APRIL MODULE

 Spirituality as Responsibility Towards Others

Objectives: 

LEAD Fellows will reflect upon two questions: Who am I following? Who am I called to serve? 

LEAD Fellows will reflect upon the ways in which culture and faith has animated their leadership.

LEAD Fellows will develop an empowerment project as a manifestation of their new learnings.

Prayer: 

“We have a song: "I have faith that all will change." It must change if we truly believe in the word that saves and place our trust in it. For me, this is the greatest honor in the mission the Lord has entrusted to me: to be maintaining that hope and that faith in God’s people and to tell them: People of God, be worthy of that name.”

~ St. Oscar Romero

Introduction:

As LEAD Fellows, you have answered the call to develop as transformative Latina/o leaders in Catholic schools. You have thoughtfully approached this calling through a cycle of inward-looking reflection and outward-facing hope. You have embraced your personal leadership story through reflection on your own lived experiences, current school realities, and small group conversations. At the same time, you have been hard at work educating yourself about leadership qualities rooted in the cardinal virtues (temperance, charity, fortitude, justice, prudence, faith, and hope). Additionally, in an act of hope, you are answering the call to be empowering leaders who recognize and act upon a need in your school community. All of this, we pray, has aided your own discernment of your leadership trajectory. Great work! We are so proud of you!

As such, this month’s module returns to the promise of community contribution and faith as a sustaining force. Bordas (2013) wrote, “Building on the generosity, mutuality, and service orientation [of our] cultural roots, Latino spirituality is a mandate for social responsibility - to do good for others and help others in need” (p. 198). Bordas also commenced that, “spiritual responsibility implies removing roadblocks that limit opportunity” (p. 202). 

As we turn to “embrace the future with hope,” we must commit ourselves to do so with a purpose. Truly, the best is yet to come, and it begins with your call to empowerment here. Last month, you completed the School Cultural Survey and began to fill in the Empowerment Project Planning Guide. This month, we will ask you to take steps toward your Empowerment Project goal. At our summer conference in July, you will present your Empowerment Projects to the members of your cohort. We are preparing for that now!

Many blessings upon your important work.

Next Steps to Consider:

1. Revisit the School Cultural Inventory that you completed last month and consider what areas of growth you might have in better understanding the cultures represented in your school.

2. In preparation for your mentor meeting, reflect on the Empowerment Project Planning Guide and the feedback that your mentor group shared with you. 

3. In this month’s call, share the concrete, practical steps that you will take towards your Empowerment Project goal in the next month.

Required Readings

Supplemental Readings

Graphic Organizer: 

Be welcome to use this slide deck as a place to organize your thoughts. When you click this link, it will ask if you want to make a copy. Simply respond "make a copy" to access your own version.