Faithful Stewards: Sustaining Sponsored Ministries through Strong Governance
Following the November 2025 presentation by Kelly Connors, PM entitled Catholic Works and Works of Catholics, interest was expressed to learn more about how boards serve to preserve charism and accomplish governance in sponsored and related ministries. This video features two experts: Felician Services Inc. (FSI), an organization that provides oversite to more than 30 sponsored ministries of Felician Sisters of North America and Resource Center for Religious Institutes (RCRI), an organization that supports religious institutes to navigate the many complexities related to canonical governance structures, temporal goods, taxes and tax-exemption, corporate structure, finance, administration, requirements and processes of canon law and civil law.
Missing from this video are a welcome from Carol Zinn, SSJ, LCWR executive director, the opening prayer, and an introduction of FSI. Geralyn Mroczkowski, CSSF serves as the CEO of FSI. Terry Schweizer, the main presenter, serves as its president. Terry’s slides are available along with the video.
FSI serves the Felician Sisters’ Our Lady of Hope Province as the sole corporate member of Felician-sponsored ministries across North America. FSI provides the council with expertise and reliable advice that allows the leadership team to make informed decisions regarding the ministries which carry their name in sponsorship. FSI safeguards the Felician Sisters’ interests and provides governance, offers resource support, and encourages expansion of the more than 30 sponsored ministries of the province. By serving as an instrument of continuity across provincial administrations, FSI supports ministries in embracing and retaining their Felician identity and empowers lay women and men in managing and leading them.
Video available at the end.
Slides Faithful Stewards at the end.
Relationship and Responsible Decision-Making
January 26, 2026
Canonical and executive leaders were invited to a Zoom opportunity that introduced and explored a helpful tool that defines Five Levels of Responsibility. In addition, other suggestions were presented for concrete ways of working through the friction that sometimes arises in decision-making. Intentionally interactive, time was dedicated to small-group conversation and feedback in the large group.
Video available below.
Responsible Decision-Making Slides
Shared Responsibility Handout
Catholic Works and Works of Catholics
November 12, 2025
Have you ever wondered about the ramifications when a sponsored ministry grows beyond the founding congregation(s) to self-perpetuating Board leadership? The nuances of "juridic person" and/or some reasons why one might consider creating a PJP? In this session, S Kelly Connors, PM, JCD, PhD will share her expertise as a canonist to highlight some of what is unfolding in Catholic ministries today and why it matters.
Video link.