Find Out Why There are Record Numbers of Students at Avila

Apply for our School of Spiritual Formation program and find out why we are experiencing record numbers in enrollment this year!

In order to keep up with the demand for our courses, we have two brand-new offerings designed with you in mind. We know that you are busy—but you desire deeper formation. We know that you want to grow not only in knowledge, but in holiness. And we know that you expect trustworthy teachers who are firmly committed to the fullness of Catholic tradition.

So this Spring, we invite you to take a look at:

The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering According to St. John Paul II, taught by Simone Rizkallah—This course will expound on the profound meaning of suffering as presented in Saint John Paul II’s encyclical Salvifici Doloris, and as embraced by him throughout his extraordinary life. We will also cover some principles of moral theology that can act as our guides in the face of great suffering. What does it mean to be human? Can the ends ever justify the means? What are the sources of morality? In this course, you will discover the answers to these questions, and more, that are becoming increasingly relevant in our day.

The Mystery of Knowing and the Progress of the Soul in St. Thomas Aquinas, taught by Dr. David Arias-In this class, we will engage with the necessary philosophical foundations for a proper understanding of spiritual theology, as elucidated in the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas. What does Saint Thomas’ philosophy tell us about the nature of the human soul? Is there a difference between the theological virtue of faith and the human act of believing? How do we come to know God? These are just a few of the questions that will be examined as we seek to penetrate the mystery of knowing and gain a greater awareness of the ways in which these important philosophical realities can shed light on our understanding of the soul’s progress.

These courses and more can be found at https://avila-institute.org/spiritual-formation/.

If you are new to the Institute, you can apply at https://avila-institute.org/apply/.

Discover why hundreds of Catholics just like you are signing up each semester! They are discovering more about the Faith—and their own interior lives—than they thought possible.

Join the Avila Institute and set a fire in your soul!

Image (modified) courtesy of Unsplash.

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Claire Dwyer

Mom, Wife, Interior Life — that’s it in a nutshell. Claire’s been devouring books and pouring the words back out again longer than she can remember. It’s where her love of God and the Catholic faith finds its fullest expression. Claire graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Franciscan University of Steubenville with a degree in Theology, has a certification in Spiritual Theology from the Avila Institute, and a certification in Spiritual Direction from St. Vincent Seminary’s Institute of Ministry Formation. Her roles as mother, mentor, spiritual writer, editor of spiritualdirection.com, and lifelong student of the interior life all came together in her first book, "This Present Paradise: A Spiritual Journey with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity." She is also the author of Blessed is She's Advent study, In Time: Living in the Now and Not Yet" and a contributor to their daily devotionals, and has written a book on St. Edith Stein set to release January of 2027. She has a passion, through writing and speaking, for helping the faithful to see the beauty and possibility of their own interior lives and their unrepeatable place in the Church, and for Catholic writers in particular to be encouraged and formed in their writing journey. To that end, she is co-founder and content director of Write These Words and the PraiseWriters Catholic Writing Membership Community. Most importantly, she has been married for almost 28 years to her husband Delaney and they have six children and two grandsons. Connect and keep in touch with her at ClaireDwyer.com. You can also read about spirituality for the Catholic writer on her Substack, Word and Silence.