Certificate in Catholic Leadership

St. Jerome's campus with Fr. Funcken statue
Certificate in Catholic Leadership

For more than a millennium, the university has been understood to be where the Church goes “to think” about questions relating to faith, life, existence, and the common good of society. Since 1865, St. Jerome’s University has been serving this need and preparing generations of leaders for lives of contribution and service to the Church and the world. The Certificate in Catholic Leadership is focused on preparing individuals with the intellectual, spiritual, and experiential formation required for ministerial, educational, medical, and social service to the needs of the contemporary Church and the world.

The Certificate in Catholic Leadership (CCL) program is designed for organizations seeking to enhance their employees' growth in Catholic mission-aligned activity in community with other leaders. The program is also well suited to volunteers and other individuals interested in exploring their past, present, or future leadership in community with others. The Certificate is open to anyone affiliated with a Catholic organization regardless of faith background.

View the Certificate in Catholic Leadership brochure.

Testimonials
Bishop Dabrowski stands in front of a dark background in his vestiments

I am pleased to endorse the Certificate in Catholic Leadership offered by St. Jerome's University.

This valuable program provides participants with the intellectual, spiritual, and practical formation needed for leadership and service in Catholic ministry, education, health care, and social outreach.

The Certificate offers flexible opportunities for study and formation, making it accessible to those serving in Catholic organizations as well as to others who wish to deepen their understanding of Catholic leadership and its contemporary realities. It forms leaders who are grounded in faith, committed to service, and responsive to the needs of the Church and society.

I am grateful to those who lead and support this initiative, and to all who participate in it with generosity and dedication. Our Diocese is blessed by the presence of this program, and its fruits are evident in the faithful, competent, and well-formed leaders it helps to cultivate within our local Church and beyond.

  - Bishop Joseph Dabrowski, Diocese of Hamilton

Portrait of Lorri Naar smiling in front of a white background.

The Certificate in Catholic Leadership has empowered participants from our system to grow in their faith and recognize their unique gifts that they bring to their school communities. The program has enriched our staff with faith centered learning experiences, enabling them to bring that faith to their schools in meaningful ways. It has also provided practical tools including ethical reasoning and reflective practices to enhance their decision making and leadership skills. The capstone project has united our participants to create a system initiative that has been impactful in engaging each of our school communities in the Jubilee year in meaningful ways. The program has also created a faith community among participants from across the Diocese that share similar interests. Finally, the mentoring component has provided valuable opportunities for our staff to engage in meaningful conversations with the participants about Catholic leadership and the discernment of their vocational call. 

  - Lorrie Naar, Superintendent, Halton Catholic District School Board (CCL Employer Partner)

Christina Mines portrait in front of a colourful background

The Certificate in Catholic Leadership has been tremendously effective in enhancing the formation of pastoral leaders for mission in the Diocese of Hamilton. Our experience has been a rich blend of reflection and formation, fostering collaboration and peer-led development that empowers our leaders to minister with confidence and remain deeply attuned to the signs of the times. We are truly blessed to have this certificate program available in our Diocese, and to be supported by a Catholic university that is prayerfully committed to modeling the importance of servant leadership during a time of significant change for our Church and the world.

  - Christina Mines, Director of Evangelization and Catechesis, Diocese of Hamilton (CCL Graduate and Employer Partner for Diocese)

Michael Lawlor portrait in front of a grey backdrop

The Certificate of Catholic Leadership program offer by St. Jerome’s University allowed me to explore in a cohort model how my faith positively impacts my leadership style. The program featured seminars in ethical reasoning, lectures from high profile Catholic scholars, and monthly opportunities to meet with peers. The practicum and coaching opportunities offered a job-embedded component that helped me to explore how various principles of Catholicism and leadership go together.

  - Michael Lawlor, Superintendent of Education, Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and (CCL Graduate)

Participants will...
  • Attend an in-person orientation to meet and network with members of the cohort
  • Participate in program specific hybrid and online modules related to Ethics and Leadership, Catholic Social Teaching, and Data and Demographic Trends
  • Choose several Lectures in Catholic Experience to participate in online or in person  with special opportunities to meet speakers and have conversation with fellow participants at intimate gatherings prior to the lectures for those attending in person
  • Dedicate themselves to a program of International or Local Service Learning (extra costs for international travel apply, some bursary assistance is available)
  • Connect and reflect during a mid-program retreat
  • Develop a capstone project that benefits their home organization and that further fosters their own vocational call
  • Benefit from mentorship from an assigned mentor
  • Celebrate in a culminating ceremony

Program Details

Cost of Certificate

  • Cost $3,200/student*, plus tax
  • *Additional costs may be incurred for travel expenses and accommodations associated with international experiences optionally selected as part of the program. Bursary support may be available for the international travel component.

Certificate Length

  • Candidates can complete the Certificate in one calendar year

Certificate Format

  • Both in-person and virtual components

Contact Us

Please let us know about your interest in this program and a program organizer will reach out to you.

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Current Participants

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The Certificate in Catholic Leadership at St. Jerome's University is designed to form faithful, thoughtful, and effective leaders for service to the Church and the world.

For more than 160 years, St. Jerome's University has been dedicated to the mission of Catholic higher education. Founded in 1865, the University has sought to unite faith and reason, intellectual inquiry and service, academic excellence and spiritual formation. Throughout its history, St. Jerome's has prepared generations of graduates to assume positions of leadership in their professions, communities, and parishes, guided by a commitment to human dignity, the common good, and the transformative power of the Gospel.

The Certificate in Catholic Leadership builds upon this rich tradition. Developed in response to the growing need for well-formed leaders across the many apostolates and ministries that sustain the life of the Church, the program serves participants from a wide range of sectors, including education, parish leadership, healthcare, social services, communications, charitable organizations, diocesan administration, religious communities, business, and public life.

Through a combination of theological reflection, practical leadership development, and meaningful dialogue with experienced practitioners, participants are invited to deepen their understanding of the Church's mission while developing the skills needed to lead effectively in complex and rapidly changing environments.

At St. Jerome's University, leadership is understood as more than management or organizational success. Authentic Catholic leadership is rooted in discipleship. It calls us to place our gifts at the service of others, to foster communities of hope and belonging, and to advance the Church's mission of evangelization, education, justice, and compassion. The Certificate in Catholic Leadership is intended to help participants discern and strengthen their own vocation to leadership, wherever God has called them to serve.

One of the program's greatest strengths is the opportunity it provides to learn alongside colleagues from a variety of sectors and apostolates. Participants become part of a growing network of Catholic leaders committed to lifelong learning, collaboration, and service to the Church.

Whether you are an emerging leader seeking to develop your gifts or an experienced professional looking to deepen your understanding of leadership through a Catholic lens, the Certificate in Catholic Leadership offers a unique opportunity for formation, reflection, and growth. We are honoured to accompany participants on this journey of learning, leadership, and service.

 

Peter Meehan
President and Vice Chancellor
St. Jerome's University
University of Waterloo

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