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Why The Spiritual Care Fund for Respite and Retreat Matters: A Message from our Director
At the heart of The Spiritual Care Fund for Respite and Retreat is a deeply personal narrative. My journey began with an earnest desire to provide solace and guidance to those navigating life’s profound existential and spiritual questions.
However, the noble pursuit of caring for others often provided an escape from my own personal, spiritual, and existential burdens. As these burdens accumulated, so did the physical weight on my shoulders and, quite literally, on my body. At my heaviest, I was over 500 pounds, a tangible manifestation of the spiritual and emotional weight I bore, but the demands of work and my family life did not leave me much emotional space to process my struggles and traumas.
It was in this crucible of personal hardship that the concept of The Spiritual Care Fund for Respite and Retreat was conceived. Recognizing the profound need for spiritual care professionals to find respite from their roles, I embarked on a transformative journey toward wholeness and peace. A recommitment to cultivating the mind-body-spirit connection became an integral part of my shedding harmful spiritual beliefs and practices as well as over 300 lbs.
This initiative stands as a testament to the realization that providing spiritual care requires a foundation of personal well-being. The retreats facilitated by The Spiritual Care Fund are not just an abstract concept for me; they are born out of the crucible of my own struggles and the profound understanding that caregivers need care too.
Through this initiative, we aim to break the cycle of emotional and spiritual burnout, offering spiritual care professionals a sanctuary where they can reclaim their peace, reconnect with their spiritual roots, and rekindle their passion for compassionate caregiving. The weight of others’ existential struggles need not become a burden that hinders our own well-being.
I invite you to join us in this transformative journey—a journey toward creating a culture of self-care within the spiritual care community. Your support and engagement with The Spiritual Care Fund for Respite and Retreat contribute to a vision where caregivers find the respite they deserve, and in turn, provide more authentic and compassionate care to those they serve. Together, we can cultivate a community where the well-being of spiritual care professionals is valued, nurtured, and prioritized.
“Love Nature has an amazing team of hard working professionals. It has been a pleasure to meet them.”
Rick Capezza, BCC, CPES-E, ThD, DWS
Rick Capezza is an ordained minister, CPE Supervisor-Educator, and Board Certified Chaplain. Rick served as a parish pastor for seven years and was a hospice chaplain manager for over a decade. He holds doctorates in Spiritual Direction and Worship Studies as well as Masters degrees in Divinity, Sacred Theology, and Religion and Literature. He founded and formerly directed The School of Military Spiritual Formation and is currently the Dean of Education for the Military Chaplain Divisions of both The Spiritual Care Association and Capstone University.
We’re a highly collaborative and supportive team, coming together on every project to ensure our clients get the very best result.
Our Mission
Build the best product that creates the most value for our customers, use business to inspire and implement environmentally friendly solutions.
Our Values
We strive to go above and beyond for our clients no matter the challenge. We aim to deliver our very best work every single day across our services.
The need for respite and retreat opportunities for spiritual care professionals arises from the profound challenges inherent in their roles. Spiritual care professionals, including chaplains, pastoral psychotherapists, and spiritual directors, often navigate intense emotional landscapes as they guide individuals through crises, grief, and deep existential questions. The weight of constantly holding space for others’ pain can lead to emotional fatigue, burnout, and a diminished capacity to provide effective care. Recognizing the importance of their well-being, respite and retreat opportunities offer these caregivers a crucial pause—a dedicated time and space for reflection, rest, and spiritual renewal. These experiences not only prevent burnout but also enable spiritual care professionals to return to their roles with heightened compassion, resilience, and a deeper connection to their own spiritual grounding, ultimately enhancing the quality of care they provide to others. In acknowledging and addressing their unique needs, we invest in the sustainability and effectiveness of these essential caregivers in their mission to support others on their spiritual journeys.