Chris Skinner
Chris’ formation in spiritual direction is grounded in the Ignatian tradition, shaped by years of serious training and hands-on experience. In 2016-17 he undertook a 30-day retreat at St Beuno’s in North Wales, one of the world’s leading centres for Ignatian spirituality. He went on to complete the Te Wairua Mahi Ignatian Spirituality Course for Spiritual Direction in 2019-20.
Since then, Chris has worked as both team member and a director for two 30-day retreats in Aotearoa, New Zealand, led five-day Ignatian retreats and served as airector for a five-day diocesan priests’ retreat.
Chris offers a range of ways to engage with the Spiritual Exercises, including Retreat in Daily Life — the 19th Annotation — which allows people to make the Exercises within the rhythm of their ordinary lives.
In addition to retreat work, Chris is also available for spiritual direction.
He also leads reflection days for small groups, weaving together prayer and music in a way that is accessible, contemplative and deeply personal.
Chris comes to Pa Maria and the spiritual ministry after many years of walking alongside youth, youth at risk, school chaplaincy, parish ministry at St Mary of the Angels, an inner-city parish in Wellington, and fifteen years as part of the formation team at Marist Seminary in Auckland.
Chris respects people’s personal journeys and approaches them in an encouraging and supportive way.
He is particularly interested in
- Retreat work
- Spiritual direction
- Music Workshops around the various themes of his music, including social justice, the environment and one’s relationship with God
- Concert presentations of his music in parish and group settings often to support fundraising initiatives.
Music, song, composition, and singing have been a major component of Chris’ life. He feels at home sharing this gift with others. He desires that same sense of being at home for those who seek spiritual direction.
Judith Moroney
Judith’s approach to spiritual direction is to provide a hospitable space of deep listening where you can explore the sacred ground of your life and your relationship with God, so that you may live the Gospel message more fully.
Judith did her initial training for spiritual direction and retreat direction at Mercy Center, Burlingame, San Francisco in 2003. She was involved in spiritual direction and retreat ministry for a few years. In 2025 she did further spiritual direction and retreat direction training programmes at Ignatian Jesuit Centre in Canada, and is delighted to be returning to this ministry. Judith is available for prayer days, spiritual direction, retreats, retreats in daily life and the 19th Annotation (the Spiritual Exercises in daily life over a few months).
Judith has a special interest in Ignatian-based prayer, grief, integral ecology, climate change and justice.
For many years Judith was involved in education, both in New Zealand and in Tonga and Samoa. She has also been involved in a variety of ministries in her congregation.
Qualifications and formation in Spiritual Direction:
- Internship in Spiritual Direction at Mercy Center, Burlingame, San Francisco, 2003.
- Internship in Retreat Direction at Mercy Center, Burlingame, San Francisco, 2005.
- Expanded Skills in Ignatian Spiritual Direction at Loyola House, Ignatian Jesuit Centre, Guelph, Canada, 2025.
- Applied Skills in Ignatian Retreat Direction at Loyola House, Ignatian Jesuit Centre, Guelph, Canada, 2025.
Other qualifications:
- Post Graduate Diploma in Missiology
- Master of Religious Education (Australian Catholic University)
- IRF (Institute of Religious Formation, Chicago)
- MA Theology
Professional Memberships
- Friends of Ignatius – Ignatian spiritual directors in New Zealand
- ACSD – Association of Christian Spiritual Directors in New Zealand
Neil Vaney
Neil has been a university lecturer, the first director of the Catholic Discipleship College (Auckland) and director of the Catholic Enquiry Centre for New Zealand. Most of all, however, it is the work on his own childhood pain and struggles that have shaped the gift of empathy that he brings to his work as a spiritual director.
What Neil offers
Neil is a Marist priest who has specialised in faith and spiritual growth. His work as a university chaplain and with HeartsAflame (residential summer school for youth 18-35) 1993-2024, opened up longtime work with young Catholics. He has been involved in spiritual direction, retreats and conferences (with expertise in environmental spirituality) since his first 30 day retreat in 1974.
Professional memberships
Member, Friends of Ignatius, Te Wairua Mahi
Member, ACSD, (Association of Christian Spiritual Directors, NZ)
Qualifications and Formation
STL (Rome), MA (Hons), PHD (Otago)
30 day retreats: Teschemakers (NZ), 1974; Guelph, (Canada), 2006
Member of Marist led 30 day retreat team 1975-79
MA in history, with thesis on early Catholic Church in New Zealand, 1978
STL (Licenciate in moral theology, Gregorian university, Rome), 1987
PhD in Environmental ethics and theology of nature, Otago, 1997
Internship for spiritual directors, Burlingame, Cal, 2006
Supervision Training workshop for Spiritual directors, May 2019
Publication
Christ in a Grain of Sand; an ecological journey with the Spiritual Exercises, Notre Dame, USA, 2004