Leadership Development of Clergy and Laity

God bestows special gifts of leadership on certain members of our community, and we commit ourselves to the discernment and development of these leadership gifts so that the work of being stewards of the Gospel can continue for generations to come.

• We need to develop leaders who have the vision of taking the Gospel out to the “highways and byways” of the world in which we live, and not simply of fine-tuning our internal parish and diocesan programs.
• Leadership is needed in faith formation, so that as many people as possible can be given the tools to evangelize.
• Leadership must be developed to do pastoral planning, to discern the needs of a community for protecting human life in all its stages; to enhance the human dignity of the poor; to find economic, social, and political means to end poverty; to strengthen and develop marriage and family life; and to transform a culture that suffers from violent and bloodless/legal forms of violence into a culture of true justice and peace.
• Leadership is needed to be good stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasure so that the mission Jesus entrusted to us can be advanced.
• Leadership is needed to keep our vision focused not on internal matters of our parish and diocese but on our mission of outreach to those who have not yet heard or committed themselves to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (evangelization).
• Leadership must be as disciples of Jesus Christ, submissive to him, the only true Shepherd; and it must be based on the Word of God and flow from the sacramental life of the Church.