Diocesan Leaders Academy Continues Impact with Second Cohort

Henrico, VA, Oct 1, 2025—The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE) is pleased to announce the launch of its 2025-2026 cohort for the Diocesan Leaders Academy (DLA). The DLA launched its first cohort in 2024 as a formation program that aims to cultivate superintendents spiritually, intellectually, and practically in the Catholic renewal of schools at the diocesan level. Across both the 2024 cohort and the new cohort, a total of 24 leaders from 20 dioceses have enrolled in the DLA, representing 12 percent of all dioceses in the country. The 2025-2026 cohort members are recognized below.

This means the impact of the Diocesan Leaders Academy will have reached a total of 766+ Catholic schools tasked with the formation of 700+ school pastors, 750+ principals, and 15,000+ teachers by June 2026.

With 9 diocesan leaders from 9 different dioceses in this year’s cohort, there is much enthusiasm from its members. “I hope to deepen my understanding and confidence in the Catholic liberal arts tradition,” said one cohort member. “Through participation in this program, I hope to provide enhanced direction and support to our schools, and help them fulfill the mission of Catholic education.”

Titles of participants range from Superintendent and Associate Superintendent to Director of Catholic Schools and Director of Religion and Curriculum.

“It has enriched my appreciation for the diocesan system, even with its quirks,” noted a 2024-2025 graduate about the program. “It has encouraged me to raise the standards of my schools and weave them into the life of the parish.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to shape Catholic educators throughout the country through the Diocesan Leaders Academy,” said ICLE President Ryan Messmore, D.Phil. “One of our primary hopes with the DLA is to support bishops — through the formation of their leaders — to renew the schools under their care.”

“As contemporary Catholic school leaders know full well, learning what to do and where to go to better spread the Gospel message often happens among similarly inspired and like-minded colleagues,” said a member of the 2024-2025 cohort. “The DLA process and opportunities have provided protected time, space, and programming to help shape a clearer vision as well as a roster of colleagues who can be called upon to reference and consult with in shaping a clearer direction forward in renewing many aspects of Catholic schooling that have been left as a secular parallel in terms of programming, vision, and practice.”

“We started Diocesan Leaders Academy at the request of bishops. So many bishops asked ICLE for help supporting not just individual schools, but help with all of the schools in the diocese by recovering the Bishop’s own teaching and governing duties through his curia’s school teams,” said Abriana Chilelli, ICLE’s Diocesan Liaison and Director of the Diocesan Leaders Academy. “It has been remarkable to see the superintendents steep themselves in Catholic liberal education through DLA, and to watch the creative ways those superintendents are now recovering the Church’s charter for education in their dioceses through curriculum, pedagogy, accreditation, school pastor formation, and principal formation. We’re seeing dioceses across the country put aside secular standards of quality, and now ordering entire diocesan school policy and practice towards Catholic liberal education.”

DIOCESAN LEADERS ACADEMY FALL RETREAT

The 2025-2026 program begins with the Diocesan Leaders Academy Fall Retreat from Sept. 30  to Oct. 2 at the Augustine Institute Event and Retreat Center near St. Louis, MO. 

ABOUT THE DIOCESAN LEADERS ACADEMY

In response to growing momentum for deep educational renewal among bishops and diocesan leaders, ICLE launched a 10-month formation program that immerses participants in the theory and practice of the Church’s own intellectual tradition, and supports strategies to lead its recovery in the dioceses they serve. It is facilitated in a small cohort model, where Catholic educational leaders benefit from one-on-one monthly consulting sessions, twice-monthly online course meetings, and two in-person retreats, including visits to successful ICLE Member Schools.

This program is open to those serving in educational leadership positions at the diocesan level, such as superintendents or assistant/associate superintendents, including clergy and religious. Others in leadership roles that support the diocese’s mission of Catholic education also are encouraged to apply.

Preference is given to those who display a sincere desire to learn and grow and whose experience will contribute to the collective wisdom of the cohort. Regular attendance and active participation are necessary for the full benefit of leadership formation; participants must be able to commit time and effort for their own growth.

The experience is designed to cultivate leaders spiritually, intellectually, and practically to lead renewal through the pastors, school leaders, and teachers of their dioceses. Since a significant benefit of the program is the experience and commitment of the cohort, participants in the Diocesan Leaders Academy are selected through an application process. Clergy and religious in educational leadership positions are most welcome.

Content of the program includes a history of the Church’s Charter and Catholic Liberal Education, “Listening to the Holy Spirit: Asking the Lord His Plans for the Renewal of His Schools,” “Reclaiming the Identity of the Diocesan Curia,” “The Gift of Obedience in Communion with the Bishop,” implications of the foundation of a Christian anthropology, “School Pastors: Reclaiming the Father’s Role,” “Ordering Choices of Accreditation, Licensing, State Standards, and Diocesan Policy toward Renewal,” and more.

Participants will receive ICLE’s Diocesan Leaders Academy Certificate of Completion at the conclusion of this formation program.

The cohorts of the Diocesan Leaders Academy have been made possible in part through generous scholarships offered by the St. John Henry Newman Institute.

Those interested in applying for the 2026-2027 cohort can sign up here to be notified when the application window opens.

Meet the 2025-2026 Cohort