Birthdays & Buffalo
Today we celebrate the birthday of our Blessed Mother. Mary was welcomed into our world with great love, without sin, and filled with light. The Nativity of Mary marks the first day of a life that was lived with a total “yes” to God’s will.
At Catholic Leadership Institute, we are so grateful for all of the leaders we serve who say “yes” to loving Jesus, “yes” to sharing His love with others, and “yes” to growing in leadership.
Today, I invite you to learn about the “yes” of a leader in the Diocese of Buffalo whose joy, hope, and hard work are contagious.
READ BELOW to meet (and pray with) Deacon Greg!
p.s. At Catholic Leadership Institute, we love to pray for people on their birthdays! Email me at [email protected] with your birthday month and date, and we would be honored to pray for you every year on your birthday!
“Leadership is a life we need to live.” – Deacon Greg Moran
The Diocese of Buffalo is partnering with Catholic Leadership Institute via our Called for More endeavor as part of the diocese’s larger effort called Road to Renewal. Deacon Greg Moran is Director of Organizational Development and Strategic Planning for this Renewal Team, and he is on fire! He is enthusiastic and energetic about partnering with CLI and about the work we are doing. Below you will hear about Deacon Greg’s “yes” and his excitement, especially around the Coach Mentor aspect of Called For More!
The Road to Renewal
The Diocese of Buffalo describes Road to Renewal as:
The Catholic Faithful, priests, deacons, religious, parish administrators and school leaders of the Diocese of Buffalo have embarked on a journey to reinvigorate Catholic faith, more fully optimize parish and diocesan resources, and increase the impact of our varied ministries throughout Western New York.
Of how CLI will support this process, Deacon Greg says:
“We are called to renew constantly, renew ourselves, and our Church, and become closer and closer to God. My greatest joy in working with CLI by far is the accessibility to such important, strategic, and well-designed tools and people who know how to introduce them, use them, and facilitate. I am so impressed with CLI and what’s been put together and the integrity of the tools themselves. They are impeccably designed with science behind them.”
How Called for More will Revive, Renew, & Reinvigorate
Called for More and the toolkit inherent in this program will play a renewal role in the following ways for priests, parishes, and dioceses:
For Buffalo Priests:
- Awareness of leadership preferences and skills will be gained through a deeply personal priest assessment – 131 priests have completed this assessment in the Diocese of Buffalo!
- More consultative approach to support ministry preferences for every individual priest
- An individualized, future-oriented growth plan
- A network for pastoral support
For Buffalo Parishes:
- An objective assessment of the community landscape, parishioner needs, and dynamics
- A snapshot of parishioners’ faith journey -- 18,595 Catholics have participated in the Disciple Maker Index survey in the Diocese of Buffalo!
- The ability to plan for growth over a two- to three-year timeframe
For the Diocese of Buffalo:
- Clarity on priest preferences and skills
- An understanding of parish strengths, opportunities, and leadership needs – 164 parishes in the diocese have taken our Disciple Maker Index survey!
- The ability to assess and match priest preferences and competencies with parish needs
- The opportunity to plan and prepare for future assignments
Deacon Greg’s Favorite Part of Called for More!
Deacon Greg has a great love and care for supporting priests. So, it comes as no surprise that Deacon Greg’s favorite part of Called for More is the coaching mentoring component, which matches priests up with a coach to help them navigate any issues where they need growth or development.
Of the coach mentor process, Deacon Greg shares this great analogy:
“Getting people from pews who have years of experience and background to come at topics and challenges from different angles helps pastors who elect to have it. I think pastors will be impressed by the resumes, encourage their brothers, and truly say, ‘This is helping me.’
In times of change it is easy to run the ship, but when it gets rough, that’s when skills become evident. When the water is rough, mentors will be very helpful in those areas. You have to have people who have weathered storms and done it well and succeeded.”
The Renewal Prayer
Today as we celebrate Mary’s birthday, let us also celebrate the “yes” of the Diocese of Buffalo and leaders like Deacon Greg.
We invite you to join Deacon Greg and the Diocese of Buffalo in praying for their efforts with their special Renewal Prayer:
In every age, O God, you have called us to be your people, to be your Church. In this time, we begin anew to discern the pathways that will lead us, your people, closer to you. Continually Bless our journey as we proclaim your Good News, celebrate your saving presence among us, serve others with charity and justice, and steward the world you have entrusted to our care. Send your Spirit to lead and guide our Emmaus journey as we commit ourselves to the renewal of our Church. This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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