Notre Dame program offers leadership formation for church workers

Notre Dame program offers leadership formation for church workers
 
Special to Horizons
 
SOUTH BEND, Ind. —  Three members of the chancery staff of the Eparchy of Parma attended the annual Catholic Leadership Certificate Program at the University of Notre Dame July 8-15.        
Father John Kachuba, director of religious education, Claudine Grunenwald Kirschner, director of communications and of planning and operations, and John Popp, administrator of the Byzantine Catholic Cultural Center, joined 51 other church leaders from more than 20 countries for the annual program.
Sponsored by Nonprofit Certificate Education of the Mendoza College of Business, the eight-day program was designed to give Catholic leaders a deeper understanding of their role and responsibilities in their church organizations.
Top experts and Notre Dame faculty gave sessions on how to lead nonprofit Catholic organizations effectively, including in the areas of change management, organizational evaluation, academic and foundation leadership, the history and current state of philanthropy and fundraising, strengths-based leadership, culture and mission, strategic planning, negotiation, and leveraging polarities.
“Each of these topics is beneficial to enrich our understanding and to further the mission of the eparchy,” said Popp. “The strengths each person in the eparchy brings is valuable and necessary. As a missionary church, it is our responsibility to draw on the strengths of each other to grow.” 
Father Kachuba commented on the meaning of leadership. “Leadership on all levels has the ability and responsibility to create environments in which everyone treats each other with respect. Leaders invite others to freely express themselves, because it is the collective wisdom that will bring about positive growth,” he said.
“Leadership is not necessarily top-down, but a synergy among those involved. The people of God — bishop, clergy, and the faithful in the pew — need to listen to each other and be attentive to the Holy Spirit,” he said.
“Recognizing the common challenges and shared spirit of the universal church was very powerful,” said Grunenwald Kirschner. “We interacted meaningfully with people from throughout the world, all with a commitment to the future of the church.”
She said presenters encouraged high-level thinking about the work done in parishes, eparchies, and the wider church.
Popp, who attended the USCCB Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida, one week earlier, said the two programs were complementary: the former focused on pastoral work, while the latter focused on the administrative duties of Catholic leadership.
The program is part of the Notre Dame’s commitment to support Catholic institutions. The three Parma chancery staff received fellowships, which covered 95 percent of the $5,000 registration fee.
 
Photo caption: Participants at the Catholic Leadership Certificate Program at the University of Notre Dame pose for a photo. Claudine Grunenwald Kirschner (front row, far left) and John Popp (back row) were two of the three delegates from Parma. (Photo: Father Edward Hanna)
 
As published in Horizons, July 30, 2017.
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