Special Note: The following article appeared in the February 1, 2010 online edition of the Miami Florida Catholic.
‘Good leaders, good shepherds’
20 archdiocesan priests graduate from two-year leadership development course
Jonathan Martinez - Florida Catholic
PINECREST — In an atmosphere of priestly fraternity, 20 priests from the Archdiocese of Miami recently celebrated their graduation from Good Leaders, Good Shepherds, a two-year course aimed at helping priests improve their leadership and pastoral skills.
They are the first class from the archdiocese to complete the program, doing so with the support of Archbishop John C. Favalora, who attended the graduation ceremony Jan. 22 at MorningStar Renewal Center along with Auxiliary Bishop John Noonan.
“I’ve learned and grown so much about pastoral leadership,” said Father Wilfredo Contreras, associate pastor of St. Clement Parish in Fort Lauderdale, who offered a testimonial during the graduation ceremony.
“They helped me organize better my ministry,” said Father Lesly Jean, associate pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea in Key West. “If you want to share the heart of Christ with people, this course is a great tool to help us better serve our ministries.”
“It was enlightening coming together with my fellow priests, sharing our common bond,” said Father Robert Tywoniak, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Fort Lauderdale. “I know I can trust these men.”
“Catholic Leadership Institute has given our priests the opportunity to realize their gifts and talents,” Bishop Noonan said. “In the busy and demanding life of our priests, Good Leaders, Good Shepherds has allowed priests to develop those vital skills necessary for effective and rewarding ministry; all done in an atmosphere of prayer and good priestly fraternity.”
Good Leaders, Good Shepherds, put on by the Catholic Leadership Institute, is designed to equip clergy with the practical and pastoral skills necessary to shepherd a parish. During the two-year program, priests learn about the various contexts in which they lead, and are taught specific skill sets within each context that will help them lead effectively.
“We are blessed to be ministering with the good priests of the Archdiocese of Miami,” said Father Bill Dickinson, the leadership institute’s national director for leadership development. “Our mission is to help priests recognize their God-given potential and develop their leadership skills so they can effectively and confidently lead their faith communities in carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.”
The Catholic Leadership Institute was founded in 1991. It is an organization of lay Catholics whose mission is to build Catholic leaders for today and tomorrow. To date, the institute has helped more than 9,000 priests, seminarians, lay and religious leaders, young adult and campus ministry leaders, to discover their mission in life and fulfill their God-given potential.
The institute combines the best in leadership and personal development programs from academia and the corporate world with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
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