Rizza Bella Hohenstern has a Certificate of Spiritual Direction and Masters of Pastoral Studies from Spring Hill College. Her family immigrated to Milledgeville, GA where she grew up in a traditional Filipino home. A “cradle Catholic,” she first encountered spiritual direction through her own discernment journey in her mid-20s. Because of spiritual direction, Rizza Bella’s faith grew beyond just trying to determine God’s will for her life and doing it. A life of faith became a way of living in communion with God, knowing God’s active presence in her day-to-day, and surrendering in trust and courage to act out of that foundation of loving grace. Through spiritual direction, she encountered the deep, personal, unconditional love of God which offers great joy and healing. Thus, her heart is open to people of any or no faith tradition.
Rizza Bella shares the joy of God’s love as a volunteer with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, offering hope to people in need, and she served as a catechist at her parish for several years. Rizza Bella and her husband Joe also enjoy international missions. She is passionate about the listening and companioning ministry of spiritual direction and feels honored to provide a safe, compassionate, encouraging space for a person to encounter and wrestle with God and grow in an authentic, life-giving relationship with God. She sees such power and grace in recognizing for oneself that Divine presence does in fact radiate within oneself. She has accompanied both young and older adults. Rizza Bella finds it a true joy to witness the unique, intimate, patient, and tender ways that God loves, heals, communicates with, and interacts with each individual.