WASHINGTON, DC

PARTNERING WITH

In monthly sessions held at the Catholic Information Center, Leonine Fellows are led in discussion by Catholic thought leaders from around the country to grapple with some of the most important questions at the intersection of faith and public life.

WASHINGTON, DC

PARTNERING WITH

In monthly sessions held at the Catholic Information Center, Leonine Fellows are led in discussion by Catholic thought leaders from around the country to grapple with some of the most important questions at the intersection of faith and public life.

Join nearly 1,000 Leonine Fellows across the country 

Become part of a larger community of leaders committed to integrating the teachings of the Church within their professional and civic lives. Sign up to receive a notification when 2024 applications open in the Spring.

Application Interest Form

2023-2024 WASHINGTON

FIRST-YEAR LEONINE FELLOWS















































2022-2023 DC Leonine Fellows

Marjorie Baker
Deltek
C'Zar Bernstein
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Andrew Brennan
U.S. House of Representatives
Maria Buckley
American Enterprise Institute
Trevor Carlsen
Foundation for Government Accountability
Lance Casimir
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Morgan Casimir
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
Casey Chalk
New Oxford Review
Jack Clark
AFWERX (USAF)


Jack Clark is a strategic analyst at AFWERX Prime, an Air Force office focused on transitioning commercial technologies into warfighting capabilities. Previously, Jack worked for the Long Term Strategy Group on assessments of political warfare between democracies and authoritarian rivals. Jack grew up in Front Royal, VA, and studied Classics at Harvard.
Alyson Cox
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review
Patrick Davis
U.S. House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Anne Feely
Platform Science
Meghan Feely
Katrina Gallic
Numinar Analytics
Erin Getz
March for Life Education and Defense Fund
Phillip Hancock
AMDC Films
Edie Heipel
EWTN Catholic News Agency
Thomas Holman
Catholic University of America
Mariusz Kolczykiewicz
Acumen LLC
Rob Kuhlman
US Rep Ron Estes
Andrew Lee
CVS Health
Ann Clare Levy
March for Life Education and Defense Fund
Anne Lord
Vandenberg Coalition
Emily Lowery
US Army, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Annie Macedo
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Nick Marr
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
Veronica Maska
Deloitte
Daniel McGiffin
Iberia Advisory, LLC
Ann McGlone
James McGlone
Consovoy McCarthy PLLC
John Mellusi
Ultimate Knowledge Institute
Darjan Milutinovic
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Michael Minnis
Booz Allen Hamilton
James O'Toole
Clare Locke, LLP
Christine Pratt
First Liberty Institute
Matt Simpson
Sidley Austin
Lauren Smyczek
The Bryke Group
William Thibeau
Heritage Foundation
William Turner
Emily Whittle
White & Case
TJ Whittle
McGuireWoods LLP
Christian Williams
Deloitte Consulting
Gabriela Winter
Systems Planning and Analysis
Jelal Younes
Mathematica Policy Research
Luke Zaro
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

2021-2022 DC Leonine Fellows

Omeed Assefi
Department of Justice
David Bathon
American Principles Project & American Principles Project Foundation
Suzanne Beecher
Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
Mercedes Bendeck
The Heritage Foundation
Evan Bruccoleri
Georgetown University
Alison Cheperdak
United States Court of Federal Claims
Jason Cheperdak
Shepherd Homes Group
Dominic Chiu
Albright Stonebridge Group
Mike De Robbio
Olympic Media
Moira Delaney
Yuma Center
Natalie DeSanctis
Blackbriar Regulatory Services
Rohit Fonseca
Deloitte
Molly Franzonello
The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer
Abigail Galvan
Crimsonbridge Foundation
Douglas Gates
WilmerHale
Natalie Goodnow
Independent Women's Forum
Chris Gretchen
Salesforce-Tableau
Mark Guiney
The Heritage Foundation
Aaron Haviland
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Clare Hinshaw
Young America's Foundation
Hans Kessler
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Chief Counsel's Office
Meredith Kessler
Jones Day
Natalie Khalil
Booz Allen Hamilton
Jessica Kramer
Media Research Center
Kate Lair
Fox News
Isaiah Lamb
Divine Mercy University
Jacob Lane
FAPE for All, LLC
Timothy Lang
Congressional Institute
James Mazol
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
Gregory Mitchell
Patomak Global Partners
Andrea Montealegre
Capital One
Maggie Musacchio
Saint Theresa School
Ryan O'Connell
RumbleUp
Brian Perry
Health Pro Realty Group
Jordan Pratt
First Liberty Institute
Kevin Rensch
Peraton
Tracey Schirra
American Enterprise Institute
Jessica Schurz
American Enterprise Institute
Robby Smith
Coalition for a Prosperous America
Matille Thebolt
CRC Advisors
Erin Thielman
Erin Thielman
Shea Throckmorton
U.S. Senate
Marta Villamor
University of Maryland
Adam West
Marine Barracks Washington at 8th & I
Jennifer White
Department of Defense
Margaret Youngblood
March for Life Education & Defense Fund

