturer and supervisor in this program, she holds a BA in Social Work from Baylor University and a Masters in Religious Education from SWBTS. She has served in campus ministry, church planting, spiritual formation, and all manner of past volunteer activities with her children’s classical Christian school. Debbie currently serves as formation leader and spiritual director at Christ Church Waco and serves on the Advisory Board of Brazos Fellows. Debbie has served as spiritual companion for numerous ISI retreats including Toward Greater Freedom, Choosing Christ in the World, and Finding Christ in the World. She and her husband, Jeff, reside in Waco and have 4 grown children.