CAPP-Canada's 2025 Lumen Gentium Fellows continue their journey of formation and friendship together

---

A new cohort of CAPP-Canada's Lumen Gentium Forum gathered for the first time in the Archdiocese of Toronto this past September. This is the second-ever cohort of Lumen Gentium Fellows, a signature programme of CAPP-Canada delivered in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Toronto.

The Lumen Gentium Forum brings together young Catholic lay leaders and professionals from across industries for nine months of intensive formation in Catholic social teaching and virtuous leadership principles. Fellows read papal encyclicals and other magisterial documents on key themes of Catholic social doctrine, learning how these principles concretely apply to their Christian apostolate in their careers, community and civic engagement, and family life. The aim is to form lay apostles with hearts on fire for animating our culture with Gospel values, most especially through their professional work.

As we enter 2026, our 2025 Lumen Gentium Fellows are about halfway through their journey together. Each month they gather for Eucharistic Adoration, dinner, and conversation about what they are learning. They also take in a presentation from an expert guest speaker on the month's themes. These past four months, Fellows have heard from:

• CAPP-Canada coordinator Dr. Cecil Chabot and Catholic Christian Outreach president Jeff Lockert, who provided introductory lectures on Catholic social teaching and virtuous leadership respectively;

• Dr. Constance Price, Director of the Office of Formation for Discipleship at the Archdiocese of Toronto, who gave a talk on the beauty and goodness of human dignity;

• Peter Copeland, Director of the Domestic Policy programme at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, who spoke about faith and reason as the "two wings" upon which the human spirit flies; and,

• Dr. Patricia Murphy, a professor at St. Augustine's Seminary and programme director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute. Her workshop explored discernment and moral decision-making in Catholic teaching, helping equip our Fellows to practically apply the teachings they are learning in our programme.

We are excited for the journey to continue with the Lumen Gentium Fellows into 2026. Applications for the 2026 cohort starting in September will open in the coming weeks. If you would like to be informed when applications are being accepted, sign up for the mailing list at this link.

We are also exploring opportunities to bring the Lumen Gentium Forum to other Canadian cities. If you would be interested in launching a local chapter of Lumen in your area, you can fill out the form at the bottom of this same link.

In your charity, please pray for our Fellows, that they might transform our culture and share the Good News of Christ with others through their missions as lay people!