Dr. Luz Marina Diaz

Director

Professional Academic CV

Luz Marina Díaz was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She spent much of her early life as a system analyst, choreographer, dancer, and teacher in two major Venezuelan modern dance companies. Upon moving to New York in 1994, she discovered her vocation as a religious educator, spiritual director, supervisor, and liturgical dancer.

She has more than 20 years of dedicated service in Catechetical Leadership and has been Director of Religious Education at the Church of St. Francis Xavier (Manhattan, NY) since August 2007. Additionally, she serves on the Liturgical Ministers Committee, ISEL (Ignatian Spirituality in Everyday Life), and Interfaith Committee.

She holds an Advanced Certificate in Spiritual Direction with a concentration on teaching and directing the Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola from Fairfield University and an Advanced Certificate in Supervision from Fordham University.

Her degrees also include a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Universidad Central de Venezuela, a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Fordham University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Education from Fordham University. Throughout her dissertation titled Spiritual Conversations as Religious Educative: Education towards Wisdom, she explores the intersectionality between spirituality and religious education. The dissertation examines the use of spiritual conversations in three contexts: spiritual direction, RCIA, and biomedicine.

Since 2018, she has served as the Director of the Spiritual Direction Practicum at Fordham University. Additionally, from 2016 to 2018, Diaz taught the course "Spiritual Direction: Theology and Practice."

Dr. Joseph DeFeo

Supervisor

Joseph DeFeo is the Executive Director of AJCU’s Ignatian Colleagues Program (ICP). In this role, starting in 2014, Joe is responsible for facilitating this eighteen-month program that engages senior-level administrators and faculty from across Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the United States in learning about the Jesuit and Catholic mission, history, charism, pedagogy, and spirituality, of their institutions. Joe is also a team member of the Ignatian Legacy Fellows Program that accompanies retired and nearly retired adults through a year-long experience as they consider their vocation during this second half of life using the tools of Ignatian spirituality and discernment.

Joe received his Ph.D. from Fordham University, where his dissertation research centered on the viability of Ignatian pedagogy in Jesuit higher education and points of commonality it shares with other higher education pedagogical strategies. As an adjunct faculty member at Fairfield University, he teaches a course on Ignatian Spirituality. He gives workshops and retreats on Ignatian spirituality, Ignatian pedagogy, discernment, and Ignatian advising. He earned his undergraduate degree and Master’s degree in Systematic Theology from Boston College and is a certified spiritual director and supervisor of spiritual directors in training, receiving his certification from Fairfield University.

Before ICP, Joe worked at Fairfield University for 12 years in both the academic and student affairs divisions in the creation of residential colleges, living and learning and mission-related initiatives. Recent articles include

• Discerning Leaders: Forming Jesuit Higher Education Administrators and Faculty in the Ignatian Tradition.
  
• Ignatian-Centered and Appreciative Advising: Supporting the Holistic Development of Students in 15-Minute Intervals.
  

Gerry Moss

Supervisor

While studying at Fordham's Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, focusing on Spiritual Direction, Gerry completed a month-long internship in July 1998 at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. He completed his Fordham degree program in 2006. Gerry continued his studies, especially in Ignatian spirituality, by attending another internship in Retreat Direction in the Spiritual Exercises at Mercy Center. Brother Don Bisson, FMS, D.Min. facilitated this program. Beginning in July, he will take a twelve-week course on Ignatian Spiritual Direction at SDI.

In 2018, he decided to pursue an internship in supervision to further his studies. This took place at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. To strengthen his skills in this new ministry, he attended a week-long supervision retreat in Washington, DC, given by Lucy Abbott Tucker. In order to continue his studies in this ministry, he enrolled in a 12-week online course offered by SDI given by Lucy Abbott Tucker. He is currently enrolled in a peer supervision class online.

As well as serving as a spiritual director and supervisor, he is actively involved in parish activities at St. Francis Xavier Church. He is a trainer for new Eucharistic Ministers, a moderator for altar servers, and a part-time sacristan. He serves on the leadership team of the Xavier Ignatian Spirituality in Everyday Life ministry, which connects inquirers with spiritual directors and sponsors prayer experiences. He administers Xavier's Spiritual Directors Formation Program.

