Napa Institute: Where Leaders Turn for Formation

Many of us benefit from the example and outreach of men and women who are leaders in our Catholic faith. These faithful servants help propel our knowledge and love of the Lord, be it through their witness, their virtue, the ministries they run or-in the case of bishops-the dioceses they shepherd.

Embrace your Faith

But being a leader is never easy-particularly in what Archbishop Chaput calls "The Next America", one that is increasingly ignorant about and hostile to the faith.  Leaders themselves need to receive the formation and encouragement necessary to be able to strengthen others in their faith.

It is for this reason that Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., and Timothy Busch founded the Napa Institute: to form Catholics leaders so that they can help to The Napa Institute seeks to enable Catholic leaders to face this new culture's challenges. And they aren't the only one who thinks the formation of leaders is important in the climate of today's culture.

Their board shows the diversity of Catholic leaders who believe in the necessity of providing this sort of support. From Mark Brumley, President of Ignatius Press to Frank Hanna of Hanna Capital Investments to George Weigel of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, those behind this intriguing ministry demonstrate that you can be a leader in faith whether you work for a Catholic company or are a businessman in the secular world.

Focusing on solid formation, fellowship and spiritual enrichment, the Napa Institute is dedicated to inspiring Catholic leaders to evangelize others, providing them with the tools to do so, encouraging them to shape their life around prayer and to promoting religious liberty throughout the world.

Their most significant offering is a conference that mixes inspiring talks on faith and reason with an opportunity to relax and build community with other Catholic leaders in the invigorating Napa Valley.

In the words of one participant, "The Napa Conference is much more than on-going formation.  It is a rare opportunity to learn, discuss and interact with other Catholics regarding Faith; our life amongst the secular; and affirmation to champion Christ always and everywhere. "

A pretty long list of Bishops (their ecclesiastical advisory board) seems to agree about this crucial formation. Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles, Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco and Bishop Morlino are just a few of the many bishops who support or have attended the Napa Institute.

Dan Burke, Director of the National Catholic Register and Founder of the Avila Institute had this to say about Napa Institute Conference: "Part of being a Catholic leader is knowing your faith, and who better to teach you than the best of the best? The conference also inspires attendees to shape their lives by habits of holiness, including liturgy, prayer, fasting, and sacred art and music."

Light Your Virtual Prayer Candle For a Loved One

The Napa Institute is open to anyone who is serious about delving deeper into "defending and advancing the Catholic faith", as they say in their mission statement. Their commitment to the faith is an invitation to everyone-whether they can attend the Napa Institute or not-to strengthen their knowledge of the faith so that they might be more effective witnesses out in the world.

For more information about the Napa Institute, visit http://napa-institute.org/

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