LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS
We’re thrilled to share that the Catholic Women’s Leadership Foundation is entering an exciting season of growth over the next five years. New partnerships and expanded programs are on the way—opening doors for even more women to access meaningful, faith-centred leadership opportunities that inspire confidence, purpose, and impact. Please read below for further details on current offerings.​​
Leadership Program Options
The Catholic Women's Leadership Foundation is proud to partner with the following institutions to offer leadership programs designed specifically for Catholic women. Registration fees are $400 per course.
St. Mary's University
Course Title: Catholic Women in Leadership
Course Timeline: March - April 2026
Course Overview:
What does it mean to be a woman in leadership in Catholic communities? How do you best lead with empathy, inclusion, and purpose in an increasingly divided world? And how might faith and interdisciplinarity help us innovate in our communities and institutions?
The Catholic Women in Leadership Program is designed to support Catholic women leaders in making effective and long-lasting change in their communities and institutions. With talks from experts across fields—from servant leadership to Indigenous ways of leading to finding your voice—this course leverages academic excellence, discussion, community, and real-world expertise to help you become a more effective and more empathetic leader to all of your community members.
Saint Paul University
Course Title: Catholic Women's Leadership Program
Course Theme: Transformative Catholic Women Leaders in a Synodal Church
Course Timeline: May - June 2026
Course Overview:
Being in a Synodal Church calls us to be transformative leaders who can make faith sense of our lives as we seek to navigate these times. A synodal church is grounded in a vision of "culture of encounter," first promoted by Pope Francis and sustained by Pope Leo. A “culture of encounter” is a way of life centered on intentional, respectful and open-hearted engagement with others that builds community. It rejects indifference and transactional relationships in favor of personal connection, listening, and dialogue that sees the "good" in others and recognizes their inherent dignity. In this program, we will explore perspectives and skills that foster a “culture of encounter” and empower transformative Catholic Women Leadership. These include reflective practice, inclusion, emotional intelligence, and generative dialogue. The program provides a transformative learning opportunity to acquire deeper self-awareness, knowledge and skills that will foster your agency as mature Christian disciples in and for the world.
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St. Mark's College
Course Title: Christ-Centred Leadership: Forming Catholic Women in Leadership
Course Timeline: September - November 2026
Course Overview:
Christ-Centred Leadership: Forming Catholic Women in Leadership is designed specifically for Catholic Women, grounded in Scripture, Church teaching, and women’s lived leadership experience. Led by experts across many disciplines—from theology and ministry to health care, education and ethics—the program is designed to cultivate knowledge, values and skills for leadership and witness to the Gospel in a complex and secular world: for a parish program, diocesan formation, university extension, or in the business world more widely.
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Created to support a just, merciful, and compassionate world nurtured by the genius of women, the Catholic Women's Leadership Foundation offer a yearlong leadership certificate program to help Catholic women strengthen their leadership skills in an environment which integrates faith and spirituality.
Program Impact
The impact of the Leadership Program is far-reaching for both the community and the Catholic Church. In the quest for Catholic social justice in society:
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Women will gain valuable leadership skills
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Program graduates will lead and be an important influence as workplaces explore their social purpose and meet their ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) mandates
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Program graduates will become a pool of trained laywomen providing succession in Catholic social justice work currently championed by a diminishing number of religious women
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Women with specialized skill sets and knowledge will be important resources for charities in the more effective promotion of their missions to create a just and compassionate society
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Local parishes, committees, and dioceses will be strengthened by the feminine genius as women take on more leadership roles
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Governments at all levels will be encouraged by a constituency of women not afraid to advocate on behalf of those without a voice
Program Highlights
The Leadership Program is developed to accommodate women who may be working full time. It is based on adult learning principles and is be women-centered. The program features numerous networking opportunities and a mentorship plan designed to strengthen each woman’s ability to grow.
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After completing the Program, women will have the skills they need, whether they are speaking on behalf of an organization, fundraising for a local community group, making decisions that affect the health and well-being of people or serving as a director of a major organization or a government agency.
