Endorsements and Testimonials

Endorsements

Father William A. Barry, S.J.

Virginia and I have worked on the directed retreat team at Campion Center. I am impressed by her contemplative attitude toward her directees, and her deep trust in God as the principal actor in the retreat of her directees. As I’ve said to her, she’s golden as a director.

Father James Mattaliano, S.J.

When I served as Director of Campion Renewal Center, Virginia came to me highly recommended. At our initial meeting, I was immediately taken with her insight, creativity, and experience. Her guided and directed retreats have been well-attended and received very good and so positive evaluations. Her retreatants have found her to be a very good listener, a caring and supportive prayer companion, and someone who can delicately and astutely help in exploring new and/or challenging things that surface in a retreatant’s prayer and experience. I truly think that you will find her to be a treasure. I highly recommend her to you!

Theresa Bellacosa

Virginia is a gifted spiritual director and an extraordinary woman of God whom I am blessed to have had as a colleague for more than fourteen years. She has a profound connection to God and an ability to live in this world and to find beauty and gentle delight in its disparities. She travels through life with grace, humility, compassion, and an intuitive gift of truth. Her retreatants feel safe and profoundly accompanied with Virginia, because she has a deep ability to be with another without judgment and to truly listen with the ear of her heart. I enthusiastically recommend her and her many gifts of ministry.

Reverend Robert E. Price

I have never encountered anyone more gifted in the practice of spiritual direction than Virginia Collins-English, and over the more than twenty years of knowing her as colleague in ministry, I have never ceased to be amazed at her depth of experience and acuity of analysis in matters spiritual. She is a true mystic, who has direct personal experiences with God in prayer, and also encounters God in scripture, nature, art, and relationships. I am impressed and touched by her warm and compassionate regard for those with whom she works, her humility in listening to their voices (and to God’s), and her unique creative giftedness in spiritual direction. I recommend her fully and heartfully.

Testimonials from Directees, Retreatants, and Group Members

As an African-American woman and an Agregee to the Sisters of St. Joseph, I looked for a Spiritual Director who would be sensitive to me as a Black woman and would be a good listener, and I found those qualities in Virginia Collins-English. From the first day and through our six years, my needs have been fulfilled. I have learned that Virginia has a deep understanding of people of color from her personal life, that she has a deep devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Lady, and she is a committed person to prayer. Also, on many occasions I have had the opportunity to hear Virginia give evenings of reflection at the College of Our Lady of the Elms, and I also attended my first silent retreat with Virginia as my director and it took me to a deeper spiritual experience with God. I feel that working with Virginia has been a gift from God. Amen!
Karen Hurd

You will not find a more gifted spiritual director than Virginia. When I began my Ignatian spiritual journey in 2014, I could feel my Lord and Savior edging me along a path which led me to Campion Center and an amazing woman, Virginia, an “angel from God” whose spiritual direction has guided me with encouragement and loving prayer. My soul has been opened to finding God in all things in life. She is perfect for me where I am with God.

A spiritual innovator, she designed for me an eight-day “Virtual” retreat (the first “week” of the Ignatian Exercises) so that my faith journey could continue during the pandemic of 2020. My retreat brought me into deeper direct conversation with my Lord, and I can feel in my veins the gentle changes that are happening.
James Sproul

As my spiritual director, Virginia has helped me to realize that answers to life’s questions are not always readily available, but will be answered in God’s good time. Exceptionally perceptive, and yet she never imposes on the conversation and movement between me and God.
M.B.

I feel blessed to have connected with Virginia, my spiritual director for many years now. We bonded quickly and I immediately trusted her with my complicated life and prayer; my life leaped forward! My prayer is deeper, more sincere, and I am more vulnerable. Vulnerability is a big step for me. I love God so much more closely, and feel that I have been given a new heart!
W.L.

She gives me just what I am seeking. Call to heart over head, creativity, mystery and also new avenues of prayer.
W.C.

Virginia is very humble. Although in our sessions she can, when appropriate, offer thoughts, and resources, and reword concepts for deeper understanding, she never gets in God’s way! She honors the particular gifts of my encounters with the divine.
L.E.

At our first session we immediately “hit it off,” and I continue to find her to be a delightful soul. Her warmth, humour and wisdom are of great comfort to me as, over the years, she accompanies me in getting to love and trust God more and more.
W.J.

My life includes many challenges and sorrows. Virginia gives me plenty of personal space to explore God’s action in me. And to trust that loneliness makes sense because Jesus is there too.
B.K.

A very creative and gifted director, Virginia is very present and attentive, whether accompanying me in our regular meetings, or on my annual retreat, or, last year, through the Ignatian exercises. More and more, I “find God in all things.”
B.T.

I’m inspired by how you honor the presence of God in each of us on this retreat as we learn how to trust one another and to share more deeply, as well as practicing our faith in the “real world.” I know that this is not an easy task. Finally, I want you to know that I do see Christ in you.
J.P.

Virginia was an excellent retreat director for me, especially as I seek to find my way as a widow now and to discern where God is leading me.
G.K.

Virginia was insightful in a variety of areas, but in particular in realistic aspects of my prayer life and marriage. I will treasure this experience forever.
M.M.

Virginia is a caring and gifted listener. Her prayerful spirit helped me to encourage my prayer. And I know she held me and my intentions in her prayer.
J.C.

Virginia was so wonderful. Truly an angel from above. Her gentle hand guided me through my first silent retreat. I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the silence and free time at first. She helped me to embrace the quiet time so that I could use it to get closer to God.
R.S.

You have the gifts of a truly faith-led leader. I’m grateful that you are the facilitator of our sometimes chaotic and disorderly group, using your experience and skills to rein us in with humor and love, and knitting us into a dynamic and mature small church community! I’ve been delighted by your innovative use of art to encourage us to be creative in expressing our hidden spiritual selves. Most of all, I have great respect for your luminous intelligence and your life-sustaining/maintaining relationship with God.
E.J.

Our group’s director was excellent. Virginia was always very well-prepared, and opened new pathways to meditate on scripture, using art and writing to express ourselves and our prayer.
S.N.

Our small group has bonded and thrived under your creative guidance. You know how to delve into something and pull out the best, and put a totally different spin on it. Thank you for putting up with our occasional antics with patience and a smile.
R.M.

In a time of grieving there is a sense of hopelessness. Virginia’s bereavement sessions offer a place to not only come to terms with your loss but also to understand better all that you are feeling and experiencing. This is not an easy process and I feel it takes someone who has a true sense of this journey to guide and accompany others. Virginia has this gift.
G.C.