Welcome!

Dear Sisters in Christ,

Welcome to GIVEN! We are so grateful for your willingness to journey with the young women in the Catholic Young Women’s Leadership Program. Thank you for accompanying young, emerging Catholic female leaders (aged 21-35) with guidance, support, and accompaniment as they navigate the questions, opportunities, and challenges that face contemporary Catholic women.

We are honored to welcome you into the 2026 GIVEN cohort and look forward to also journeying with you throughout this year. You are truly an important part of this work, and we are grateful for the gifts you bring.

In Christ,

Cynthia Psencik and the GIVEN Team

What's Next

Upcoming Dates

Wed, August 12: Mentoring Year Questions Virtual Office Hours | 2-3pm EST or 7-8pm EST

TBA:

  • October: Clifton Strengths Check-in and Questions
  • November: Fulfillment Stories Check-in and Questions

Past Mentor Trainings and Sessions

March 11 2026 Mentor Orientation Recording and Slides

March 24 Bridging the Generational Gap Recording and Slides

April 7 Learning about Clifton Strengths Recording and Slides

April 29 Personal Vocation with Dr. Joshua Miller Recording and Handout

May 13 Mentoring the Whole Person: Tools for Mental & Emotional Support Recording and Handout

May 26 Empathic Listening and Asking Good Questions Recording and Handout

June 10 Discovering Fulfillment Stories Recording and Handout

Resources

We recommend that you explore the following documents. Although there is no requirement to read them, we want you to have access to these great resources that speak to the beauty and dignity of women as well as the gift of personal vocation:

  • One thing Necessary: This e-book by Luke Arthur Burgiss and Joshua Miller, Ph.D. is a great short read to overview the vision of personal vocation that we are communicating through GIVEN mentoring. This e-book is based on the longer published book that we also recommend, Unrepeatable
  • Letter to Women: This letter, written to women throughout the world, addresses the concept of woman and her indispensable role in the Church, the family, society, and the world.
  • Mulieris Dignitatem: This apostolic letter on the dignity and vocation of women considers the anthropology of man and woman, God’s intention for their relationship, woman’s vocation to motherhood, and the Church as Bride of Christ.
  • Redemptoris Mater: This encyclical focuses on the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the plan of salvation and her continued role in the life of the Church.
  • A Meditation on Givenness: This meditation is a powerful reflection on the concepts of gift and entrustment within human relationships and in our faith.
  • Christus Vivit: This Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis speaks “to young people and the entire people of God” about being alive in Christ and cultivating a lively Church culture through the full activation of personal vocation.