Day of Reflection for Those in a 12-Step Program

About Fr. Jim Fleming, SJ and Julia Maloney

Rev. James J. Fleming, SJ is from the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus and has been a Jesuit priest for 25 years. He joined Ignatius House on Aug. 3, 2022 as Spiritual Director and Director of Mission Outreach. Previously, he was the executive director of Campion Conference & Renewal Center in Weston, Ma., and president of Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU). Before joining the leadership team at WJU, Fleming taught at Boston College (BC) and worked as director of mission assessment & planning in the Office of Mission and Ministry at BC, where he led a national research project related to the spiritual development of college students. While at BC, he served as spiritual director for student retreat programs and offered retreats and spiritual direction for faculty and administrators. He trained as a spiritual director at St. Bueno’s in Wales, UK, at Cova de Sant Ignasi in Manresa, Spain, and at the Jesuit School of Theology at the Santa Clara University where he earned a Master’s of Divinity with a focus in scripture and spirituality. He holds a Ph.D. in educational policy, organization, measurement, and evaluation from the University of California, Berkeley. He served as lecturer and the Director of the University Academy at the University of San Francisco, and as an instructor of Urban Education at SCU. Fleming is a member of the National Board of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, currently serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and previously served on the Boards of Nativity Prep Boston and Boston College High School.

Julia Maloney, a Georgia native, brings a rich blend of professional and spiritual experience to her work as a Spiritual Director. After 35 years of teaching in the nursing field, Julia recently retired from full-time work and now dedicates her time to supporting Impaired Professionals in recovery. A proud graduate of Kennesaw State University with a Nursing Degree, Julia later earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Spring Hill College. She serves as an affiliate Spiritual Director at Ignatius House in Atlanta, offering compassionate guidance to those seeking to deepen their conscious contact with a God of their understanding. Julia also volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project at Ignatius House, mentoring individuals experiencing homelessness or displacement who long for a deeper relationship with Christ. Julia provides spiritual direction to women in Alcoholics Anonymous, particularly those engaging the Fifth Step, and she enjoys teaching about liturgy, prayer, and Ignatian Spirituality. Her commitment to spiritual growth also extends to Christian Mindfulness practices—ranging from forms of contemplative prayer to nature walks and pollinator counts—encouraging a wide and welcoming approach to encountering God. In addition to leading retreats and sharing her passion for Ignatian discernment, Julia holds a Trauma Certification, enabling her to offer trauma-informed spiritual direction. She is a member of the Rockdale County Psychological Provider Association and an active participant in the Word on Fire Institute. Julia’s home reflects her love for creation: it is a pollinator habitat, monarch waystation, and certified Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Her gardening practices center on native plants that support butterflies and local wildlife. With a deep spirituality rooted in nature and attentiveness, Julia inspires others to find God in the ordinary. She leads pollinator and woodland tours and participates in citizen-science butterfly counts that help researchers track environmental impacts on butterfly populations across the Southeast.