Brenda Garcia
2019-2020 LA Fellow
““I’m grateful to say that the Leonine Forum has challenged me spiritually, intellectually, and…”
Brenda Garcia
“I’m grateful to say that the Leonine Forum has challenged me spiritually, intellectually, and socially. It has also encouraged me to contemplate “the big picture” and how my role in leadership can positively influence the world. It has fed my soul, nourished my mind, and nurtured for me a like-minded professional community who hunger and thirsts for their faith as much as I do. This is an experience I’d be happy to repeat and am honored to have participated in this program! The Leonine Forum has truly been an answer to my prayers.”
Matthew Paprocki
2020-2021 Chicago Fellow
“The Leonine experience taught me how to use Catholic Social Teaching in my…”
Matthew Paprocki
“The Leonine experience taught me how to use Catholic Social Teaching in my everyday work. This often involves speaking to diverse groups, which makes the value of Leonine’s programming to be exponential. The Leonine Forum combined the academic rigor of foundational reading and discussion, with a community of rising Catholic leaders.”
Grace Shay
2018-2019 NYC Fellow
“I am so grateful for the fellowship and formation that I’ve found in the Leonine…”
Grace Shay
“I am so grateful for the fellowship and formation that I’ve found in the Leonine Forum. Leonine’s recent pilgrimage to Rome was especially transformative for me. Each day – whether celebrating early morning mass, eating endless amounts of delicious pasta at our group dinners, or quietly praying the rosary on the tour bus – I looked at the bright, ambitious, generous women and men around me and truly felt joy and hope for the future of the Catholic Church. I’m so excited to be on this intellectual and spiritual journey with my class of Leonine Fellows, and to witness these saints in the making and emerging leaders from all walks of life.”
Christian Iezzi
2018-2019 NYC Fellow
“I met an incredible group of like-minded people and learned a lot from them, as well…”
Christian Iezzi
“I met an incredible group of like-minded people and learned a lot from them, as well as from the lecturers and readings. The topics were relevant and well-presented… The support staff and faculty were consistently available and engaging, making us feel part of something bigger. I always looked forward to our monthly sessions, and the whole year was a great introduction to the community.”
Cecilia Cervantes
2018-2019 DC Fellow
“In the last year, a lot has changed in my spiritual life and I have to credit Leonine…”
Cecilia Cervantes
“In the last year, a lot has changed in my spiritual life and I have to credit Leonine for part of it. My First Year experience was instrumental in my growth, spiritually and intellectually.”
Joel Ojeda
2019-2020 LA Fellow
“At Leonine, it was encouraging to meet others like me, who are trying to live an…”
Joel Ojeda
“At Leonine, it was encouraging to meet others like me, who are trying to live an authentic Catholic life in the workplace, and outside of it. This experience helped me reaffirm my commitment to be a better professional, and a better Catholic.”
Luisa Majnoni d'Intignano
2018-2019 NYC Fellow
“I am very happy to say Leonine provided the first structured environment for me to learn…”
Luisa Majnoni d'Intignano
“I am very happy to say Leonine provided the first structured environment for me to learn [philosophy and theology], and from some of the best speakers in the country! As someone who works in finance, surrounding myself once a month with people who thought so critically and profoundly about [the principles of Catholic social teaching] was nurturing and freeing. I felt right at home with my peers.”
Alec Torres
2016-2017 DC Fellow
“The Leonine Forum helped show me how to see timeless truths in many of the great…”
Alec Torres
“The Leonine Forum helped show me how to see timeless truths in many of the great and small events happening around us. There’s really no other program like it.”
Tess Murray, M.D.
2020-2021 NYC Fellow
“I often feel like I’m deep in uncharted waters, navigating my way as a new doctor in…”
Tess Murray, M.D.
“I often feel like I’m deep in uncharted waters, navigating my way as a new doctor in today’s world while striving to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ and His Church. The Leonine Forum gave me a singular space to study these teachings more closely and be inspired by the examples of saints in the making forging ahead in their own chosen fields. Our Leonine cohort of fellows quickly became a close knit group, and I learned so much from the perceptive questions they asked of our speakers and the dinner discussions where my peers shared examples of how they worked out the details of Catholic social teaching in their own lives. I will treasure the friendships formed for years to come!”
Kate Abbott
2018-2019 DC Fellow
“My First Year experience with the Leonine Forum was electric. I wanted to have a…”
Kate Abbott
“My First Year experience with the Leonine Forum was electric. I wanted to have a greater understanding of Catholic social teaching, its origins and applications, so that I could apply it more fully and beautifully in my life – I am immediately applying what I learned. We have not only connected with each other professionally, but we are developing friendships, sharing our successes, and drawing on each other for support.”
Alexei Sargeant
2018-2019 NYC Fellow
“I appreciated the chance to get to know my cohort better and forge relationships with…”
Alexei Sargeant
“I appreciated the chance to get to know my cohort better and forge relationships with other intellectually and spiritually serious Catholics.”
Julia Slingsby
2013-2014 DC Fellow
“The Leonine Forum was an incredible experience. We learned directly from the…”
Julia Slingsby
“The Leonine Forum was an incredible experience. We learned directly from the top leaders at the intersection faith, culture, and public policy. I not only learned more about the deep philosophical tenets of the Catholic faith, but how to apply these tenets to complex public policy issues of this age.”