2020-2021 DC Leonine Fellows

Patrick Abbott
Mary Beecher
Napa Legal Institute
Abby Bird
United States Agency for Global Media
Charles Breeze
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Brigid Calhoun
US Army
John Cannon
SENT
Harrison Carmody
United States Secret Service
Paola Castillo
Deloitte
Laura Cermak
Saffron Ventures
Isaiah Contu
Communio
Annie Croslow
Office of White House Counsel
Christina Curtis
Self-Employed
Christopher Curtis
United States Navy
Katie Devlin
U.S. House of Representatives
Thomas J. Fagan
Costco Wholesale
Laura Falcon
The Heritage Foundation
Rebecca Hadley
Archdiocese of Washington
Annalisa Hamel-Smith
Adventist Healthcare
Colleen Harmon
The Heritage Foundation
Cody Inman
Department of Housing & Urban Development
Ellen Kane
Georgetown University Hospital
Krista Keil
Youth Leadership Foundation
Jane Kennedy
Reform Alliance
Madeline Lear
HHS
William Long
Numinar Analytics
Samuel Lucas
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Evan Maraist
Four Inc
Lauren Merz
Live Action
Marie Miller
Shieldmaiden Music Inc
Jennifer Montazzoli
United States Courts
Lauren Nelson
Shalom Baranes Associates Architects
John O'Boyle
US NAVY
John Ramer
United States Courts
Matt Rhodes
Goldman Sachs
Nicholas Schilling
United States Courts - Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Jack Stukel
National Republican Senatorial Committee
Elizabeth Thomas
American Clinical Laboratory Association
Jose Manuel Valle
Sidley Austin LLP
Erin Van de Voorde
Davara, LLC
Peter Van de Voorde
Thomson Reuters Special Services
Daniel Whitehead
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Mary Ellen Yep
Yuma Center

2019-2020 DC Leonine Fellows

Elise Amez-Droz
Tiffany Bates
Xavier Bisits
Kelsey Bloom
Patrick Brown
Bernadette Corso
Melissa Coughlin
Charles Davidson
Emile Doak
Brendan Duffy
William Dutton
Matt Fransted
Gabriela Gonzalez-Araiza
Timothy Goobic
Kelly Griffith
James Hasson
Nick Haydon
Richard Helke
Monica Herman
Alexander J. Hoffarth
Clara Jace
Celine Kinneberg
Cory Larkin
Frances Lataif
Joseph Lawler
Mary Love
Edward Love
Carolyn Madan
Joe Miller
Christian Mysliwiec
Margaret Newell
Heather O'Rourke Dengler
Maria Alejandra Rodriguez
Joy Ruiz
Steven Schaefer
Molly C. Sheahan
Michael Showalter
Katherine Talalas
Regina Torres
Anne Marie Warner
Bridget Weisenburger
Daniel Wiser, Jr.

