This week on Follow to Lead, we will be talking with our two guests about a new video called “Souls in the Game,” produced by St. John’s Seminary and the Archdiocese of Boston.  This new 30-minute documentary that tells the story of seminary formation and the building of community that goes beyond theology and philosophy classes to the basketball court.

On January 5 we begin our fourth year of programming for Follow to Lead. We are turning the tables on our co-host Kyle Pietrantonio, and interviewing him about the past, present and future of the Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative. Coming out of a strong year of events in 2023, the new year promises to open up even more opportunities for teachers, administrators and future teachers.

The link for the video of DIA Summit 2023 can be found at https://vimeo.com/880588693. 

Merry Christmas! On behalf of everyone at the Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative and the Follow to Lead Podcast, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

During this Christmas season, we want to share with you one of our most popular episodes from April of 2021 - Encountering the Eucharist through “The Veil Removed,” with Chris Magruder. “The Veil Removed” is a short film that portrays the Mass in a new and beautiful way, giving us a new awareness that this is a time and place where heaven and earth touch. I have seen this film dozens of times and am deeply moved every time. You can view this amazing film at theveilremoved.com.

Today, we’re going to be revisiting the DIA Fellows program through an ENCORE of the program “Exploring the Opportunity of Becoming a DIA Fellow.” This Fellows program provides administrators, teachers and campus ministers the structure and space for a year-long experience supporting and encouraging candidates to take their school or diocese to the next level, grow as a Catholic educator, and become a beacon of light for passionately Catholic education and the Catholic Church at-large.

Hear from two past Fellows about the rewards of taking part in this important DIA program, how it impacted their school communities and their own spirituality. We have two DIA Fellow graduates, Carol Szymanski from St. John XXIII College Preparatory School in Katy, TX and Austin Krause, Director of Campus Ministry at St. James Academy in Lenexa, KS.

We would like to invite you to consider taking part in the the 2024 Cohort of DIA Fellows, and in the process take your community to new heights, while impacting your own spirituality. The application deadline is December 15, 2023. You can find more information on our website at diaschools.org. 

On this episode of Follow to Lead, we will be talking with Jimmy Mitchell, Director of Campus Ministry, and hear the story of an amazing “culture of conversion” that exists at Jesuit High School, Tampa, Florida. Students are encountering the Lord and being transformed as they experience the beauty of the Gospel in word, deed and visually. We will also talk to Jimmy about his new book: “Let Beauty Speak: The Art of Being Human in a Culture of Noise.”

As Chief Mission Officer for the National Eucharistic Congress, Kris Frank supports the work in parishes and schools in bringing about a great embrace of Eucharistic life. Part of this support is coming through a new resource for Faith Formation called, “Jesus and the Eucharist.” In addition to talking about the National Congress, Kris also shares some great ways that parishes and schools can come alive during the Eucharistic Revival.

October is Fr. Robert Spitzer month as he will be joining us for both podcasts. On this episode we will be discussing the Journey to Excellence Academy for Professional Development from the Magis Center. As the Center President, Fr. Spitzer will share with us about their mission to provide faith-focused professional development for Catholic leaders..

Fr. Robert Spitzer, is a Catholic Priest in the Jesuit order and President of the Magis Center in Garden Grove, CA. He was formerly the President of Gonzaga University and currently appears weekly on EWTN in “Father Spitzer’s Universe.”

October is Fr. Robert Spitzer month on Follow to Lead as he will be joining us for both podcasts. On this episode will be discussing Faith and Science. In a day and age when many see a great chasm between the two, Fr. Spitzer joins them together in a larger view of the world, its creation and its destiny.

Fr. Robert Spitzer, is a Catholic Priest in the Jesuit order and President of the Magis Center in Garden Grove, CA. He was formerly the President of Gonzaga University and currently appears weekly on EWTN in “Father Spitzer’s Universe.” He will be one of the keynote speakers at the Duc In Altum Schools Collaborative Summit this month in Washington DC.

For information on the Summit, visit diaschools.org. 

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Pope Benedict XVI once said, Become familiar with the Bible so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow. In today’s Follow to Lead we are joined by Steve and Jackie Green, Co-founders of Museum of the Bible to discover ways in which our reading and study of the Scriptures can be enhanced through the various offerings of Museum of the Bible, both at the museum and online. The museum features multiple resources for classroom use.

Link to Museum of the Bible K-12 programs:K-12 Programs | Museum of the Bible

Link to Museum of the Bible educational brochure: museumofthebible.cdn.prismic.io/museumofthebible/90a5d0e9-1f22-447d-863c-f46caebd2106_EducationDeptBrochure_Digital.pdf

For more information about Educational Programs, you can contact Lisa Rowan at [email protected].

On today’s “Follow to Lead” we’ll talk about the need to strengthen men - both young and old - in their identity and in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Joining us for this program is Dan Donaldson, Vice President of the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance, which is hosting its next virtual Heroic Men Summit  on Saturday, September 9 with the theme “The Gospel of Work.”

More information can be found at https://www.catholicmenleaders.org/.