Fr.
Clem Metzger, S.J. is
the 11th director of the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma. Fr. Metzger assumed
the post in July of 2000. He
was born in Bethlehem, Ohio and graduated from Campion Jesuit High School in
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. In
1952 he entered the Society of Jesus at the Milford, Ohio Novitiate. Fr.
Metzger taught at Cleveland's St. Ignatius High School in the early 60's and
was ordained in 1965 at Colombiere Center, Michigan. His first
assignment after ordination was at Cuyahoga Falls' Walsh Jesuit High School,
where he spent twelve years. He then moved on to the chaplain's post at two
maximum security prisons at Lucasville, in southern Ohio, and the Marquette
Branch Prison, in Michigan's upper peninsula for 8 1/2 years.. From
there it was on to Gesu parish in Toledo, Ohio where he served as pastor for
ten years. He has given many retreats and has done a lot of spiritual
direction.
Karen Patena
is a Cleveland diocesan certified pastoral minister as well as a spiritual
director. Her ministry of spiritual direction includes inner healing prayer.
She also facilitates pastoral ministry candidates in spiritual formation.
She has a particular love for praying with scriptures and reflecting on the
lives of the saints, big '5' and little's', seeing in them God's passionate
love for us and the invitation for us to respond to that incredible love.
Karen and her husband, Jim, take great delight in their two grown sons,
daughters-in-law and two grandchildren.
Fr. John Vrana
is
a native of Cleveland and was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of
Cleveland on May 20, 1967. After two years of parish work he was
assigned to teach at Saint Mary Seminary in Cleveland. In preparation for
that work he studied at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada and at the
Katholike Universitet te Leuven in Belgium where he earned the degree,
Doctor of Sacred Theology. During his eighteen years on the seminary faculty
he also served as Spiritual Director. After the seminary assignment he
returned to parish work both as an associate and as pastor. He has served as
a director for retreats at JRH and elsewhere and continues to serve as a
spiritual director for priests, women religious and laity. He is currently
an associate pastor at St. Francis de Sales in Parma.
Sr. Mary Ann Flannery, S.C.
Sr. Mary Ann is a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati and an Associate Professor
of Communication and Chair of the Communication/Theatre Arts Department at
John Carroll University. She has ministered as a retreat director for many
years in the Cleveland area. She served as a superior of her congregation
and as a free-lance journalist before beginning her career at John Carroll
in 1989. she is interested in communication and its role in theology and
religion.
Rita Carfagna has been
married for 30 years and is the mother of four grown children. She has been
an active parishioner at St. Dominic Parish for most of her life. She is a
graduate of the Ignatian Spirituality Institute at John Carroll University
in Cleveland and has been practicing her ministry of spiritual direction for
the past three years. In addition to providing general spiritual direction,
Rita leads parishes through 9 week Ignatian retreats and accompanies
individuals through the 30 week Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life.
As a witness to the power of the Spiritual Exercises for
bringing about inner conversion, Rita is passionate about spreading the Good
News of the Kingdom of God through the good news of the Spiritual Exercises.
Mary Kay Jones
is married,
the mother of five grown children and grandmother of three. She is a
Pastoral Minister and a certified spiritual director. For over 20 years she
has taught in Catholic schools. Having made various Ignatian retreats Mary
Kay has a Masters Degree in Ministry from Ursuline College and is a graduate
from the Ignatian Spiritual Institute. She also works for the Office of
Catechetical Studies in the training of religion teachers. She has directed
a 9 week parish program "Praying with Ignatius of Loyola" a number
of times. Spiritual direction and accompaniment are her main
interests.
Patrick Cleary-Burns is a graduate of the Ignatian
Spirituality Institute at John Carroll University. Pat has directed men and
women in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius at John
Carroll and JRH and led more than 20 day retreats for non-profit
organizations at JRH. Pat learned about the service ministries of the Church
during his 25 year career in organizations serving hungry and homeless
people and providing after-school programming and tutoring for at-risk
youth.
Carol Gyorki has been married for 42 years and has two
grown sons and six grandchildren. She is a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish,
Chagrin Falls. She will receive her certificate in Spiritual Direction in
August from John Carroll University. She has degrees in
catechetics/psychology from Notre Dame college and a Masters in Counseling
from JCU. She has directed retreatants in 9-week parish programs and
directed others in the 19th Annotation retreat. She is interested in
spiritual companioning of women who are seeking a deeper spiritual life -
recognizing their own goodness and beauty that is God given.
Sr. Rosemarie Carfagna, OSU is an Ursuline Sister who
teaches at Ursuline College and John Carroll University. She has a doctorate
in Spirituality and is involved in the Ignatian Spirituality Program at JCU.
Over a period of years Sr. Rosemarie has given retreats and done spiritual
direction. She has published articles and books in the field of
Spirituality, including Divine Designs published by Sheed and
Ward and Crisis and Contemplation soon to be published by
Paulist Press.
