Florence M. Leduc, Minister of Spirituality and Aging

As Minister of Spirituality and Aging at St. Paul & St. James, I came on board in June, 2006.

Except for last 4 years when I lived on the west coast of Florida, I was born in Waterbury, have lived in all of Connecticut’s counties except Tolland. (I have moved MANY, MANY times.) As long as I can remember, Jesus has been the most significant person and essential ingredient in my life. For almost 20 years I lived as a vowed religious woman and for the last as many years (and more) I have remained single. Along the way, my Catholic Christian heritage has been seasoned by Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and now Episcopalian church communities. And in my almost 10 years of ministry at Hartford Seminary, I was stretched by Muslim and Jewish friends and visited Israel/Palestine and Liberia, West Africa. I still have a “heart” for Africa.

I have worked as pastoral minister, religious education director, office manager and bookkeeper. I’ve offered non-medical, shared-home and respite-care services to elders and caregivers; introduced and coordinated a Prayer Shawl Ministry and conducted spirituality programs, days of prayer and retreat.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies/Psychology from St. Joseph’s College, West Hartford; a Master’s degree from Hartford Seminary, Hartford, CT in Ministry/Women’s Studies; and certificates in Spiritual Direction and Nineteenth Annotation Retreats from Mercy Center, Madison, CT.

I see myself as a midwife, inviting new birth, whether that means nudging someone into making choices that bring quality of life to an elder person or companioning a person who seeks a deeper relationship with God. I am familiar with various aspects of spirituality—prayer, Journaling, dreams, inner child, grief work, holy listening, among others. My greatest passion is to invite people to notice where God is (or is not) in their lives and walk with them in this journey.

I am a member of Spiritual Directors International and serve on the Connecticut Interfaith Network on Aging. I am a basketball enthusiast—UCONN Women and men, March Madness, WNBA—all of it! I welcome solitude and enjoy knitting prayer shawls. I am fond of watching Molly and Tia, two cats that belong to a dear friend of mine; find creative writing and poetry great relaxation and continue to find ways to keep speaking French.

Spirituality and aging ARE important aspects of our lives even when we do not think about them; I feel privileged to have the opportunity to walk this path together.