Brian Lichter
2018-2019 DC Fellow
“I really enjoyed the exposure to various strands of the Catholic intellectual tradition…”
Brian Lichter
“I really enjoyed the exposure to various strands of the Catholic intellectual tradition, and building a community with the other Fellows.”
Jacqueline Heath, M.D.
2020-2021 NYC Fellow
“The Leonine Forum was truly a “leaven” for activating my faith. Since my first year fellow…”
Jacqueline Heath, M.D.
“The Leonine Forum was truly a “leaven” for activating my faith. Since my first year fellow year with Leonine, I now seek out opportunities to actively engage and support fellow Catholics in the medical community, and to more readily find ways to reflect my faith to my patients and through my work. It is a joy to now more fully embrace the lay call to serve God as ‘salt, light and leaven’ to the world, and I am forever grateful for my time with the Leonine forum, for all the ways it has inspired me to do so.”
Aaron Ranson
2017-2018 DC Fellow
“The Leonine Forum is unquestionably a life-changing experience. The in-depth…”
Aaron Ranson
“The Leonine Forum is unquestionably a life-changing experience. The in-depth treatment of challenging topics reveals a deeper beauty of the faith and inspired me to more fully integrate Catholic theology into my professional and personal life. Leonine Fellows learn how Christ’s love and call to holiness can be more profoundly applied in their communities and circles of influence. The guest speakers for each session are extremely knowledgeable, engaging, and enthusiastic. Interaction with other Fellows and the Leonine Forum leadership team offers unique and fulfilling fellowship that will undoubtedly lead to lifelong friendships. I feel extremely blessed to have been selected to participate in the Leonine Forum and to be a lifelong Fellow.”
Kate Bryan
2015-2016 DC Fellow
“The Leonine Forum is an incredible program that helps cultivate the lives of young…”
Kate Bryan
“The Leonine Forum is an incredible program that helps cultivate the lives of young professionals. I participated in the Leonine Forum during an important time in my career and am forever grateful for the formation and foundation that it provided me.”
Tyler Lomnitzer
2018-2019 NYC Fellow
“In the last year, a lot has changed in my spiritual life and I have to credit Leonine…”
Tyler Lomnitzer
“In the last year, a lot has changed in my spiritual life and I have to credit Leonine for part of it. My First Year experience was instrumental in my growth, spiritually and intellectually.”
Elise Italiano
2014-2015 DC Fellow
“The Leonine Forum has equipped me to integrate Catholic social teaching into my…”
Elise Italiano
“The Leonine Forum has equipped me to integrate Catholic social teaching into my personal life and profession.”
Catherine Hadro
2014-2015 DC Fellow
“When I applied to be a Fellow, it was early in my career and I was, frankly, overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with…”
Catherine Hadro
“When I applied to be a Fellow, it was early in my career and I was, frankly, overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with working in Catholic media. And while I continue to be humbled by how far I still have to grow, I can thank the Leonine Forum for providing me with many resources and lessons that have equipped me with a better understanding of the Catholic Church. Whether it’s through the introduction of a Catholic idea I wasn’t familiar with, or the pages of a papal encyclical, I have grown in my knowledge of the Faith. The most invaluable aspect, however, was not a reading, but the people I came into community with. As a Fellow, I met women who were a bit more established in their careers, and they became a safe landing place for me to go to if I had professional or life questions I needed some help navigating. To know there were women who didn’t want to compete with me, but rather, wanted to foster and enrich my talents, was a gift from God. Today, as an alum of the Leonine Forum, that circle only grows wider.”
Captain Jean Marie Sullivan, U.S. Navy
2013-2014 DC Fellow
“I was drawn to the Leonine Forum because I wanted to grow in my intellectual faith and tackle thorny issues when it came to being…”
Captain Jean Marie Sullivan, U.S. Navy
“I was drawn to the Leonine Forum because I wanted to grow in my intellectual faith and tackle thorny issues when it came to being a virtuous leader while serving in the U.S. Navy. The Leonine Forum has made me a better Officer and certainly made an invaluable difference in preparing me to be a commanding officer of 350 Sailors on a warship. As Catholics who have important leadership roles in our communities, we owe it to those we serve and lead to grapple with the most difficult questions. I directly connect my experience with Leonine Forum to my confidence to live my faith, but not in a proselytizing way. For example, I talked to every Sailor who checked into my command about who I am as a leader and how being Catholic defines those core values of dignity and respect. It’s amazing how those simple truths about our inherent, God-given dignity resonated with each one of them.”
Leonard Leo
Leonine Forum Board Member
“The Leonine Forum is a much-needed program to help the most talented young…”
Leonard Leo
The Leonine Forum is a much-needed program to help the most talented young Catholic professionals build the most solid foundation in their lives for virtuous leadership.”
Ryan T. Anderson
Ethics and Public Policy Center
“There’s no such thing as morally neutral law. Every piece of public policy embodies…”
Ryan T. Anderson
“There’s no such thing as morally neutral law. Every piece of public policy embodies somebody’s values. If it’s going to embody true values, people need to know the truth. The Leonine Forum is teaching the next generation of leaders the truth about man and God, and the role of the state in respecting both.”
George Weigel
Ethics and Public Policy Center
“The Leonine Forum is at the cutting edge of the New Evangelization, bringing the best of…”
George Weigel
“The Leonine Forum is at the cutting edge of the New Evangelization, bringing the best of Catholic social thought and doctrine to bear on a turbulent period in our national history.”