CLIA Program Format
The two-year formation program draws on sources so varied as leadership theory, business case studies, the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, and Catholic social teaching. It comprises the following activities:
- An evening meeting of the cohort, every two weeks for the first couple of months and then once a month for the remainder of the two-year program. After mass or prayer, the evening session involves a guest lecture, a book discussion, a case study, or some other interactive activity. These meetings follow a pre-planned “curriculum” of topics and readings
- Each year the program opens with a weekend retreat. Occasional evenings or days of recollection are also offered.
- An informal mentoring relationship with a more senior Catholic “mentor” is offered to participants, as is the opportunity to interact with a spiritual director
- Participation in a service project, where possible at an “executive” level (e.g. as a board member); the project is both a development experience and symbolic of a commitment to a life of service