John and Melissa McGlinn have supported Catholic Leadership Institute for almost twenty years. In 2025, inspired by their passion for wellness, they made an extraordinary impact on Catholic Leadership Institute’s ministry, bringing their talent, expertise, and an incredible leadership gift to support CLI’s newest priestly formation program, Eius. John and Melissa have made a commitment to help fund a new track of priestly formation focused on health and wellness, ensuring that priests are equipped to care for their nutrition, fitness, mental and emotional well-being, to allow them to provide a more vibrant ministry.
Here is how John and Melissa describe their journey to this transformational gift:
"It began a few years ago, when we heard a story from Bishop David Zubik that touched our hearts and spawned a deep commitment to help our Church.
Before becoming a bishop, a young Fr. Zubik was exhausted after a long day of ministry. Seeking a quiet moment, he slipped into a booth at McDonald’s with a cheeseburger and noticed a woman sitting by herself, visibly dejected. He was tired but felt called to be a witness, so he joined her. He listened, shared his faith, and offered her the love of Christ. Years later, that same woman wrote to Fr. Zubik sharing that their encounter at McDonald’s had saved her life; his kindness and presence had brought Jesus into her heart when she was on the verge of giving up.
This story captures the heart of the priests Catholic Leadership Institute serves, men who pour themselves out for others, often to the point of exhaustion, but who are rarely in positions to learn about and develop proper nutrition and health habits. It reminded us that even our holiest shepherds are human, and that they, too, grow tired, hungry, and in need of care.
With that realization, and through years witnessing the poor health of many priests, came our desire to support a program that provides the best wellness education for today’s clergy, so that they can live healthier lives and better care for the souls entrusted to them.”
Their vision took concrete shape in CLI’s pilot wellness program, focused on five pillars: movement, nutrition, recovery, community, and Divine Image. Six priests participated in the pilot, receiving personal coaching, tracking their progress, and supporting one another in a cohort setting. The results were remarkable: priests reported greater energy, better sleep, improved nutrition, and a renewed sense of fraternity and purpose. “The healthier you are, the more accessible you will be to the people,” one participant reflected. “We cannot give to others if we are not first tending to our own spiritual lives as well as physical.”
Inspired by these outcomes, John and Melissa committed to the next step: helping CLI build a dedicated wellness track in the Eius priestly formation program. Their generosity, insight, and encouragement are ensuring that priests across the country can benefit from the same holistic approach that transformed the pilot cohort.
John and Melissa’s gift and leadership are a model of what happens when personal passion meets genuine need. They remind us that investing in priests’ well-being – physical, emotional, spiritual – is ultimately an investment in every person he serves..
John and Melissa McGlinn are more than donors – they are living examples of how love for the Church can inspire bold action.
Thank you, John and Melissa!
Our President & CEO Daniel Cellucci's weekly email, the DIAL: Discerning Insights About Leadership.
CLI helps empower and energize Catholic leaders by providing focus and courage to engage the culture with an apostolic mindset.
CLI provides vision and hope about the future of the Church with a humble, yet strategic approach.
News and updates from Catholic Leadership Institute that highlight announcements within the organization, our team, or our partners.
