For the fourth time, The Lay Centre held an intensive week of personal and professional development on lay leadership in the Church and in the world, aimed especially at young professionals who aspire to pursue a career linked to ecclesial life.
The "Summer Lay Leadership Week," which took place in July 5-12, brought together participants from Colombia, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, United States and Vietnam, as well as Lay Centre community members and special guests.
“The program empowered me from within, helped me understand myself better first, a renewing of the spirit – mind, body and soul – in order to continue loving, serving and leading others,” one participant wrote in their evaluation form.
The program was designed together with Letty Garcia, associate director of the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School, and for the first time it was co-sponsored by Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS), which sent two participants and two speakers to the program, applying resources from a Lily-grant initiative. IPS hopes to be able to expand its collaboration with The Lay Centre next year by participating in both the design and funding of Summer Week.
The weeklong residential program helps young professionals to discern their call to leadership.
Starting from each individual's own personal trajectory, the program draws on leadership concepts that come from the business world, but also offers suggestions for growing in self-awareness and in relationships. It also provides tools that can be applied to spiritual-pastoral life and work environments. Among the sessions, "The Context of Lay Leadership in the Catholic Church Today","What is Leadership?" and discussions on leadership in Benedictine and Ignatian traditions.
“The program was profoundly beneficial, offering me the crucial conversations I needed most. It enabled me to recognize, evaluate, and harness my talents and knowledge, lighting a path through both current and future challenges in my leadership journey. At the end I am departing with a well developed curiosity to explore more as a lay leader,” another participant wrote.
Sessions helped participants to “discover their authentic leadership,” discussing the context of a more synodal Church, in which a greater participation of lay men and women in decision-making and management processes will be required.
By working and sharing in small groups, participants could develop their listening skills and, by visiting some historical sites in Rome, they could see how Christians have lived their vocation and their mission in Church history.
