On Spiritual Darkness

Facilitated by sociologist and author Susan Pitchford

It’s easy to rejoice when we feel God’s presence: a moving service, a beautiful vista, an answered prayer. But when God feels absent, it’s another story. We can easily assume that we’ve failed God somehow, that God is disappointed in us or even angry. Yet the witness of Teresa of Calcutta, John of the Cross, and countless other saints tells us that the spiritual journey leads through dark places at times. Far from being a sign of failure, spiritual darkness can be a hopeful sign that we are growing closer to God and more deeply connected to our neighbors.

Part of the Wisdom School 2026-27 season

Program is free; optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($8/adult; $25/family max.) 

Susan Pitchford retired after thirty years of teaching sociology at the UW. A writer, speaker, retreat leader, and spiritual director, she is the author of The Sacred Gaze, God in the Dark, Following Francis, and The Paradox of Poverty, as well as a regular contributor to Give Us This Day, a monthly prayer resource. Susan is also a professed Franciscan in the Third Order, Society of St. Francis (TSSF), and the Guardian for Lifelong Faith Formation for TSSF’s Province of the Americas. She also serves as a spiritual director for Saint Mark’s Center for Spirituality and Action.