SUMMER LAY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
WALKING TOGETHER: BUILDING LEADERSHIP,
DIALOGUE, AND ENCOUNTER
A one-week residential leadership experience in Rome for emerging Catholic lay professionals.
Why This Program?
LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH TODAY
What does it mean to serve as a leader in the Church in today’s complex world?
The Summer Lay Leadership Program is a week-long residential leadership formation experience in Rome designed for emerging Catholic lay professionals from around the world. This immersive program helps participants deepen their understanding of leadership as a vocation rooted in baptismal co-responsibility and service.
More than a training course, this weeklong program is a space for discernment, dialogue, and professional growth within the global Church.
Co-sponsored by:
Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS), this program invites young lay leaders to step back from the noise of daily life and focus on their professional journey through a spiritual lens, listening for their unique call to co-responsibility in the Church and society.
Discern your leadership vocation
Discern your leadership vocation
Join a global Catholic network
What You Actually Do
During the Week
Rather than offering technical training alone, the program provides a refined leadership framework and a network of peers committed to service. Throughout the week, participants engage in:
Guided Leadership Workshops
Case-based discussions inspired by real-life leadership challenges in Church and nonprofit contexts. Participants analyze situations, explore decision-making frameworks, and reflect on their own leadership journey.
Spiritual Life and Prayer
Moments of communal prayer and spiritual reflection ground leadership development in faith.
Structured Small-Group Dialogue
Conversations in diverse international cohorts encourage listening across cultures and ecclesial realities.
Encounters with Church Leaders
Meetings with Church leaders working within the Vatican and Church institutions offer insight into leadership in action.
Site-Based Learning
Sessions in Rome’s historical and ecclesial spaces that connect leadership themes with the lived tradition of the Church.
A Holistic Formation
Experience
Our curriculum integrates human, spiritual, and intellectual dimensions of leadership to help you return to your daily life with greater confidence.
The Journey of Self-Discovery
Reflecting on your own life journey to listen for a personal call to lay leadership.
Developing Authentic Leadership
Cultivating self-awareness and relationships to define a unique path to service.
Learning from the City
Immersive visits to Rome’s historical sacred spaces that serve as classrooms for reflection and inspiration.
A Global Network
Joining a network of lay scholars and professionals, opening doors to future collaborations and projects.
Is This Program for You?
We seek bridge-builders; lay professionals ready to engage the Church’s challenges with faith, competence, and generosity.
The Profile
Lay professional (ideally with 2-3 years of experience) at the initial stages of your career.
The Vocation:
You aspire to serve in Church institutions or you want to apply concepts of leadership and Catholic spirituality to your daily life and professional field.
The Field
We welcome all backgrounds. Your diversity is our strength.
In Collaboration With
Founded in collaboration with Letty Garcia, Associate Director of the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School.
A scholar of Ignatian-inspired leadership with a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, Letty integrates adult development and executive coaching to help leaders discern their unique call through a multidisciplinary and spiritual lens.
Testimonies
Previous Editions
Each year, a new international cohort gathers in Rome to explore contemporary challenges facing the Church and society. Explore highlights from past programs:
Join us for the 2027 Edition
July 3 – 10, 2027
The Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas, Rome
Begin Your Journey!
Take the next step in your leadership vocation and join a community that is shaping the future of the Church. For inquiries regarding fees and scholarship opportunities, please contact us.
