catholic initiatives

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Empowering Catholic Leaders

Senior leadership teams of 10 Catholic Charities agencies from across the country gathered at Notre Dame last year for a comprehensive two-part program, “From Mission to Service: A Program on Mission-Based Leadership and Organization Development.”

The leadership program, designed and taught by senior Notre Dame faculty in business and theology as well as other national leaders, sought to integrate faith with managerial practices, to develop culture in faith-based organizations, and to examine the roles and responsibilities of leaders. The Catholic Charities network consists of more than 1,400 local agencies nationwide and annually assists nearly 7 million people by providing emergency aid, counseling, adoption assistance, housing, and numerous other services.

Serving Catholic Relief Services

• In March 2004, Dean Carolyn Woo was one of the first lay persons to be appointed to the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international humanitarian agency of the United States Catholic Church. The agency serves on five continents in more than 90 countries and has an annual operating budget of $520 million. The following year, Dean Woo traveled to Indonesia and India to review tsunami relief efforts for CRS.

• Management Professor Viva Bartkus and alumnus Mike Nevens (ND ’71) led a team of MBA students in analyzing the strategic and economic impact of a proposed merger of Catholic Relief Services with two smaller agencies serving refugees and providing legal aid to immigrants. Their recommendation of a new organizational structure for the agencies was accepted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2005.

Spirituality of Work

MBA students of all faiths examined effective ways to integrate personal values with work through an elective course titled Spirituality of Work. The course was also available to alumni as one of the online enrichment programs offered by Mendoza Graduate Alumni Relations.

“It has often been said that Notre Dame is the place where the Catholic Church comes to do its thinking. I hope that it will also be a place where the Catholic Church comes to develop faith-based leadership.” —Dean Carolyn Woo