Last week we had the 1st module with our English cohort of the Discerning Leadership 2021 Program and we couldn’t be happier with the result.
It was from Monday 28th until Thursday 1st at the at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and there were 26 participants (14 women and 12 men) from 15 different countries. Not only it was a rich group in terms of nationalities, but also regarding their current leading roles in different Vatican Curia Dicasteries and Congregations, Religious Orders, and other Church organizations.
The first day there were welcome addresses by the Academic Vice Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Fr. Mark Lewis SJ and the Executive Director of the Program Fr. David McCallum SJ.
These initial addresses were followed by an outstanding speech by the Secretary General of the Synod of the Bishops, Card. Mario Grech about the proposal of the Synodal process that the Secretariat of the Synod is leading. After the speech it was a time for reflection and interaction with the participants. This speech was complemented by a bright presentation of Sr. Nathalie Becquart, Sub-Secretary of the Synod of the Bishops, were she deepened on the experience of previous Synods, in particular the Synod of the Youth.
After the initial framework of Synodality, the rest of the week was enriched with inputs related to leading and managing organizations from the perspective of the leader. The whole week was conducted by the Executive Director of the Program, Fr. David McCallum SJ, and another relevant member, Ms. Sandra Chaoul, and had key inputs from the Professors Jeanine Turner (Georgetown University), Bob Bies (Georgetown University), and Fr. George Sebastian SJ (XLRI Delhi).
The richness of the inputs, the variety of the group, and the energy and engagement of the participants, provided a very exciting and synodal result, in which most of the members started to walk together, learning from each other’s roles, perspectives and vocations.