Diane Bricker

Supervisor

Diane Bricker is both a spiritual director and a supervisor of spiritual directors. She received her Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Perkins School of Theology in December 2018. She will receive her Advanced Certificate of Supervision of Spiritual Directors from the Fordham Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education in July 2023.

Diane is also a member of Retreat House in Dallas, Texas, which is an intentional spiritual and religious contemplative community of spiritual directors and spiritual formation leaders. She enjoys writing, particularly short, reflective, spiritual pieces, and often publishes in Retreat House publications.

She supervises students and acts as a small group facilitator in the Perkins Certificate of Spiritual Direction Program. She also supervises students in the Fordham Advanced Certificate of Spiritual Direction Program. In addition, she privately offers individual spiritual direction, individual supervision, and group supervision.

Prior to retiring and pursuing her long-standing interest in all spiritual matters, Diane practiced law for 25 years. She and her husband live in Dallas, Texas. They have one son, who lives in New York City with his wife.

Sr. Ruthann O’Mara

Supervisor

Sister Ruthann O’Mara is a Sister of St. Joseph, Philadelphia, PA. She holds a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Direction and Holistic Spirituality from Chestnut Hill College, PA. Upon completing graduate work in Spiritual Direction, Sr. Ruthann pursued an internship in giving the Twentieth Annotation Retreat at Loyola House in Guelph, CA. After the Forty-Day Retreat internship at Loyola House, she participated in an internship in giving the Thirty-Day Retreat at St. Ignatius Retreat House (fondly remembered as “Inisfada”), Manhasset, NY. Since then, Sister Ruthann has given the full Spiritual Exercises at St. Ignatius, Manhasset, NY, Wernersville Jesuit Center, PA, and Gonzaga/EPRH in Gloucester, MA.

Her degrees also include a Certification in Supervision with Sr. Maureen Conroy, RSM from the Upper Room. Spiritual Center, Neptune, NJ. Since receiving the Certification in Supervision in the Contemplative Approach, Sister Ruthann has offered one-to-one supervision for spiritual directors. She had also supervised spiritual director training programs at the Upper Room Spiritual Center and the Jesuit Retreat Centers in Manhasset, NY and Wernersville, PA.

She has been a spiritual director, supervisor, and retreat director for many years. She has offered the 19thAnnotation to both individuals and small groups. Sr. Ruthann considers the importance of ongoing formation in the ministry of spiritual direction and supervision vital to the integrity of the spiritual direction ministry. Along with participating in personal supervision, she avails herself to ongoing formation seminars through the Office of Ignatian Spirituality (OIS). She is a member of Spiritual Directors International.

Dr. Bonita Kozemchac

Supervisor

Dr. Kozemchak spent over 30 years in practice as a pediatric neuropsychologist in community mental health and as a medical college professor. Her Spiritual Direction training began with Kairos at The Jesuit Center in Wernersville, PA, and continued through Boston College STM (Spiritual Exercises), Diocese of Harrisburg, PA (Supervision), Lucy Tucker (Supervision) At Together in Mystery (Supervision) and ongoing engagement with eclectic training opportunities from various individuals and traditions. She is an EOL Dula, Trauma-Informed trained Spiritual Director, and Psychedelic Informed Spiritual Director and Supervisor.

Dr. Kozemchak is a supervisor/mentor for the Diocese of Harrisburg (PA) Spiritual Direction formation program to those completing the program and beginning their own practice. She also has ongoing group and individual supervision for the Spiritual Exercises as well as traditional Spiritual Direction. Areas of interest include expanding traditional practices of Spiritual Direction with non-verbal, somatic, and art forms.

Watching the growth of Spiritual Directors offers great joy and personal fulfillment. Living in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and alpacas provides the best of all God’s wonderments.

Spirituality Programs

Fordham University offers diverse spirituality programs at all three levels

DMin, MA, and Advanced Certificates.