About us
“I dream of a ‘missionary option’, that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation”
Pope Francis (Evangelii Guadium n.27).
It is Pope Francis’ call for “a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything” and his request for the Society of Jesus to share the gift of discernment that inspired the founding of the Program for Discerning Leadership.
The purpose of the Program for Discerning Leadership is to build the capacity of senior Church leaders, including officials in Vatican Dicasteries, General Superiors of religious orders, bishops, and lay leaders, for this mission of discernment, reform, and renewal.
The Program is dedicated to serving senior Church leaders in the following ways:
- Catalyzing a hope filled commitment to the vision of a missionary Church that reaches out and builds a community of faith and witness with a preference for the service to the poor
- Deepening the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for discernment as a communal way of proceeding
- Enhancing the capacity and competencies associated with leading change for a synodal Church that is committed to dialogue, discernment, and prophetic action
Through courses and coaching, the Program will facilitate and support the participants in developing the attitudes, skills, and knowledge required to lead in a synodal manner, i.e., in a way of proceeding that is Spirit led, process oriented, collaborative, and co-creative.
We believe that Church leaders enabled and empowered to lead in this manner will over time transform the Church and enact the synodal ecclesial community that Pope Francis is calling for. We want a Church that is at the frontiers.
Organizational Structure and Staffing
For more information please contact us
contact@discerningleadership.org
Administrative Team
David McCallum SJ
Executive Director
Pablo Bernal
Program Manager
Sandra Chaoul
Director of the Accompaniment Network
Board of advisors
Pat Murray IBVM
Emili Turú Rofes FMS
John Dardis SJ
Michael Garanzini SJ
Faculty Members
Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business
Paul Almeida
Bob Bies
Jeanine Turner
Brooks Holtom
ESADE Business School
Ramon Garcia
Carlos Losada
Josep M. Lozano
Sira Abenoza
Xavier Mendoza
External Faculty
Francisco José Ruiz SJ
Rafael Luciani
Nathalie Becquart XMCJ
Mark Ravizza SJ
Giacomo Costa SJ
Doctor of Ministry graduate Sister Pat Murray, IBVM, exemplifies the quality of leadership needed in the global church today. She worked for many years in Education and peace building in Ireland. Later she was the founding executive director of Solidarity with South Sudan, fostering the collaboration of more than a hundred religious orders working to rebuild the educational, medical, agricultural and pastoral infrastructure of the newly independent South Sudan.
For 16 years (2001-2017) has been in the General Government of his Institute, the Marist Brothers: 8 as member of the General Council and 8 as Superior General.
He has a Master in Television, Radio and Film from the Syracuse University, New York, and a STL in Moral Theology from the University of Toronto.
Fr. Garanzini SJ, currently serves as both secretary for the higher education of the Society of Jesus as well as chair of the board of directors for the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU)