Spiritus

Leader Formation

Vision and Aims

Spiritus Leader Formation envisions a Spirit-led renewal of Catholic education by forming educators and school leaders in faith, theology, and mission.

This vision is grounded in the conviction that Catholic education is renewed to the extent that it is animated by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Under the stewardship of ACU’s La Salle Academy, this stream ensures that the "whole educational enterprise" is built upon a living encounter with Jesus Christ.

Spiritus Leader Formation aims to provide faith formation programs, system-wide school renewal and networking for education and other Church ministry leaders, equipping them for evangelisation in today’s world.

As one of the two primary formation streams of the broader Spiritus movement, its specific purpose is to:

  • Provide sustained theological formation and spiritual renewal so that teachers and leaders can articulate Catholic identity clearly.

  • Prepare leaders to animate their school communities as centres of evangelisation, recognising the school as a primary instrument of the Church’s missionary life.

  • Help educators rediscover their baptismal identity as evangelisers who witness to Christ and accompany others in faith.

  • Integrate evangelisation as a defining dimension of professional standards and leadership pathways within Catholic education systems.

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"SPIRITUS, guided by the Holy Spirit, is renewing Catholic education worldwide. It offers a feasible and practical approach to transform Catholic schools into powerhouses of evangelisation."

Fr Friedrich Bechina,

Undersecretary for Congregation for Catholic Education, 2013 - 2022

Overview

Spiritus Leader Formation equips Catholic educators and school leaders to renew their schools as vibrant centres of evangelisation.

Stewarded by the ACU La Salle Academy, this initiative provides the theological depth and spiritual renewal necessary for leaders to articulate Catholic identity and animate mission within their communities.

The program is built on the conviction that Catholic education is an evangelising work, successful only when animated by the Holy Spirit. By engaging with the Church’s magisterial teachings and undergoing sustained formation, educators rediscover their baptismal identity as evangelisers—those who witness to Christ and accompany others into discipleship.

  • Forms leaders to view Catholic schools as instruments of the Church’s missionary life, rather than just educational institutions.

  • Delivered through a structured sequence (Parts 1–3) available as professional learning or accredited postgraduate units.

  • Authorises leaders who demonstrate the competency to lead evangelisation within licensed contexts.

  • Utilises the Schools Evangelisation Assessment (SEA) tool to help systems track long-term mission renewal.

  • Connects participants to the Spiritus Leaders Network for collegial support and intercultural prayer.

By integrating with Spiritus Youth Ministry, this stream supports a "whole-school" approach that aligns adult leadership with student faith formation.

Key Features

Key Features

Spiritus Leader Formation is designed to renew Catholic schools as vibrant centres of evangelisation. Stewarded by ACU’s La Salle Academy, it provides educators with the theological depth and spiritual renewal necessary to articulate Catholic identity and animate mission within their communities.

A Fruitful Partnership Between

The partnership between ACU’s La Salle Academy and Spiritus Youth Ministry International is the foundational collaboration that drives the Spiritus movement. Established in 2016, this relationship integrates youth ministry initiatives with educator and leader formation to create a "whole-school" approach to evangelisation.

Under this shared vision, both entities operate through a Dual Accountability Framework. ACU’s La Salle Academy governs Spiritus Leader Formation, ensuring academic rigour and theological depth for educators. Meanwhile, the Spiritus Youth Ministry Board governs Spiritus Youth Ministry, building on the legacy of the CSYMI model to form young missionary disciples. While maintaining distinct operational and financial responsibilities, the two bodies collaborate closely to safeguard the unity of the Spiritus charism. Together, they offer a coordinated strategy that aligns adult leadership with peer-to-peer student ministry to renew Catholic schools as centres of faith.

Programs

Spiritus Leader Formation Programs are designed for Catholic school leaders and teachers, including Religious Education classroom teachers. It is also designed for Church leaders, youth ministers or others who educate and form young people. For a video introduction click here.

The Programs provide opportunities for faith formation and leadership development in evangelisation and the skills and understanding to be able to apply this practically in Catholic schools and other Church ministry contexts.

SPIRITUS Leader Formation Programs can be undertaken as a professional learning program or units of academic study. Within Australia, they can be undertaken at Master’s level – AQF Level 8 providing pathways into Masters of Religious Education, Educational Leadership and Theology. It is presented by experienced and contemporary lecturers in the field either face to face or online.

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The SPIRITUS programs include:

Part 1: Faith Formation and the New Evangelisation (EDNE600) Learn more

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Part 2: Creating Centres of the New Evangelisation: Catholic Schools, Parishes and Church Ministries (EDNE601) Learn more

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Extensions

Part 3: Leading Evangelisation. Leading staff and student formation strategies as high-impact strategies in the renewal of schools as centres of evangelisation.

Part 4: Mission Experience in Church Ministry (EDNE602)
Explores the Church's evangelising mission through participation in a ministry project with others in a ministry team or as an individual. Learn more

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Several Australian dioceses recognise SPIRITUS Leader Formation Programs as contributing to gaining and maintaining accreditation to lead, teach Religious Education and teach in a Catholic school.

SPIRITUS Programs can and has been offered in various modes.

  • In person with leaders and staff gathering at a suitable venue

  • Online using a video conferencing software and the program resource platform which contains outlines, course notes, worksheets and multimedia resources.

  • Online using a video conferencing software and the program resource platform which contains outlines, course notes, worksheets and multimedia resources.

  • Integrated within an international study tour including studies and formation in London, Rome and Assisi. View a sample program here.

  • The Oceania Evangelisation Leaders Program

    The Oceania Evangelisation Program (OEP) has been conducted over the last three years with over a thousand leaders participating in Hubs across the region. The Programs have been powerful experiences of the Holy Spirit inspiring and revitalising leaders and enabling a collaborative vision for evangelisation across the Oceania region. There is a focus on being open to experiencing the renewing grace that flows from baptism in the Spirit. The event includes an evening Mass that invites openness to the gifts of the Spirit.

    Learn More

  • Spiritus Forming Leaders Series

    Porta Fidei is a retreat experience for teachers consisting of testimonies, reflection and conversation in small groups, Eucharist and Reconciliation.

    Called At the heart of Called is the desire to increase participants’ understanding of discipleship. It provides videos of personal testimonies on six topics, and a range of discussion starters that guide personal reflection and small group activities.

    Essentials for Faith Leadership provides video presentations by leading Catholic leaders on Evangelisation, Leading with Balance, Discernment, Humility, The First Proclamation and Youth as Leaders in Evangelisation. It offers a range of discussion starters that guide personal reflection and small group

    Learn More

  • Online Short Courses and Videos

    There are short online courses available through the Spiritus Leaders Network. There are also collections of Zoom recordings of Master classes, GROW Spiritus Youth Ministry and GROW in Faith workshops.

    Learn More

  • Resources

    Formed in Prayer provides weekly Sunday Gospel inspired prayer and reflection for staff prayer. The Spiritus Leaders Network Membership site provides access to a wealth of prayer resources as well as instructional videos on praying traditional forms of prayer such as Lectio Divina and The Ignatian Examen. Additional prayers authored by an increasing range of Catholic and other Christian leaders will be available for use in staff and leadership team meetings.

    Links to Professional Learning and Formation Resources for Catholic Leaders, including links to ACU La Salle and other articles and multimedia resources on leadership and evangelisation, Catholic faith and life will grow each year.

    Learn More

  • The ACU La Salle Academy Voices and Vision: Catholic Schools in Conversation

    As the subtitle suggests, the resource is aimed at facilitating dialogue between those who work in Catholic school communities, helping them to consider ways in which they can bring to life the values proposed in the Church documents. Rather than drawing heavily on the text of the documents, Voices and Visions uses quotes, poems and prayers from a range of authors whose writings are aligned with the themes and ideas in the documents and inspire the reader to interpret their meaning for their particular context.

    The Voices and Vision pack contains twelve easy-to-use pamphlets, three on each of the four themes in the resource:

    1. Life and Culture: our way of being together

    2. Education and Formation: our approach to teaching and learning

    3. People and Vocation: our expectations around participation

    4. Communion and Mission: the heart of our unfolding purpose

    The pamphlets are best used in group reflection and discussion where the group is led by a facilitator. To assist facilitators, La Salle has produced three videos that will help skill them in leading a group in the use of these pamphlets.

    Click the button below to place order or access for free through the Spiritus Leaders Network

    Learn More

Other Formation Programs and Resources

The Oceania Evangelisation Leaders Program

The Oceania Evangelisation Program (OEP) has been conducted over the last three years with over a thousand leaders participating in Hubs across the region. The Programs have been powerful experiences of the Holy Spirit inspiring and revitalising leaders and enabling a collaborative vision for evangelisation across the Oceania region. There is a focus on being open to experiencing the renewing grace that flows from baptism in the Spirit. The event includes an evening Mass that invites openness to the gifts of the Spirit.

Learn More

Spiritus Forming Leaders Series

Porta Fidei

Porta Fidei is a retreat experience for teachers consisting of testimonies, reflection and conversation in small groups, Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Called

At the heart of Called is the desire to increase participants’ understanding of discipleship. It provides videos of personal testimonies on six topics, and a range of discussion starters that guide personal reflection and small group activities.

Essentials for Faith Leadership

Essentials for Faith Leadership provides video presentations by leading Catholic leaders on:

  • ‘Evangelisation’

  • ‘Leading with Balance’

  • ‘Discernment’

  • ‘Humility’

  • ‘The First Proclamation’

  • ‘Youth as Leaders in Evangelisation’

It offers a range of discussion starters that guide personal reflection and small group

Online short courses and videos

There are short online courses available through the Spiritus Leaders Network. There are also collections of Zoom recordings of Master classes, GROW Spiritus Youth Ministry and GROW in Faith workshops.

Resources

Prayer Resources

Formed in Prayer provides weekly Sunday Gospel inspired prayer and reflection for staff prayer. The Spiritus Leaders Network Membership site provides access to a wealth of prayer resources as well as instructional videos on praying traditional forms of prayer such as Lectio Divina and The Ignatian Examen. Additional prayers authored by an increasing range of Catholic and other Christian leaders will be available for use in staff and leadership team meetings.

Links to Professional Learning and Formation Resources for Catholic Leaders

Links to ACU La Salle and other articles and multimedia resources on leadership and evangelisation, Catholic faith and life will grow each year.

The ACU La Salle Academy
Voices and Vision: Catholic Schools in Conversation

As the subtitle suggests, the resource is aimed at facilitating dialogue between those who work in Catholic school communities, helping them to consider ways in which they can bring to life the values proposed in the Church documents. Rather than drawing heavily on the text of the documents, Voices and Visions uses quotes, poems and prayers from a range of authors whose writings are aligned with the themes and ideas in the documents and inspire the reader to interpret their meaning for their particular context.

The Voices and Vision pack contains twelve easy-to-use pamphlets, three on each of the four themes in the resource:

  1. Life and Culture: our way of being together

  2. Education and Formation: our approach to teaching and learning

  3. People and Vocation: our expectations around participation

  4. Communion and Mission: the heart of our unfolding purpose

The pamphlets are best used in group reflection and discussion where the group is led by a facilitator. To assist facilitators, La Salle has produced three videos that will help skill them in leading a group in the use of these pamphlets.

Click here to place order or access for free through the Spiritus Leaders Network

Spiritus Diocesan Implementation

The three phases would typically be implemented sequentially. However, where SPIRITUS Leader Formation programs have been offered to school leaders over recent years and where Catholic School Youth Ministry International has been implemented over several years, the phases could be actioned simultaneously.

Whilst SPIRITUS Leader Formation Programs have been highly evaluated by participants, in order to realise its full potential, it needs to be explicitly connected and embedded within school and system-wide strategic Catholic identity and mission development plans. Spiritus Diocesan Implementation is a strategic Catholic school mission renewal program and formation program. It seeks to build the confidence and capacity of leaders and educators to lead the renewal of Catholic schools as centres of evangelisation. It can include system-wide implementation.

SPIRITUS Diocesan Implementation is built around the two high impact strategies of leader and teacher formation for mission and student formation for peer-to-peer youth ministry. It consists of three interrelated phases implemented over a three to four-year period aimed at renewing the faith community, culture and curriculum of a Catholic school and Catholic school system.

Phase 1: Leader Formation

  • Project planning and briefing

  • Initial Formation - Spiritus Leader Formation Programs Parts 1 and 2

Learn more

Phase 2: Leading Evangelisation

  • Ongoing Formation - Spiritus Leader Formation Part 3, Spiritus Leaders Network, Oceania Evangelisation Program

  • Formation of students for ministry

  • Post school youth ministers

Learn more

Phase 3: Training & Licensing

SPIRITUS Program graduates are trained to be able to present SPIRITUS Program Parts 1-2 as professional learning and to lead and facilitate school and system planning and implementation. Licensing arrangements enable dioceses to run the program themselves with ACU support.

Graduates of SPIRITUS Leader Formation Programs may apply for recognition and certification as a Spiritus Youth Ministry Educator.

Learn more

Spiritus Leaders Network

The Spiritus Leaders Network (SLN) is a professional learning and formation network for leaders in Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses and other Church organisations engaged in evangelisation. Graduates of Spiritus Leader Formation Parts 1-2 and 3 are members of the Network. Staff in schools implementing Spiritus Youth Ministry are members of the Network.

The Network is a fruit of the partnership between Spiritus Youth Ministry International Inc and the Australian Catholic University’s La Salle Academy. The Spiritus Leaders Network is managed by Spiritus Youth Ministry International.