2018-2019 DC Leonine Fellows

Katherine Abbott
Mary Andrews
Coby Ascunce
Rashad Badr
Mary Bathon
Ryan Bradel
Louis Brown
Cecilia Cervantes
Andrew Craig
Elise Crawford-Gallagher
Lara Crouch
Kathleen Davern
Kevin Dawson
Peter Dixon
Kellen Dwyer
Michael Fischer
Christie Fleming
Mary Forr
Christopher Galiardo
Martin Gaudinski
Christine Goss


Josh Holdenried
Mollie Kelly
Bruna Kesserwani
Kyle Kinneberg
William Lane
Emily Lane
Shannon Last
Brian Lichter
Nathan Loyd
Maggie Lyles
Jennifer Mazzara
Zoe O'Herin
Natalie Peters
Trena Pilegaard
Victoria Pryor
Nicholas Reaves
Christine Rousselle
Tom Shakely
Robert Smith
Maria Smith
Steven Stafford
Michael Turchetti
Jose Urquilla

2017-2018 DC Leonine Fellows

JOEL ALICEA
ANNA ANDERSON
THOMAS ATTRIDGE
MICHELLE BALCH
CAROLINE BAZINET
CAROLINE BERNARD
PATRICK BOHLIN
CAITLIN BURKE
BOB BURKETT
ANNA CAPIZZI
SONDRA CLARK
ROBIN WRIGHT CLEARY
RYAN COLBY
CAROLINE COOK
KYLE CRAFT
ANDREA DELEE
LAURA DEMARIA
KIMBERLY DILLINGHAM
JEFFREY DINWOODIE
SHIZA FRANCIS
GONCALO FORJAZ DE LACERDA
WILLIAM GRIBBIN
STEPHANIE HERBERT
WILLIAM J. HAUN
EMILY LATAIF
THOMAS M. JOHNSON, JR


MARGAUX KILLACKEY
STEVE LINDSAY
MARGARET MACLEOD
MEREDITH MCGUIRE
ALYSON MILLER
PORTIA MILLS
SARAH MOSS
AARON RANSON
REBECCA SEARS
BLAKE SEITZ
MAGDALENA J. SEOL
MUHAMMED SYED


AMANDA TINDALL
COLLEEN TRAUGHBER
DEREK WEBB
DANIEL WEST

2016-2017 DC Leonine Fellows

JONATHAN AMGOTT
JOSH AYERS
RUTH BARWICK
DREW BOWLING
CASSANDRA BUSTAMANTE
CHRIS BRYNES
AMANDA CALLANAN
ELISA CIPOLLONE
CAITLIN DORMAN
CHARLES DRUMMOND
PAUL DUPONT
DEBRA EMERY
NICOLE FRAZER
STEVE FUGELSANG
SCOTT FYALL
KATIE GARVEY
CHRISTOPHER GOFFOS
BENJAMIN GOMEZ
MATTHEW HADRO
MICHAEL HUSTON
JULIE LARKIN
RYLAND LI
AUSTIN LIPARI
STEPHANIE MALONEY
KRISTINA OLNEY
MARGARET PERRY
STEPHEN PETRANY
EMILY RAVAL
ELYSE SMITH
KEVIN SULLIVAN
JESSIE TAPPEL
ANGELICA TOM
ALEC TORRES
GRACE TORRES
MARIA WERRIES
THEODORE WOLD
LAURA WOLK
MELODY WOOD

2015-2016 DC Leonine Fellows

SADAQAT AHMAD
DEREK BEKEBREDE
ERIC BRAUER
KATE BRYAN
JOSHUA DE GASTYNE
SLOAN DICKEY
MEGHAN DUKE
TERENCE FITZGERALD
ADAM GUSTAFSON
MATTHEW HADEN
TIARNA-HAMILTON-SANCHEZ
BRIGID HASSON
ADAM HIGGINS
GEORGE JIN
ARTHUR KARELL
BRADFORD KELLEY
KATHRYN KIMBALL
EDMUND LACOUR
LEAH LIBRESCO
GRACIE MILLS
TONY MILLS
CHAD MIZELLE
EDDY MOSS
KATHERINE NIKAS
HELENA ORELLANA
MELISSA PARK
MARY POWERS
ANDY QUINN
CHRISTIAN REED
KAYTLIN ROHOLT
MARIA SANTOS
ERIN SHEEHY
MATTHEW SULLIVAN
JAMES UTHMEIER
KEVIN WYSOCKI

2014-2015 DC Leonine Fellows

SHIELA ARCHAMBAULT
BRITTANY BALDWIN
ERIK BAPTIST
PETER BLAIR
ALYSSA BRIGGS
MICHAEL CHOW
SEAN DEHAN
JEREMIAH EGGER
CHRISTINA FERGUSON
ANNA FRONZAGLIA
ARINA GROSSU
CATHERINE HADRO
ELISE ITALIANO
JENNY JASKIEWICZ
MACKENZIE KELLER
BRIAN KENNEDY
KATELYND MAHONEY
NICHOLAS MATICH
MICHAEL MESZAROS
CARISSA MULDER
LARRY PROVOST
MALLORY QUIGLEY
KIERAN RAVAL
LUCAS SHULER
PETER SOMERVILLE
BRETT SWEARINGEN
KATRINA TRINKO
NICK ZAHN

2013-2014 DC Leonine Fellows

TESSIE BROWN
SHAWN AFFOLTER
JULIA SLINGSBY
JONATHAN A. BERRY
EMMA BOYLE
BILLY CODY
MARIE MESZAROS
JULIEANNA DOLAN
KEVIN DRISCOLL
LESLIE FORD
STEPHEN FORD
CRAIG KREINBIHL
MARK LEVOTA
JENNIE LITCHER
MEG MCDONNELL
JOSE MENA
ADELAIDE MENA
MAYA NORONHA
STEPHEN OBERMEIR
EVERETT PRICE
BILL RIVERS
SAMANTHA SCHROEDER
JAMES SHERK
JEAN MARIE SULLIVAN
MICHAEL C. TIERNEY
JACE YARBROUGH

PROGRAM DETAILS

INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION

During the first semester of the program, Fellows engage with a curriculum that emphasizes primary Church documents, practical secondary analyses, and gain an intellectual foundation on topics including: Faith and Reason, Christian Anthropology, the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching, Charity and Truth, Justice and Mercy, and Catholicism and the American Experiment.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

During the second semester, Fellows explore how core Social Teachings of the Church relate to their professional and civic lives, including topics such as entrepreneurship, business, finance, culture and the arts, poverty, economics, immigration, ecology, public policy and civic engagement, bioethics, health care, religious liberty, and more.

Spiritual Development

Fellows have the chance to supplement intellectual endeavors with regular opportunities for Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession and spiritual direction.

Community Service

Understanding that we are called to love our brothers and sisters, Leonine Fellows are committed to practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in Washington, DC.

Alumni Events

Fellows join a national community of over 500 Fellows, and have regular opportunities to participate in local Leonine alumni events – including happy hours, retreats, lectures, roundtable discussions and exclusive access to premier seminars, dinners, and more.

PROGRAM DETAILS

INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION

During the first semester of the program, Fellows engage with a curriculum that emphasizes primary Church documents, practical secondary analyses, and gain an intellectual foundation on topics including: Faith and Reason, Christian Anthropology, the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching, Charity and Truth, Justice and Mercy, and Catholicism and the American Experiment.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

During the second semester, Fellows explore how core Social Teachings of the Church relate to their professional and civic lives, including topics such as entrepreneurship, business, finance, culture and the arts, poverty, economics, immigration, ecology, public policy and civic engagement, bioethics, health care, religious liberty, and more.

Spiritual Development

Fellows have the chance to supplement intellectual endeavors with regular opportunities for Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession and spiritual direction.

Community Service

Understanding that we are called to love our brothers and sisters, Leonine Fellows have the opportunity to participate in monthly service activities as a group with The Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington, DC.

Alumni Events

Fellows join a community of over 300 Leonine Alumni, and will have the opportunity to participate in regular Alumni events — including happy hours, lectures, roundtable discussions and exclusive access to premier seminars, dinners, and more.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, there is no required cost to participate in the Leonine Forum. You will, however, have an opportunity to donate to help defray the substantial costs of the Forum.

No. The Leonine Forum exists to equip the emerging generation of leaders in the core tenets of the Catholic Church’s social teachings. While our curriculum is intentionally rooted in the Catholic faith and intellectual tradition, we open to Fellows of various faith backgrounds, interested in understanding the Catholic Church more deeply.

Washington, D.C. applicants require a minimum of 3 years of professional and/or graduate school experience. In previous years, most Washington Fellows have had five-nine years of work or graduate school experience before joining the Leonine Forum.

The ideal letter of recommendation comes from a respected source who can speak to your professional achievement and personal character.

No. Your recommender does not need to be Catholic, as long as he or she can speak well to your professional achievements and personal character.

When spouses apply in the same year, they are accepted or declined together.  In the former instance, the cohort cap increases to accommodate spouses’ joint participation in the Leonine Forum.

First-Year Fellows will meet one evening per month during the academic year (September-June), usually on the first Wednesday of the month.

The basic format for each Session is as follows:

5:30pm — Mass/Adoration

6:00pm — Reception & Conversation

7:00pm — Lecture and Q&A

8:00pm — Dinner & Discussion

9:00pm — Evening ends

The DC Leonine Forum Sessions will take place at the Catholic Information Center, located at 1501 K Street NW.

Priority will be given to applicants who intend in good faith to make it to at least 80% of the events (missing no more than two). The Leonine Forum is built on the community of Fellows, and when one is missing, the whole group feels it.

Yes. In the month leading up to each Session, Fellows will be given a packet of reading material (40-80 pages) selected by the Faculty Leaders to read in advance. Tolle Lege!

There will typically be a Leonine Alumni event every month ranging from happy hours, lectures, and exclusive access to premier seminars, dinners, and more.

Applications consist of a cover letter, resume, 1-3 letters of recommendation, and a brief video to be uploaded by each applicant.

The emphasis on community building, and the frequency of events, requires participants to live within a commuting distance to the Washington, DC area.

While there is no guarantee of acceptance, those who have shown continued interest in the Forum will receive additional consideration.

PAST SESSION LEADERS

ANDREW ABELA
Catholic University of America
RYAN T. ANDERSON
Ethics and Public Policy Center
HADLEY ARKES
James Wilson Institute
DAVID BEREIT
40 Days for Life
ARTHUR BROOKS
Harvard Kennedy School
LUKE BURGIS
Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship
JOSEPH CAPIZZI
Catholic University of America
DAWN CARPENTER
Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor
JOHN CARR
Georgetown University
PATRICK DENEEN
University of Notre Dame
BISHOP MARIO DORSONVILLE
Archdiocese of Washington
KYLE DUNCAN
Duncan PLLC
MARY EBERSTADT
Faith and Reason Institute
THERESA FARNAN
Person & Identity Project
THOMAS F. FARR
Religious Freedom Institute
JD FLYNN
Catholic News Agency
JOHN GARVEY
Catholic University of America
MARY HASSON
Ethics and Public Policy Center
FRANCIS RUSSELL HITTINGER
University of Tulsa
ROBERT KEITH
Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship
PETER KREEFT
Boston College
FR. DOMINIC LEGGE, O.P.
Thomistic Institute
LEAH LIBRESSCO
Author
FR. ANTONIO LOPEZ, F.S.C.B
Pontifical John Paul II Institute
FRANCIS X. MAIER
Ethics and Public Policy Center
WILLIAM MATTISON
University of Notre Dame
CATHERINE PAKALUK
Catholic University of America
MATT PAPROCKI
Illinois Policy Institute
CHAD PECKNOLD
Catholic University of America
FR. GREGORY PINE, O.P.
Thomistic Institute
RAMESH PONNURU
American Enterprise Institute
R. R. RENO
First Things
JONATHAN REYES
Knights of Columbus
JAY RICHARDS
Heritage Foundation
ROBERT ROYAL
Faith and Reason Institute
REV. PAUL SCALIA
Diocese of Arlington
WILLIAM SAUNDERS
Institute for Human Ecology
CARTER SNEAD
de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture
CARL TRUEMAN
Grove City College
GEORGE WEIGEL
Ethics and Public Policy Center
STEPHEN WHITE
Ethics and Public Policy Center
REV. THOMAS JOSEPH WHITE, O.P.
Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum)
ANDREAS WIDMER
Busch School of Business and Economics
W. BRADFORD WILCOX
University of Virginia