Since she was twenty-one years old, Sister Jane DeLisle has faithfully served the Sisters of St. Joseph. She currently leads the Center of Spiritual Development (CSD) as director of the sponsored spiritual ministry, serves as a spiritual director, and as a presenter for the Art of Spiritual Direction program. Her ministry helps deepen people’s relationship with GOD, deepen their faith, and offers companionship to them as they engage their spiritual journey.
Sister Jane helps other people develop their spiritual lives by developing and maintaining her own. She reads often, attends retreats and workshops every year, and has her own spiritual director to expand knowledge of her own faith. During spiritual accompaniment sessions, she guides her clients by assisting them to discern between the enemy within themselves and where God is.
“The rewarding part of being a spiritual director is encountering God in the other person, whether it’s in a direction appointment, or just being here at CSD. It’s like being with God all the time, especially in direction. People’s own insight and struggles are where God’s at work and I am privileged to be able to sit with people and recognize that.”
As a young woman, Sister Jane was attracted to the Sisters of St. Joseph because they were local. She was particularly inspired by Sister Henrietta Sauvageau before joining the religious order. Sister Jane’s life-long educational journey included a year at Santa Ana College before transferring to Loyola Marymount University to receive her bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies. She also has a master’s degree in education administration from the University of San Francisco, and a certificate in spiritual direction from, of course, the Center for Spiritual Development.
Sister Jane initially began her work at the Center for Spiritual Development as a Program Director in 1994 and became Director a year later. Seven years after that, she was invited to be considered for a position on the General Council, the Sisters of St. Joseph’s elected leadership team. Sister Jane served in elected leadership for a decade. Following her terms in leaderships, the Center for Spiritual Development was briefly closed from 2012 to 2016 due to construction. Once it was completed, Sister Jane returned as director of the ministry.
In addition to her work at the Center for Spiritual Development, Sister Jane leads pilgrimages to Sisters of St. Joseph heritage sites and leads presentations and workshops on the Sisters of St. Joseph’s history and spirituality. She also does formation ministry work with a regional group of congregations. In her free time, Sister Jane enjoys going on walks while listening to audiobooks. She also enjoys visiting the ocean, journaling, traveling, and relaxing by coloring Geometric Design coloring books.
Serving at the Center of Spiritual Development, Sister Jane can’t help but be in awe of her fellow staff members, who all collaborate with one another under a common goal. Once a month, the staff gathers to have a morning of prayer and spiritual sharing.
“I see God in them and their personalities,” she says. “Their gifts and generosity, all of that is inspiring because it feels like I’m not doing this alone. While we all have a different relationship with God, we are all about serving God and God’s people.”
What Sister Jane loves most about the Sisters of St. Joseph is their timeless charism, which brings people together and towards God, regardless of background. She believes that this kind of unity is vital to our society.
“The Sisters of St. Joseph have been the highlight of my life,” Sister Jane says. “The spirituality of the Congregation is so rich and alive and a gift for the world. The breadth of our spirituality just speaks to my soul and fits who I am. Being a Sister of St. Joseph has shaped the woman I am today after fifty-five years in the community.”
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