From November 10-12 representatives from ministries from across the US Province came together in Hales Corners to take part in a LEAD retreat. “LEAD” stands for Leadership, Education, Apostolic and Development; it is a newly created formative program “that seeks to create and support spiritually grounded leaders who embody the Dehonian spirit of love and reconciliation,” said Monica Misey, who, along with Joe Tyrell (St. Joseph’s Indian School) and Julie O’Connor (Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology), organized the program and facilitated the first retreat cohort.
Welcoming participants in the opening session, Fr. Stephen Huffstetter, SCJ, SHSST president rector, noted the increasing numbers of lay people taking on leadership roles in the province. “Some of it is out of necessity because we don’t have the number of SCJs that we used to, but a lot of it is because people like you bring gifts and talents that make our ministries better. And so we really see you as coworkers and as an important part of what we do. We work hand-in-hand with you and learn from you. We invite you to deepen your relationship to Dehonian spirituality, but we SCJs hope to continue to deepen our working relationships with you in our ministries together.”
Reflecting on her experience, Allyssa Hoffer (pictured above) of St. Joseph’s Indian School wrote that “Although I have completed many leadership trainings as an HR professional, none has focused on leadership grounded in the spirit of love. This approach, rooted in fulfilling the calling to love others as we love ourselves, reflects the very principle God calls us to…
“A moment from this week that stands out to me was during the Dehonian Legacies Social [an evening spent visiting with SCJs at Sacred Heart at Monastery Lake]. I shared how much the SCJs have blessed me and my family and how honored I was to be able to work for them, and they all responded ‘likewise.’ In that moment I did not feel like I worked for a company, or for the ‘big guy,’ or for a profit, but rather for a family rooted in serving each other and those who need our missions the most. That to me is the very definition of the Heart of Jesus and the Spirit of Love… No human can thrive, wholeheartedly, without the spirit of love that God has for each of us.”
The retreat is just one component of the LEAD program. There will be Zoom sessions and other opportunities for participants to connect with and support each other. Each year a new cohort will begin while previous groups continue with ongoing leadership formation.
Click here to view a few photos from the days.
