2024 Seton Values Summit Explores Faith and Work Balance

On March 9, 2024, the Center for Catholic Studies and the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture at Seton Hall University, in partnership with RENEW International, presented the first Seton Values Summit, which brought together distinguished professionals of all fields and careers for a day-long Summit centered on the topic of balancing faith and work in everyday life. The Summit offered a full lineup of interactive presentations and workshops which allowed participants to approach the intersection of faith and work from various points of view. Lively discussions followed each workshop. 

Patrick Manning, Ph.D., director of the Center for Catholic Studies, said, "At a time when more and more people struggle to see the relevance of religion for their lives, we desperately need more conversations like those that happened at this event. Participants were treated to the wisdom of passionate and accomplished presenters, including former leaders at J.P. Morgan and Catholic Relief Services, who made a compelling case for the difference faithful people can make in the world of work." 

The morning session started with a keynote from Christopher Lowney, author of Heroic Leadership and What Me, Holy? on "The Spirituality of Great Leadership—Best Practices for Life and Work." Lowney set the tone for the Summit, asking, “Is there a way we can be thinking about our everyday tasks as, somehow, a working out of our beliefs?" He invited participants to reflect on the universal call of Christians to loving servant-leadership and discussed tools for cultivating the disposition of humility and gratitude that "whole-life" flourishing entails.

The keynote was followed by two workshops. John Fontana, executive director of the Ignatian Business Chapters for RENEW International, spoke on "Balancing Faith and Work" as a task best accomplished through values-based group conversations, noting, “the ability to move from unhealth to health in any group is the movement of God in the workplace.” Fontana facilitated a panel conversation with Ignatian business chapter leaders—including Wally Kennedy, co-director of the Micah Institute at Seton Hall. The panel then shared their testimonies on the power of group formation to transform relationships with God and our neighbors. The second morning workshop was led by Tom Pagano, co-founder and president of Mission Advantage Recruiting. Pagano presented a workshop on "'Working ‘for the Church': the Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful," highlighting the role of lay apostolates in the U.S. and areas of the professional landscape: growth trends and competition; challenges and innovations, and specific resources and attributes for success.

The first afternoon presentation and workshop focused on the topic of leadership through the lens of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Lt. Col. Matthew Pride spoke on the topic of "The First Principles of Leadership: The Art of Leading Well"—based on the notion of leadership as a human act. Julie Burkey, D. Min., followed with "Leading with Your Spiritual Gifts: Discover Your God-Given Gifts for Work & Life," outlining the Catholic/Christian teaching on charisms and guiding participants in a self-administered assessment to shed light on their unique callings in work and evangelization.

The final speaker of the Summit was Carolyn Woo, Ph.D., who delivered the closing keynote address on the subject of "Grace in a Competitive World." Woo, the former dean of Notre Dame’s Business School and chief executive officer of Catholic Relief Services, addressed the pressures and mental health struggles faced by students, families and all individuals affected by the zero-sum, scarcity mindset of today’s professional arena. Woo recapitulated the ultimate message of the entire Summit, putting all questions of leadership and professional achievement in perspective of our true good: "Life is a gift, not a competition…God encounters us with delight, and it’s delight with which we must encounter each other." The conference concluded with Mass in the University Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated by Monsignor Joseph Reilly. 

Gregory Tobin, president and executive director of RENEW International said, "In fulfilling our mission to foster small groups on relevant topics and concerns for today’s Catholics, this conference, attended by an engaged community and presented by men and women of action in their Catholic faith life, was truly Spirit-filled and focused on subjects and insights of urgent concern in our world. I came away inspired."

About the Institutions: 
Seton Hall University — As one of only 10 diocesan Catholic colleges/universities in the United States, part of the mission and identity of Seton Hall University involves engagement with the local Church and community. The Center for Catholic Studies and the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture, live, share and deepen this identity by fostering dialogue between the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the lived experience of Seton Hall community members in every area of study and contemporary culture.

RENEW International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Plainfield, New Jersey, that works toward a complementary goal, striving to accompany and support the people of God as they strengthen their personal faith and parish vitality and inspire them to connect faith and life. Currently directed by G. Gregory Tobin, M.A. ‘06, RENEW’s outreach and impact in organizing parish, family, and community initiatives for evangelization and spiritual growth extends to more than 160 dioceses in the United States and 24 countries.

Categories: Business, Campus Life, Faith and Service