Pastor’s Pen – January 20, 2023
Do you know any Young Adults with Leadership Potential?
If so, you’ll want to read this brief account of Contemplative Leaders in Action (CLA), a leadership development program for young adults, based in Ignatian spirituality integrated with secular leadership perspectives. We will soon begin accepting applicants for next fall’s cohort, and YOU are the best source of potential participants! – next month I’ll communicate more about how to recommend a candidate.
We currently have 14 young adults (ages 25-40) in the concluding months of their two-year program; 8 of them are parishioners here at Ss. Peter and Paul, while the others come from various churches around the Detroit metro area. This is the third cohort to make the program over the last seven years.
The program helps participants develop their own spirituality in a way that directly informs their exercise of leadership in the workplace, as well as in their family, church, and community. Our parish sponsors the Detroit branch of this national Jesuit program now located in eight major US cities. Since the pandemic, the program has moved more online, with monthly online presentations from nationally-known speakers. On these videoconferences, our Detroit participants also get the chance to interact and converse with their peers in the other cities. The online session is followed a week or two later with an in-person session that I host locally.
Two weeks ago I helped lead the participants in a weekend retreat to launch their final four-month segment. I am so grateful to be able to be in the presence of so many young people who share worthy ideals and aspirations, and evidence the skills and commitments to be important contributors to the future well-being of our city and its businesses, non-profits and churches. They are willing to dig into their own depths to examine their relationship with God in Christ, and grow in the art of Ignatian discernment of the Spirit’s work within, as the foundation of their own developing sense of vocation and mission. Please keep them in prayer as they enter into the home stretch of this formative experience. And begin thinking about whom you might recommend for next year!