CALLED to Compassion

Called to Compassion is a journey into the heart of what it means to be truly human.

Rooted in the wisdom of scripture, the teachings of Pope Leo XVI, and the insights of contemplative thinkers like Thupten Jinpa and Henri Nouwen, this course invites you to rediscover compassion as a courageous, grounded, and deeply spiritual way of life.

Across five guided sessions, you’ll explore how compassion awakens in us—not as a performance, but as a presence. Through prayer, meditation, reflection, and practice, you’ll be gently led to recognize suffering (your own and others’) not as a barrier to God, but as a doorway into deeper connection and healing.

This is not about becoming perfect. It’s about becoming present. It’s about standing with, not above. And it’s about letting the heart of Jesus shape our own.

Whether you’re a caregiver, teacher, minister, or simply someone feeling the ache of a broken world, Called to Compassion offers space to slow down, listen deeply, and remember that you are not alone—and that love is never passive.

Let this be a sacred pause. A breath. A return to what matters.

You are welcome here. Let us begin—together.

Kathy Lorentz brings over four decades of experience as an educator, campus minister, counselor, and spiritual director. For ten years, she served as Pastoral Associate at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in San Francisco, and since 1996, she’s been a steady presence at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, where she currently serves as Associate Director of Campus Ministry. There, she also coaches the speech team and leads the TEDx program, creating space for young people to share meaningful ideas with their peers.

Kathy holds an M.S. in Counseling with specializations in Marriage, Family, Child, and School Counseling, and she is certified as a Compassion Teacher through Stanford University and the Compassion Institute. Her approach to spiritual formation draws from both Christian contemplative wisdom and interfaith dialogue, shaped by her participation in retreats with Thupten Jinpa, Thich Nhat Hanh, and other spiritual teachers.

She has designed and taught high school courses like Mindfulness and the Contemplative Tradition and The Search for Human Meaning, helping students explore the deep questions of life with openness and courage.

Kathy and her husband David, along with their five sons, are active in liturgical ministry across parishes in the Bay Area. Her life is rooted in family, faith, and a deep belief in the power of compassion to transform the way we live, lead, and love.