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The Hour of the Laity
The time has come for Catholic lay leaders to have an impact in the world by sharing and spreading the Gospel values of Jesus in civil society. To that end, Cristofer Pereyra, Tepeyac Leadership Initiative (TLI) CEO, announced the date of the annual Hour of the Laity (THL 2025) conference. It is scheduled for November 6-8, 2025, at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of THL 2025 and TLI.
THL 2025 serves as a platform to form lay Catholics as civic leaders. Like TLI’s flagship program—the Tepeyac Leadership Initiative—the conference fulfills TLI’s mission to prepare lay Catholics in the United States and internationally for leadership roles in secular society. THL 2025 provides lay Catholic leadership formation, not for ministry, but for the world!
It does this by providing an opportunity to learn about the different areas of human activity that are prime for lay Catholic leadership in the world, begins discernment for the discovery of the unique leadership role that God has prepared for them in civil society, shows attendees how to become influential leaders in their professional fields, communities, and spheres of influence, and connects attendees with resources and an extensive network of lay Catholic leaders ready to support them while influencing society with the values of the Gospel.
There will be a panel of fifteen experts at the conference who will share their wisdom and expertise with those gathered. Thirteen of them are members of the laity.
Cristofer Pereyra, CEO of Tepeyac Leadership Inc., is one of them. Born in Peru, Cristofer holds a B.A. in History from Arizona State University and an MBA from Grand Canyon University. From 2014 to 2020, he also served the Diocese of Phoenix as director of the Hispanic Mission Office at the invitation of Bishop Thomas Olmsted. Guided by his Catholic faith, Cristofer embraces his mission “to transform lives and build up the Church by investing in tomorrow’s lay leaders.”
Two of the other experts will receive the 2025 St. Juan Diego Leadership for the World Awards during the SLWJ Award Dinner on Saturday, November 8th.
The winners are Kathryn Jean Lopez and Tim Flanagan.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, where she leads the Center for Religion, Culture, and Civil Society. A longtime editor at National Review, she writes and speaks widely on faith in public life, human dignity, and the call to holiness. She is the author of A Year with the Mystics and co-author of How to Defend the Faith Without Raising Your Voice. Kathryn is chair of Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s Pro-Life Commission in New York and is a parishioner of the Archdiocese of New York. She serves on several Catholic boards.
Tim Flanagan is the Founder of Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI), inspired by a deep love for Christ and to bring leadership development to the Church. Since 1991, CLI has served clergy and lay leaders in over one hundred dioceses, offering programs such as Good Leaders, Good Shepherds, the Disciple Maker Index, and strategic planning support. In recognition of his service, he has been honored by Pope Francis as a Knight of St. Sylvester. Tim and his late wife, Teresa, shared 60 years of marriage, six children, and sixteen grandchildren. He is a parishioner at Saints Peter and Paul in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
For more information and to register, go to: https://thlconference.org/
Marianne Zanko Komek is a freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in the National Catholic Register, the Catholic News Service, Catholic Philly, Joy in Truth, and The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper for the diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey. Her poetry has been featured in the children's magazine, St. Mary's Messenger. The Manhattan School of Music featured her poetry as lyrics for a composition performed there. She has also worked as an editor and editorial assistant for publishers in Manhattan. Marianne is a consecrated member of the International Marian Apostolate of Schoenstatt. She is also a graduate of the Tepeyac Leadership Initiative. In her spare time, she enjoys classical music, experimenting with recipes, and going for walks by the bay in her hometown. Her novel for teenagers, Promises to Theresa, is available on Amazon.
