Enrollment is open for The Leo Seminar!
A 12-week study group on the mind and teaching of Pope Leo XIV
Lumen Gentium, Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, says that the Church is “the universal sacrament of salvation” established for all people to encounter Christ and experience His liberating love.
But many Catholics today feel a sense of homelessness in their own Church. We believe that Catholicism ought to have something urgent and vital to say to us and to the modern world, but it often seems that all that’s being offered are partisan camps. While each camp claims to speak for the Church, they often speak with their own agenda. Rather than the expansive and liberating love of Jesus, what’s experienced is the confines of an ideology. And few sources offer the honest, unhurried, and unfearful engagement that helps a person listen carefully, think deeply, and discern well.
Sarah Carter and I know this homeless feeling well and, in our own ways, have experienced the frustration and isolation that comes with it. But something stirred in us when Pope Leo XIV called the whole Church to a re-discernment of Vatican II and what it means to be the Church in the modern world today. That’s the kind of faith conversations we wanted to have and to invite others into.
We started with our Leo Live series that followed Pope Leo’s ongoing catechesis on Vatican II. But we wanted something with more depth and intentionality. So—with Sarah’s academic background in theology and Catholic social teaching and Paul’s catechetical and mental-health expertise—we created The Leo Seminar: a space where people could read Pope Leo’s actual words, in community, without an ideological agenda.
Sarah and I believe that striving for integrity is more important than having the right answers; dialogue and curiosity are more important than ideological purity; unity in diversity is more important than uniformity; “truth is not a territory to be defended, but a good to be shared” (Magnifica Humanitas 25); and “realities are greater than ideas” (Evangelii Gaudium231).
The Leo Seminar exists for anyone who wants to step into a process of collective study and discernment instead of consuming “hot takes.” In this seminar, you will spend twelve weeks digging into primary texts, guided discussion, and honestly wrestling with what Pope Leo is actually saying and where he’s leading the Church.
You won’t leave with a verdict handed to you, but you’ll have the opportunity to form your own conclusions in a community of people who take the questions as seriously as you do. People who are willing to undertake this kind of slow and serious formation will be agents of renewal in the Church, more equipped to proclaim the Gospel in the modern world.
About The Leo Seminar
The Leo Seminar is a small group online seminar starting on Friday, September 4 at 12:00 (ET). The group will meet every week for 90 minutes, for 12 consecutive weeks. Sarah and Paul will lead each discussion, and we will have occasional special guests, including Pope Leo’s biographer, Elise Ann Allen!
Who The Leo Seminar for:
Catechists
Teachers
Clergy
Parents
Catholics
Non-Catholics
Anyone who wants to better understand the mind and teaching of our new pope
What we’ll be reading together:
Pope Leo XIV: The Biography by Elise Ann Allen
Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis (programmatic document that has set the stage for Leo’s pontificate)
Magnifica Humanitas (On artificial intelligence)
Dilexi Te (On love for the poor)
In Unitate Fidei (On Christian unity)
Other selected homilies and addresses form Pope Leo
What you’ll get when you enroll:
A copy of Pope Leo XIV: The Biography by Elise Ann Allen sent directly to your mailing address
A 60-minute, live, “closed-door” Q&A with the first and only person to be granted an exclusive interview with Pope Leo XIV, Elise Ann Allen
The Leo Seminar Reader, a digital reading packet designed for ease of use and note taking
Twelve 90-minute sessions, with in-depth analysis and discussion
A community to study and discuss with, and opportunities to stay connected after the seminar ends
When we’ll meet:
Every Friday from September 4 - November 20
All meetings from 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET
Cost:
$1,200 (with options to pay in installments via Stripe)
About the hosts:
Paul Fahey is a professional counselor, writer, retreat leader, and podcaster. He previously worked as a lay minister and catechist in the Catholic Church. He has an undergraduate degree in Theology and a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He provides counseling for those who have been spiritually abused and creates resources for Church leaders to better safeguard their communities against abuse.
Paul created the Third Space podcast, the Pope Francis Generation podcast, and co-founded Where Peter Is. He has published articles and resources about spiritual abuse, Catholic social teaching, and pastoral accompaniment.
Paul lives in SW Michigan with his wife and five kids. His favorite saints include Maximilian Kolbe, Dorothy Day, Óscar Romero, Mark Ji Tianxiang, Josephine Bakhita, and the Ulma Family.
Sarah Carter is a writer, teacher, and theologian with a masters degree in Theology and over a decade of experience working in Catholic institutions, including as a policy ghost writer for the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Sarah’s work has been focused on an integrated approach to Catholic social teaching and the intellectual formation of both lay and ordained leaders. She has taught several courses and seminars in Catholic theology at both the high school and university level.
Sarah lives in the Twin Cities metro area with her husband and three children. In her spare time she enjoys knitting, exercise, and reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be knowledgeable about the pope and Catholic theology to enroll in this seminar? No. If you want to read and discuss Pope Leo XIV in community with other people, you are welcome to enroll no matter your level of familiarity with Catholicism or your educational background.
Is this seminar for Catholics only? Again, nope! Anyone interested can enroll. In fact, we’d love to welcome some non-Catholics into the conversation!
What if I don’t like the pope or agree with what he’s saying? We don’t see our role as trying to defend everything the pope has ever said or taught. We’re here to help participants engage honestly with Pope Leo’s teachings and his vision, regardless of whether they agree with it or not. In other words, our goal is for you to know what Leo is saying and where he is guiding the Church–whether he’s right or wrong, we leave to you to judge.
Will you offer discounts? At this time, we cannot offer discounts on The Leo Seminar. Stripe (the payment platform) does offer pay-over-time options. I’m always trying to balance my desire to make my resources available to anyone while also providing for my family. The income from this seminar helps allow me to continue to offer my Spiritual Abuse Workshop at little-to-no cost for those who can’t afford it.
How many spots are available in this seminar? Since we want this to be a small, discussion-based group, we have decided to cap The Leo Seminar at 15 participants.