Garan Santicola
Special to The Michigan Catholic

Thousands of policemen, firefighters, doctors, nurses, business people, actors, writers and religious leaders in Michigan have a certain distinction in common: they are graduates of the Christopher Leadership Course, which is designed to build character, self-confidence and effective communication skills within the long and successful tradition of The Christophers, an organization founded in 1945 by Fr. James Keller, M.M., who taught that everyone has a unique purpose in life.

Now, Saint Mary’s Retreat House in Oxford will host its first Christopher Leadership Course, beginning Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m., and running through to Sunday, March 9, at 3 p.m.

Detroit Archbishop Edwin Cardinal Mooney authorized the first Christopher Career Guidance School in 1949 shortly after Fr. Keller visited Sacred Heart Seminary and spoke about the need for leadership schools to teach people how to bring the love of Christ and a positive attitude to influential careers in government, education, business, medicine and the arts.

Archbishop Mooney appointed Detroit priest Fr. Thomas J. Bresnahan to lead the new outreach, and the Gabriel Richard Institute was formed to run the Christopher Career Guidance School under his direction. With The Christophers’ blessing, the institute developed and sponsored leadership courses nationwide for more than 50 years.

The Christophers’ activities in Michigan include the donation of their “Three Minutes a Day” books, news notes and spiritual materials to prison ministries. Their leadership training program has been offered at many Detroit-area parishes, such as Christ the Redeemer in Lake Orion. The weekend cost of $195 at St. Mary’s Retreat House includes meals, lodging and course materials. Attendees can expect an enjoyable few days of bonding with others and discovering their God-given talents.

All of the instructors are graduates of the program and understand the fears some might have when it comes to building communication skills; they are adept at offering strategies to overcome those fears and committed to creating an environment that is relaxed, welcoming, and conducive to success.

Though the course is rooted in Christian spirituality, it is open to people of all faiths and well-suited for those looking to infuse deep meaning into their actions as leaders. It is particularly helpful in preparing the next generation of leaders within the Church. Whether someone is considering a vocation to religious life or simply taking on a more active role within their parish, the Christopher Leadership Course can equip them with the tools to take bold steps and make a lasting contribution to their community. In addition, the skills acquired help job candidates impress potential employers and advance their careers.

The underlying reason for the success of the Christopher Leadership Course is that it teaches people to place Christian love at the center of all their actions. This empowers their decision-making process to be vastly more intuitive than the average person just looking for worldly success. Graduates of the course think well on their feet, understand the needs of others, and know how to break down barriers in order to open lines of communication.

An eight-week course will be held in the area this year, and a graduate course is also being planned; but the weekend courses are a great way to gain an introduction into The Christophers’ method of teaching, which is completely disarming in its down-to-earth approach. The volunteer instructors understand that achieving success is about a pattern of thinking, and their goal is to help each participant begin to realize that pattern in their own life.

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To register for the class call Gloria Henry at (248) 425-2627 or (888) 298-4050 or visit www.christophers.org and click on the leadership tab. Garan Santicola is currently working on a story about Catholicism in America for Narratively, one of Time Magazine’s 50 best websites of 2013. For updates on this and all of his work follow him on twitter @GSanticola or email [email protected].