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| February 14, 2000 FADICA Members Discuss the Responsibilities Of Catholic Trustees/ Bishop Says Spirituality Key to Lay Leadership Washington, D.C. Eighty two conferees meeting January 28-29 for the mid-winter symposium of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities were urged to support new initiatives to help lay boards understand how to advance the religious mission of their institutions. "Use your resources to educate trustees..." declared William J. Byron, S.J. of Georgetown University, one of a dozen speakers and panelists addressing the FADICA meeting. " We need well informed talk between those who understand the religious tradition behind our institutions and the lay trustees responsible for it," Father Byron stated. John J. Leibrecht, Chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for Implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, the church’s new framework for Catholic colleges and universities, told FADICA that the spirituality of trustees holds the key to good governance. "Trustees must believe that God acts through them." said Bishop Leibrecht. "That conviction gives the trustee a vision about his or her role significantly different from a trustee who interprets things primarily through secular or commercial eyes." Calling for board retreats and programs to help develop the spiritual life of trustees, Boston College Vice President Joseph Appleyard, SJ told FADICA, " This is not done well so far in any Catholic institution of higher learning that I am aware of." The symposium program was one in a series of forums for the education of private foundation trustees interested in advancing the mission of the Catholic church. "It would be wonderful if Catholic foundations could fund forums for us as trustees to examine what it means to be in the world but not of the world," said Dr. Nathan Hatch, Provost of the University of Notre Dame. " We have got to emphasize ways to help our boards become mission focused." he added. Dr. Hatch shared his experience on the board of a Catholic hospital which had recently left the inner city for the suburbs. In his opinion the move may not have occurred had the trustees " struggled beforehand with the social values that are intended to guide the church’s health care mission." John Lore, S. Lore, Vice President of Ascension Health Corporation, one of the largest Catholic health systems in the United States told the foundations that newer health sponsorship arrangements where religious are in small numbers are forcing lay boards to ask what does it mean to be accountable for a ministry in the church. Besides presenting many challenges and risks, he said, these new arrangements are actually resulting in closer cooperation among hospitals, dioceses and parishes, he reported. Other speakers included Fred Kammer, S.J. President of Catholic Charities USA, David Nygren CM, Board Member, Catholic Health Care West, Joseph F. O’ Connell SJ President of the Jesuit Secondary Association and Marsha V. Whelan, Network of Sacred Heart Schools. A printed transcript of the symposium, entitled: Trusteeship Governance and Institutional Mission is available through FADICA. Return to List of News Releases | Back to Top |