Many years ago, my friend Deanna off-handedly said, “You should do a podcast.” That line stayed with me, and while I entertained the idea at various points, there was no real inspiration.

Around 2023, I got to know a very special Benedictine sister here in Winnipeg who lived at St. Benedict’s Monastery. I had gone on retreat to the monastery a few times, and when the monastery moved into the city, this sister contacted me and said I was welcome to come and pray in their chapel if I so desired. I made the journey regularly. 

One day, after spending some time in the chapel, she and I had our first proper visit. We became fast friends – both fours on the enneagram, spiritual directors, and trainers of spiritual directors. We have since spent hours in conversation, discussing everything under the sun, laughing a lot, sharing beverages, and occasionally dipping into whatever snacks the chef had prepared.

And one day, the inspiration struck, and I floated the idea of doing a podcast together. The pieces fell in place, and Listen with Love came into being. 

I’m grateful to God for the gift of spiritual direction, for the joy and meaning of this project, and for the opportunity to do it with a dear spiritual friend, Mary. I hope you enjoy it!

Listen with Love: Conversations about Spiritual Direction

Recorded at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Winnipeg and hosted by good friends Suhail Stephen and Mary Coswin, OSB—both seasoned spiritual directors and teachers of spiritual direction—Listen with Love explores the ministry of spiritual direction within the Christian tradition. With personal stories and meaningful (often humorous) dialogue, the podcast aims to deepen understanding about spiritual direction, encourage the vocation of spiritual directors, and reflect how spiritual direction feels — all with a view to seeing individuals, communities, and the Church flourish.

You can listen to the podcast on Substack (our main page) and engage in conversation about it there. You can also listen to it through the major podcast platforms and find links to do so on our Substack. We’d really appreciate you checking the podcast out, subscribing to it (on Substack and in the podcast platforms), and sharing it.