MCE Church Management Initiatives

A beautiful milestone for our mission at MCE – Church Management Initiatives.

We are grateful to see the launch of the Church Management Program at University of Asia and the Pacific in Manila, with the collaboration of MCE at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, a concrete step toward forming leaders capable of serving the Church with competence, responsibility, and a spirit of stewardship.

As highlighted in the news, this initiative aims to equip clergy and lay leaders with stronger skills in stewardship and mission-driven leadership — exactly the direction the Church is called to take today.

A new Church management program launched this week aims to equip Catholic leaders with stronger stewardship and mission-driven leadership skills.

Click the link in the comments for the full story.

Last week in Abuja, on the occasion of the first plenary session of 2026 of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, 146 leaders of the Catholic Church gathered for a two-day workshop dedicated to Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation in the Catholic Church of Nigeria.

The participants included 54 Bishops, 78 diocesan administrators, and 14 staff members of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and related agencies. Their presence reflected a shared awareness: questions of governance are no longer peripheral to the Church’s life, but central to her credibility and mission.

The workshop was organized by the Markets, Culture & Ethics center at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, together with the University of St. Thomas- Opus College of Business, and with the participation of St Mary's University, London, Catholic International University, Lagos Business School, in collaboration with the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.

Through sessions on
-Financial Management,
-Donor Relationships,
-Crisis communication
-Leadership, and
-Strategic Planning,

participants were challenged to move from good intentions to clear vision, concrete priorities, and measurable goals.

Key messages emerged:

👉 Transparency builds credibility.
👉 Credibility generates trust.
👉 Trust strengthens communion.
👉 Communion sustains the Church’s spiritual mission.

Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation are not a bureaucratic burden. They are an act of stewardship. This is how church institutions protect their mission, engage the laity, and ensure long-term sustainability.

Seeing bishops and financial administrators working side by side was a clear sign that the Church is committed to protecting her credibility through responsible and transparent leadership.

Speakers:
Prof. Msgr. Martin Schlag (PUSC and U. St Thomas)
Rev. Prof. Jordi Pujol (PUSC)
Prof. Roberto Dandi (PUSC and Catholic International University)
Mr. Richard Solomon (St. Mary University, London)
Fr. Augustine Dada (Pontifical Society of Saint Peter and Catholic International University)
Prof. Franklin Nnaemeka Ngwu (PhD) (Lagos Business School)

MCE Church Management Initiatives in Nigeria!

At the invitation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, we are pleased to replicate our Transparency and Accountability Workshop in Abuja this February 2026. We anticipate approximately 100 participants, including bishops and diocesan financial directors.

The Nigerian Church operates in an increasingly challenging environment marked by security threats, violent extremism targeting clergy and faithful, and public scrutiny of institutional finances. This workshop responds directly to these pressures by providing Church leaders with concrete tools for transparent and accountable governance.

https://en.pusc.it/article/workshop-transparency-and-accountability-nigerian-catholic-church

We just held a Q&A session on Zoom to introduce and discuss our upcoming workshop, "Transparency, Accountability and Evaluation in the Catholic Church." Here you find the slides.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mce-church-management-initiatives_presentation-ate-rome-2026-activity-7402019598235107329-8qji?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAABIlRgBvakIel3HqRThTOSK2u92DwkQe0k

We will organize another session in early 2026, date to be defined.

Stay updated here: www.churchtransparency.it

Event Rome 2026 A five-day summit of talks, activities, and professional development

After the successful previous editions — including Rome (2024 and 2025) and a special edition in Manila with more than 80 Bishops and their financial administrators — the International Workshop on Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation in the Catholic Church returns to Rome on July 7–11, 2026.

We invite Church leaders, including Bishops, Religious Superiors, and Finance Directors, to join our online Information Session to learn about the 2026 program and its practical approach to strengthening transparency and accountability in ecclesial governance.

📅 December 3, 2025
🕒 3:00 PM (CET)
💻 Zoom

👉 Sign up for the Information Session on ZOOM: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuI15jaiXEv32Ph1I0j82erSZDBQXImuf4BAs_F-_qisTfQA/viewform?usp=header

👉 More details at www.churchtransparency.it

Honored by the presence of the President of the Governorate of the Vatican State

The President of the Governorate at the Presentation of the Book "Economics for Ecclesiastics. A Guide" Lo Stato della Città del Vaticano è sorto con il Trattato Lateranense, firmato l’11 febbraio 1929 tra la Santa Sede e l’Italia, che ne ha sancito la personalità

Event

On 3 October 2025 at 11:00 a.m., the Italian Embassy to the Holy See will host, in the prestigious setting of Palazzo Borromeo (Viale delle Belle Arti, 2 – 00196 Rome), the presentation of "Economics for Ecclesiastics. A Guide" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2024), a publication of the MCE Research Centre at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

Authors present:
-Martin Schlag, Director of the MCE Research Centre, PUSC
-Giuseppe Schlitzer, former Director of the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF) and Professor at the European University of Rome

Speakers:
-Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate
-Prof. Francesco Bonini, Rector, LUMSA University

Moderator:
-Fabio Bolzetta, PhD, journalist and President of WeCa

The event will be held in Italian and will explore how Catholic Social Teaching can illuminate global economic developments and the management of ecclesiastical assets.

Registration by 1 October: [email protected]

The book is available for free download in PDF here:
https://www.pusc.it/sites/default/files/Schlag_Schlitzer_Economics%20for%20Ecclesiastics.pdf

Reception to follow.

For further information, please contact [email protected]

Five free short videos introducing project management as a tool for the mission of the Catholic Church by Dr. Roberto Dandi, coordinator of MCE Church Management Initiatives and professor at Catholic International University:

Enroll In Our Online Theology Program At Catholic International University Discover the Joy from the Truth in our online theology program. Study the teachings of Jesus and deepen your faith with us.

Video of the Workshop on Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation in the Catholic Church – Rome

From July 15 to 19, 2025, 42 participants from 18 countries gathered in Rome for the second edition of our international workshop: Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation in the Catholic Church – A Practical Journey.

Archbishops, bishops, religious superiors, finance directors, administrators, and consultants shared experiences, addressed organizational challenges, and developed practical strategies for transformational change.

Key takeaways included:
✅ The importance of leadership and continuous formation
✅ The value of clear structures and shared vision
✅ The need for effective financial monitoring
✅ The integration of spiritual values with professional systems

Organized by the MCE Research Centre at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, in partnership with international universities and with the support of sponsors, the workshop reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to sustainable, synodal transformation and effective governance.

Watch the highlights of this inspiring journey ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkEphTBnA0

Partners:
- MCE Research Centre at Pontificia Università della Santa Croce
- University of St. Thomas,Terrence J. Murphy Institute for Catholic Thought, Law, and Public Policy
- St Mary's University, Twickenham
- Pontificia Università Gregoriana
- Catholic International University, Master of Arts in Ecclesial Administration and Management

Sponsors:
- Pax-Bank für Kirche und Caritas https://www.pax-bkc.de/pax-bkc-en.html
- IMC CONSULTING https://www.imcconsulting.it/
- Leadership Roundtable

Workshop: Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation in the Catholic Church - A Practical Journey The second edition of the Workshop on Transparency, Accountability, and Evaluation in the Catholic Church took place in Rome from 15 to 19 July 2025. Buildin...