Spiritual Companioning Referrals
Bernadette Byrne
Bernie did her initial training as an Ignatian spiritual director as part of the Campion Arrupe Program in Kew, and is now also a Spiritual Companion with Wellspring and Coordinator of the Referral Team. Bernie loves to offer silent retreats, and has given the Full Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius over 35 days on a number of occasions. “I love the dynamic of the Retreats and the silence which draws people into deeper relationship with God”. Bernie has a background in occupational therapy and has worked with older people and people with disabilities for over 40 years. Bernie’s interests include being with family and friends, music. Pilates, dining out and attending films and plays, social justice, and reading and praying with the mystics.
Kathy Cave (Managing Director of WellSpring)
Kathy grew up in rural South Africa, where Ndebele and Sotho people have lived for generations. Some twenty years ago she moved to the lands now called Australia and in 2022, relocated to the lands of the Kulin nation. She is curious and committed to cultivating and sharing a contemplative approach to life. Her experience from 30 years in management of investments and teams has given her opportunities to engage at strategic and administrative levels, in both profit focussed and not for profit organisations.
She has trained as a Spiritual Companion and Supervisor, has a Graduate Diploma in Christian Studies from Regent College, Vancouver and Masters in Christian Studies from Sydney Missionary Bible College.
She takes great pleasure in being outdoors, in particular, walking, swimming, scuba diving and watching waves.
Dr Janet Duke OAM
Janet had a very successful forty-year career working as an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Her faith callings bubbled along beside this. Early in the 1970s as a young medical student she felt an inkling of a call to ministry. She became a Quaker and eventually Clerk of Meeting. On return to Australia, she met an Anglican priest and married him, becoming not only Vicar’s wife but also stepmother of nine. With the twists and turns of God’s humour she finally re-found the role of spiritual nurture (Quaker for spiritual companion) and was reborn yet again. She has recently completed a PhD titled “Where words come from”. It is a layered accounts autoethnography of her journey from “perfect” active obstetrician to contemplative spiritual director who works from the place of the unknown. She loves to hunt for the Spirit as she is blessed by those she journeys with.
Leslie Hanger
Leslie is a Spiritual Companion. She has a Master of Spiritual Direction and a Grad Cert in Teaching Meditation. She is also a Giver of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. Leslie has recently completed her study and training as a Professional Supervisor. Leslie finds it an honour to be part of the WellSpring Referral Team which is a point of contact for those who seek to find a Spiritual Companion. She fondly remembers her own experience of seeking a Spiritual Companion and how it has helped her in her spiritual journey. Leslie facilitates a monthly group at WellSpring Centre called Growing in Silence with a focus on spending time in silence through meditation, personal reflection, and journaling. She has 2 adult children and is a step-grandmother of 6. She enjoys her spaces of silence, reading, walking, spending time with family and friends, and a good cup of coffee.
Steve Jackson
After working nearly 30 years in the IT industry in the UK and Australia, Steve trained for ministry in the Churches of Christ, and discovered an interest in the contemplative side of faith along the way. He subsequently completed a Master of Spiritual Direction degree through WellSpring, and has been a member of the Referral Team since 2017. Most mornings see Steve walking the beach with a camera in hand, and a dog roaming around - all of which serve that sense of connectedness that pervades his experience of life. In his ministry he offers a weekly contemplative evening gathering, where Centering Prayer and other practices such as Lectio Divina and walking the labyrinth are explored. He has a strong interest in ancient and early medieval history, along with reading science fiction and exploring the ways in which experiences shape our views of the world, faith and ourselves over time.
Jenny Moore
Jenny Moore became involved with Wellspring in its early years, loving the call to silence and the mysteries that are discovered. As an extravert her life is filled with people and activities and it was through Spiritual Companionship that she found a place to discern the things that were to be valued most. She has worked in many fields but most recently in aid work with gender-based violence and gender equality in Fiji and Indonesia. She spent 4 years working from Alice Springs and loves the outback. She and her husband spend a few months every year far from the busy cities treasuring the big skies and desert sunsets. She trained as a spiritual director at Wellspring and studied Theology and Psychology at ACU. She is now retired and has joined the referral team.