The Spiritus Leaders Network brings together Catholic leaders, educators, and others for prayer, learning, formation, and sharing with peers in similar ministries and roles so that they can more effectively evangelise. It is a response to recognition at all levels of Church leadership that formation for Church leaders is critical to the Church’s mission into the future. Despite new forms of social media and communication, Church leaders rarely enjoy the spiritual nourishment and fellowship of journeying with other Church leaders.

Through completing Spiritus Leader Formation and with access to the resources of Spiritus Youth Ministry and the Network, members will be equipped to lead the following programs in their school and Church context.

  • Porta Fidei retreat experience

  • The Forming Leaders Series (Called and Essentials for Faith Leadership)

  • Spiritus Youth Ministry Junior (Primary) and Spiritus Youth Ministry (Secondary) Programs

Pricing

Membership of the Spiritus Leaders Network is free for graduates of Spiritus Leader Formation Parts 1-2 and 3 and staff in schools implementing Spiritus Youth Ministry are members of the Network.

  • "As the leader of the evangelisation team at Catholic Schools Broken Bay, I sought a program to develop staff into faith leaders. Spiritus was the perfect fit, offering high-quality lectures on Church documents, discussions on the role of schools in evangelisation, fellowship with like-minded colleagues, and a retreat experience called 'Porta Fidei' that included prayer and the sacraments. It has proven to be a powerful faith experience, and we are now implementing it system-wide with Principals, RECs, and emerging faith leaders."

    Simon Hyland, Deputy Workstream Lead Evangelisation, Catholic Schools Broken Bay, Australia.

  • "The program covered a wide range of essential topics for Catholic educators. I gained valuable insights into the New Evangelisation and the role schools play in the Church's mission of spreading the Gospel. It was inspiring to see the diverse and practical ways Catholic education leaders can be formed through the Spiritus program. Catholic Schools Youth Ministry International (CSYMI) is a transformative initiative and vital for ensuring that the Church will have dedicated disciples and young people actively engaged in the mission of evangelisation."

    Nicholas Kisu Muasya, National Executive Secretary, Commission for Education & Religious Education, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops – General Secretariat.

  • "It was a fantastic few days together, seeing where the Holy Spirit is leading us in the New Evangelisation today. Speaking about kerygmatic Catholicism that enlivens young people and draws their faith out in full measure. Learning about how youth can evangelise youth. Learning about what it means to be a chief evangeliser in your school. I want to personally endorse this, I learnt so much and made some contributions and I came back full of hope and aware that God is doing something new. I think this Program is on the cutting edge that the Holy Spirit is doing in the Catholic world at the moment. Why don’t you think about joining the next Spiritus Program?"

    Archbishop Christopher Prowse, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Australia.

  • "Did Spiritus Roma 2024 draw participants into a deeper engagement with the life and mission of the Catholic Faith? Absolutely. We were invited to critically explore the Church's vision of Catholic schools as centres of evangelisation, examining key Church documents on the New Evangelisation. We engaged in meaningful reflection on student formation and ministry within Catholic schools. The experience was nothing short of transformative—rewarding, educative, inspiring, and profoundly prayerful."

    Chris Cully, Principal, St Jerome’s Primary School Western Australia.

  • "Once again, Spiritus 2024 provided a superb mix of spiritual nourishment, academic learning and leadership inspiration uniting Catholic education leaders from different cultural contexts and educational systems. The structure facilitated those new to Catholic school leadership and those further on in their leadership journey. Underpinning the whole event was an enriching time of prayer and worship in sacramental and retreat opportunities. I returned home with a well-resourced action plan for the further development of evangelisation in my school and with a re-energised focus on the faith leadership role in my community."

    Paul Neves, Headteacher, John F. Kennedy Catholic School, Hollybush Lane, England.

  • "Spiritus has not only given the participants the key to unlocking the New Evangelisation for our young people in schools and parishes, but the strength to push open the doors too. The Program was sensitively created to offer human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual formation. The days were full of deep discussion, fraternal sharing, prayerful reflection and a profound sense of hope and joy. We look forward to the fruits of this work and growing the network of faith-full Catholic leaders in the coming years."

    Barbara Coupar, Director Scottish Catholic Education Service.

Reports and Evaluations

  • Click here for full report

  • Click here for full report

  • Click here for full report.

  • Met with a remarkable 98–100% approval rating from 87 school leaders. Click here for full report.

  • With 93% agreeing that Spiritus helped them grow in their vocation, the program has equipped our leaders to return to their kura (schools) with renewed confidence. Click here for full report.