Sister Judy Nielsen, OSF
Sister Judy Nielsen, OSF
Spiritual Direction in the Franciscan Tradition
Franciscan Community of Divine Mercy
Spiritual Direction in the Franciscan Tradition
Franciscan Community of Divine Mercy
Sister Judy is a life professed Franciscan Oblate whose mission is spiritual direction and formation focusing on prayer, meditation, building community and personal accountability as well as serving the recovery community. Professed under the religious name Sister Teresa Margaret in 2001 she is known best as“Sister Judy”. She is the author of Spiritual Direction and the Journey of the Soul along with other articles published on living life in company with God. Today, she is among the founders of a new religious community whose founders represent many years of religious life serving in their own community and Church or Monastery while gathering on line and personally to form a Family. The Order is designed for those most comfortable with living an example that reflects God's presence among his people and is rooted in community without being rigid in nature guided by our approved Community Rule. Its members and governance reflect today's world. She currently serves as Mother Superior or Guardian for the Order.
As with most Oblates, Sister Judy fulfilled a business career in her field of sales management and finance along with her religious duties for many years which gives her the unique understanding of the challenges of living family life, keeping up with business and staying balanced in your personal relationship with God. She now devotes full time to her mission of Spiritual Direction and Community Formation for Third Orders and Companions of Franciscans as well as anyone interested in doing the work of finding peace within their own lives.
As a Franciscan, Sister Judy has provided spiritual direction to many who seek a better understanding of the presence of God in their everyday life working through challenges, dreams and failures. Direction includes discernment for those who seek to reflect of God's presence in their own thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Years of experience & mentorship provide the foundation for those in discernment to a religious call, renewal to ministry as Deacons, Priests, Ministers, Sisters or Brothers to the Third Order religious life or those just working through finding partnership with God in the balancing of life, work and family.
Spiritual Retreats offered upon request:
Discernment (Ignatian),
Simplicity of Living the Gospel,
Renewal of Faith, God's Call and Community (Franciscan),
Building a Christian Life Of Integrity with God (Protestant).
As a religious, Sister Judy studied with St. Paul’s Theological College, authored papers based on Bonnell Spenser’s Anglican Church History, The Book of Job and the Books of Judith and Tobit.
She attended classes with a Franciscan Roman Catholic Retreat Master in New Mexico for two years, apprenticed with a Carmelite Spiritual Direction Master and trained through the behavior studies from the C.G. Jung Institute, the Minirth-Meyer clinical series on codependency and recovery, and Dr. Nathaniel Branden's Psychology of Relationships series. She has worked with local recovery communities since 1993.
Sister Judy has published articles in various Franciscan publications under the titles of The Importance of Being Visible, Becoming More Christlike, Growing In The Spirit of Francis and Spiritual Direction.
Her Franciscan formation training and preparation started in 1997 with 6 months discernment training, two years training as a novice, and five years reporting supervision. She completed her Life Profession Vows in September of 2007. About her choice to follow in the steps of Francis she says, “It wasn’t really much of a choice, God kept tugging on my sleeve and leading me in the direction of a life lived in companionship with Him. I have been trying to fit my small steps into His very large footprints in this world ever since.”
Her religious family is The Franciscan Community of Divine Mercy
Professional Affiliations: American Association of Christian Counselors
Spiritual Director's International (sdiworld.org).
She is a native of Texas who has returned home after serving in New Mexico, Washington and Arizona and now resides in San Antonio, Texas. Dedicated to reflecting God's presence through service & community partnership Sister Judy has actively supported the San Antonio Food Bank Food Pantry location site program, San Antonio Refugee Health Clinic, Affordable Housing Development and the San Antonio Recovery community.
Prayer Requests or Inquiries may be made by email:
Upon receiving your request you will be prayed for by name by the Community for one week.
