National leaders hold round table to brainstorm on future of church

Published: 2004-07-12

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- About 175 Catholic leaders from across the country spent two days in Philadelphia July 9-10 brainstorming on the future of the U.S. church. They discussed creative ways bishops and other church leaders can respond more effectively to rapid changes in the church and the accompanying challenges in areas such as finances, accountability and the development of future church leadership. The group, called the Church in America Leadership Roundtable, was composed of bishops, business and academic leaders, professionals, philanthropists, nuns, priests, writers, editors, and heads of various Catholic institutions, organizations and diocesan offices. It met at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the nation's oldest and largest business school. Participants were asked at the beginning to "think out of the box, be risk takers," said Geoffrey T. Boisi, chairman and co-founder of Mentor/National Mentoring Partnership and one of the chief organizers of the meeting. He said the group was challenged to be "caring and daring, but using those institutional structures already there" and exploring ways to make them serve the church's mission more effectively.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .