In the midst of polarization and disharmony, we as a Church are called to seek and share joy, charity, and generosity.

On the Season 2 finale of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, our hosts Kerry Robinson and Kim Smolik sit down to reflect on this past season of conversations with esteemed and diverse leaders making a difference in the Catholic Church and the world. Kerry and Kim discuss ways to overcome division in the Church, our families, and the world through seeking the common good.

You can learn more about Catholic Charities USA at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/ or on social media at:

You can learn more about Collegeville Institute https://collegevilleinstitute.org/ or on social media at:

You can find Kerry on LinkedIn @kerry-alys-robinson-914507.

Tania Tetlow grew up in a uniquely Catholic and Jesuit-influenced household, where dinner conversation centered around intellect, scripture, and justice. Throughout her career, Tania’s Jesuit formation and devotion to justice have guided her, whether she was prosecuting violent crimes, helping lead recovery efforts for the New Orleans Library system post-Hurricane Katrina, or serving as the first female and lay president of a major Catholic university.

On this episode of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, hosts Kerry Robinson and Kim Smolik sit down with Tania Tetlow, the current president of Fordham University. Tania grew up in New Orleans and spearheaded efforts to raise millions to rebuild and reimagine the city’s libraries after Hurricane Katrina as chair of the New Orleans Library board. She is a trailblazer in Catholic higher education, having served as the first female president of Loyola University New Orleans before becoming the first female president of Fordham in 2022.

Join us as Tania shares from her experience surrounding hurricane recovery and leading in the face of natural disasters and financial hardship, as well the lessons she’s learned as a Catholic woman serving in leadership positions previously only held by clergy.

You can learn more about President Tetlow on her social media platforms:

You can learn more about Fordham University at https://www.fordham.edu and on social media:

Throughout his life and career in both corporate and nonprofit settings, Chris Lowney has learned that one of the most important pieces of leadership is avoiding what he calls “split life-ism,” where someone’s spirituality and personal life is left at the door when they enter the work place. “Nobody can live their whole life in a split way,” Chris shares.

On this episode of The Catholic Leadership Podcast, Chris Lowney joins us to discuss integrating spirituality and work together, practicing love-driven leadership, and how to handle leadership transitions. Chris shares leadership lessons learned both from his unique life journey through Jesuit seminary, J.P. Morgan, and in his leadership coaching and consulting.

About Chris

His B.A. and M.A. are from Fordham University, and he holds eleven honorary doctoral degrees (But, Chris adds: "I don't have the intellect to earn one the real way!") He grew up in New York City, hates the New York Yankees, and roots for the New York Mets.

You can learn more about Chris and his work and books at https://chrislowney.com/wp/.

You can learn more about CommonSpirit Health at https://www.commonspirit.org/ and on social media:

McKinsey & Co. study: “Decoding leadership: What really matters”

Since getting her first job in development right after graduating from college, Kendra Davenport knew that the nonprofit sector was where she belonged. Kendra shared that early in her career, “[I] realized how difficult it would be for me to work for a private sector company, as opposed to a nonprofit that really had a mission of helping and serving people.” Kendra has dedicated her career to mission-based NGOs with the purpose of serving those marginalized and in need, all while keeping her Catholic faith at the core of her personal, professional, and family practices.

On this episode of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, we welcome Kendra Davenport, President and CEO of Easterseals, a national organization leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access through life-changing disability and community services. Kendra joins hosts Kim Smolik and Kerry Robinson and shares her story of faith, leadership, and service with our listeners.

About Kendra

Previously, Kendra served as the chief development officer for Operation Smile, where she managed multichannel global philanthropy efforts, including domestic and international corporate fundraising, mass market and direct response, digital fundraising, major gifts and planned giving, community engagement, special events and partnerships, private sector grants, and government relations. Kendra possesses extensive management experience, having overseen more than 1,000 international staff across eighteen sub-Saharan countries while working for Africare, one of the largest African American founded and led nonprofits at the time. Much of Kendra’s career has been dedicated to facilitating the provision of critical services and interventions with organizations that include the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, Goodwill Industries, and The Arc Montgomery County.

Follow Kendra on:

Learn more about Easterseals on their website, www.easterseals.com, or on social media:

“Have you ever thought about being a sister?” That simple invitation from a religious sister became a call to consecrated religious life for Dr. Carol Zinn, SSJ. Looking back on her life, Dr. Zinn, a religious sister with the Sisters of Saint Joseph, sees a series of invitations to which she responded “yes,” each of which shaped her vocation, career, and spirituality.

On this episode of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, hosts Kim Smolik and Kerry Robinson talk with Dr. Zinn who today is Executive Director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). She draws back the curtain on the state of religious life in the United States and provides a candid look at how discernment, charism, and vocation are shaping the landscape of consecrated and religious life in the 21st century. Dr. Zinn also provides insight into her work at the U.N., working for global peace.

About Sr. Carol

Dr. Zinn worked in grassroots-based international movements as consultant and facilitator. In particular, she worked on the United Religions Initiative and the Earth Charter. Dr. Zinn served as the main representative for the Congregations of St. Joseph, an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations. She represented over 15,000 Sisters of St. Joseph who live and minister in 57 countries. Dr. Zinn also worked as the Education Program Director for Global Education Associates, a non-governmental organization working to further global systemic change.

Dr. Zinn served on her Congregation’s leadership team and in the Presidency of Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) from 2012-2015. Currently, Carol serves as the Executive Director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

You can learn more about the Sisters of Saint Joseph on their website, www.ssjphila.org, and on social media:

You can learn more about LCWR on their website, www.lcwr.org, and on Facebook @lcwr.org.

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta (now Kolkata) has left an indelible impact on the Church, the world, and the life of Jim Towey. What began as a one-day stop in Kolkata to meet the renowned sister ended up transforming Jim’s life and forming an enduring, close friendship between the lawyer and the nun. Today, Jim credits much of who he is to Mother Teresa and the lessons she taught him.

On this episode of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, hosts Kim Smolik and Kerry Robinson welcome Jim Towey, author of To Love and Be Loved: A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa. Jim offers a glimpse into his close friendship with Mother Teresa, sharing leadership lessons she modeled, as well as her spiritual struggles, and her lifelong calling to serve those experiencing poverty.

Jim also shares about his time working in the White House as head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and how his work with Mother Teresa led him to create Aging with Dignity, the organization he founded to bring advocacy and support to end-of-life issues and planning.

About Jim

He previously headed the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under George W. Bush for four years and served on his senior staff. His career spans the presidency of two Catholic colleges for thirteen years, a seven-year stint as a US Senate staffer, and the leadership of Florida’s 40,000-employee Health and Human Services agency. In 1996, with Mother Teresa’s encouragement, he founded the nonprofit advocacy organization Aging with Dignity and created the Five Wishes Advance Directive, which has sold over 40 million copies. He currently serves as the organization’s CEO.

Towey is the recipient of seven honorary doctorate degrees, including ones from Catholic University of America and Franciscan University. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II awarded him a papal medal for distinguished service. He currently is a trustee of The Papal Foundation.

In 2022, Towey authored To Love and Be Loved: A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa, published by Simon and Schuster, which is now available in five languages. He and his wife Mary are donating the book’s royalties to charities affiliated with the saint’s work. Towey met his wife in Mother Teresa’s Washington D.C. AIDS home and married her in 1992. They have five children and three grandchildren and reside in Falls Church, Virginia.

To Love and Be Loved: A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa can be purchased through Simon and Schuster.

You can find Jim’s blog at agingwithdignity.org/jim-toweys-blog.

You can learn more about Aging with Dignity at agingwithdignity.org.

You can learn more about the Five Wishes program at www.fivewishes.org.

Moments when success may seem elusive are moments where Dr. Hosffman Ospino sees opportunity for innovation. Dr. Ospino is a professor, writer, and researcher in the fields of theology, religious education, and Catholic Hispanic/Latino ministry. Dr. Ospino is a leading scholar in the conversations surrounding how to engage young adults in the Church, how to grow and foster greater Hispanic/Latino leadership, and how to create a healthy, thriving Catholic Church.

Join us for the latest episode of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, where our hosts Kim Smolik and Kerry Robinson sit down with Dr. Ospino. Dr. Ospino shares insights into what he has learned through his research surrounding ministry and engagement with Hispanic/Latino Catholics, his work teaching and forming young adults, his leadership in the V Encuentro, and two exciting projects he’s piloting at Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry to support Hispanic/Latino leaders: “Nuevo Momento” and “Haciendo Caminos.”

About Hosffman:

He was instrumental in developing core resources for and designing the process guiding the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry (2018). Dr. Ospino is a prolific writer with more than 20 books and 250 articles, both academic and general. He is Past-President of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS) and is currently an officer of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA). He is actively involved in ministry with his family in the Archdiocese of Boston.

You can follow Dr. Ospino on Facebook @hosffman.ospino and LinkedIn: @hosffman-ospino-598a44206.

You can learn more about Dr. Ospino on Boston College, Clough School of Theology and Ministry’s website.

You can follow Boston College, Clough School of Theology and Ministry on:

Gloria Purvis didn’t set out to be an author, commentator, and the host of a popular Catholic podcast. But as she says, “the Lord has a funny sense of humor.”

Join us for the first episode of Season 2 of The Catholic Leaders Podcast, where we talk with Gloria about how her faith in God’s plan for her life has steered her career from real estate finance to journalism and advocacy. In this episode, we will delve into her work to promote racial and social justice in the Church and our world through The Gloria Purvis Podcast and how she still applies the lessons of working in finance to hosting her show and having synodal, listening conversations about her faith.

Follow Gloria on X (Twitter) @gloria_purvis and on Instagram @iamgloriapurvis.

Learn more about The Gloria Purvis Podcast on americamagazine.org and listen on Apple and Spotify.

View full show notes at https://www.leadershiproundtable.org/podcast.

Season 2 of The Catholic Leaders Podcast is here! This season, Leadership Roundtable and Catholic Charities USA are partnering to bring you interviews with esteemed Catholic leaders doing renowned work in synodality, outreach, and community building. Join our hosts Kim Smolik and Kerry Robinson for these conversations you won’t want to miss!

It’s the season one finale of The Catholic Leaders Podcast! As we wrap up an amazing season, Kim and Kerry sit down to reflect on this incredible first season of the podcast and what’s to come. Both hosts share about recent personal experiences of discernment and transition, from Kim’s recent pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago to Kerry taking on the role of President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA.

The Catholic Leaders Podcast is brought to you by Leadership Roundtable.

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