Bearing Witness to Other's Pain with Compassion: A Reflective Day for Chaplains, Counselors, and Spiritual Directors

The sacred privilege of listening to others’ pain—whether through illness, loss, trauma, or life’s profound transitions—can be both deeply meaningful and spiritually demanding. Those who companion others in their suffering often struggle with the weight of what they hold. This reflective day offers chaplains, counselors, and spiritual directors the space to pause, breathe, and acknowledge how the sorrows of others touch and shape their inner life.  

Our guide for the day, Jack Geracci, ACPE Certified Educator and Spiritual Director, brings deep wisdom drawn from 50 years of service as a registered nurse, former Catholic priest, and palliative care chaplain. With gentleness and depth of spirit, Jack will invite participants to reflect on how living with contemplative awareness can enrich both the care you offer and your personal spiritual journey.

Through guided reflection, contemplative practice, shared conversation, and time for silence, we will explore how the practice of compassionate, contemplative listening not only serves those we accompany but can also become a wellspring that nourishes our own spirits. Together we will ask: How do we remain present to pain without being consumed by it? How might we deepen our capacity to witness with tenderness while tending to our own souls?

During this reflective day, participants will experience:

• Guided reflections on the impact of listening to suffering and the spiritual resources that sustain us
• Practices of contemplative listening to ground and renew the heart
• Shared conversations with peers who understand the challenges and gifts of this work
• Periods of silence and prayer to rest in the presence of the Spirit
• Space for personal reflection and journaling to integrate insights

Come be renewed among your peers who understand the joys and challenges of this vocation. Step away from the demands of care to rediscover the grounding presence of God and the sustaining power of community.

Cranaleith offers Communities of Practice for a number of professions.  Participants can find clarity and a renewed sense of purpose and connect with colleagues in order to share resources, information, inspiration — and so much more.  Read more on the Communities of Practice webpage!