Our Mission Context 

There is a shared appreciation within the Church at this time of:

  1. the hunger amongst lay Catholics for adult faith education and formation programs that provide an encounter with Jesus and sustain a growing relationship with him as missionary disciples.

  2. the need for life-long faith education, formation and networks for those in key
    leadership positions in a more synodal Church.

  3. the need for all Church leaders, but especially lay leaders, to grow in confidence and capacity to lead faith education and formation for those they serve.

  4. the pressing need for rural and remote Catholic communities to access faith
    education and formation programs

  5. the need for adult faith education and formation programs for diocesan and agency leaders, boards and MPJPs.

The Catholic Leadership Foundation is built upon an appreciation of the significant role lay men and women exercise in Australian Catholic Church ministries. We are witnessing a significant shift in the depth and breadth of responsibility which these men and women are exercising, and this trend will continue to grow. 

The Catholic Leadership Foundation (The Foundation) has been developed in response to the promptings of the Holy Spirit discerned in the voice of the people of God at the Australian Plenary Council (2021-2024). This significant gathering highlighted the hunger and thirst for spiritual formation, especially amongst the laity if they are to respond fully to the call of their Baptism. 

"The whole People of God is an agent of the proclamation of the Gospel. Every baptised person is called to be a protagonist of mission since we are all missionary disciples" (ITC 53).

The Plenary Council sent a clear message about the pressing need for the formation of leaders at every level of Church life. Lay people, desire to engage more deeply in their own faith life, learn from colleagues in similar roles and develop the confidence and capacity to lead formation for those they serve. One of the challenges presented by the increased number of MPJPs in Australia is the need to provide appropriate formation for the lay people who lead them. This trend will continue as more and more lay Catholics respond to the invitation and take up significant decision-making roles which will shape Catholic life and institutions into the future. 

To this end, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, have committed to providing significant funds through The Catholic Leadership Foundation to provide education and spiritual formation for lay people, especially lay leaders.