Catholic Leadership Institute is pleased to announce its partnership with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest Catholic diocese in the United States. With the support of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and Archbishop Jose Gomez, more than thirty priests will begin Catholic Leadership Institute’s Good Leaders, Good Shepherds clergy leadership development program.
“The priests in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are looking forward to the Good Leaders, Good Shepherds training. We hope it will better develop our fraternity and help us vision as a presbyterate,” said Msgr. Richard Martini, Chair of the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council in Los Angeles.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the spiritual home to over four million Catholics, making it the largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States and among the biggest in the world. “Los Angeles is one of the great Catholic communities in the United States. But it’s really much more than that. It’s one of the great Catholic communities in the world. Los Angeles, like no other city in the world, has the global face of the Catholic Church,” said newly appointed Coadjutor Bishop, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, who will become head of the three-county archdiocese in February 2011.
Divided into five pastoral regions, the archdiocese is comprised of approximately 350 active diocesan priests, covering a vast territory of 8,792 miles. These statistics translate to 1 priest for every 12,217 Catholics, leaving 17% of parishes in the archdiocese without a resident pastor. “The Archdiocese of Los Angeles serves many, and therefore its impact on the Catholic community in the United States and around the world is tremendously significant,” said Fr. Bill Dickinson, Catholic Leadership Institute’s National Director for Ministry Development. “It is our hope that Catholic Leadership Institute’s partnership with the archdiocese will develop happier, healthier and holier leaders who will inspire more vibrant faith communities, better equipped to serve the larger community for which they represent.”
Good Leaders, Good Shepherds was made available to the priests through the generosity and leadership of several benefactors in the Los Angeles area. Archdiocesan native Dennis Branconier, Vice President of M Advisory Group in Torrance, CA, was instrumental in organizing the initiative to raise funds to support this ongoing formation opportunity. “There is not one person I’ve spoken with who does not think Good Leaders, Good Shepherds is an excellent idea,” said Branconier. “Most of them are offering financial support. All of them are offering prayers for our priests. They know that this unique opportunity is for the good of all the faithful.”
The enrolled participants will begin the first session of training on June 15 and are scheduled to complete their leadership journey in December 2011. Along with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Catholic Leadership Institute is in partnership with the bishops and presbyterates of 47 dioceses, including the California dioceses of Sacramento, Fresno and Stockton.
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