By Henry Frank

Contemplative Leaders in Action (CLA) recruited and launched its first Virtual Cohort this fall in a world now accustomed to life online. 

The program structure for this cohort is essentially the same as the other eight cohorts, except everything happens on Zoom — the opening retreat, monthly cohort meetings, monthly workshops (in which all CLA cohorts participate online), and the closing retreat at the end of the program. Virtual Cohort monthly meetings are also divided into four smaller sections, so each participant has a greater opportunity on a Zoom call to share and discuss their experience with their peers.

Offering this Virtual Cohort has made CLA more accessible. Young adults who live in communities without Jesuit ministries now have the opportunity to delve deeper into Ignatian spirituality and leadership, and encounter God in new ways. The Virtual Cohort has 33 participants representing 17 US states and four other countries (Canada, Egypt, Kenya, and the Philippines). It is also CLA’s most diverse cohort across race and other identities.

CLA involves the highest level of commitment, and consequently the deepest dive into Ignatian spirituality and leadership, of the three programs that comprise OIS’s Ignatian Young Adult Ministries initiative, which strives to develop innovative ways to engage young adults (20’s and 30’s) in Ignatian spirituality and the life of the Church. “Our Virtual Cohort offering is an exciting addition to CLA as we continue to imagine new and different ways of meeting the needs of young adults,” said Elise Gower, OIS’s Associate Director for CLA. 

The experience for participants in the Virtual Cohort differs from others in that they may never meet each other in person, but the curriculum materials, and the retreat experiences in particular, have been adapted to an online format. “We've learned through the pandemic that sacred space can be cultivated in creative ways, expanding the breadth and depth of our ministry,” said Gower. One Virtual Cohort participant commented, “It was surprising how well community could be built virtually, and the program could flow so naturally."

"One of the great blessings of the Virtual Cohort is the chance to connect with people all over the country and around the world,” said Kate André, regional coordinator for the New York City and Virtual Cohorts. “Participants share stories and images from their lives and lift up issues facing their particular contexts, and I personally feel like I am able to travel with them and expand my global consciousness. I am always touched by the common connection that our various participants have in a shared love of Ignatian spirituality and a shared desire to use their gifts in service of justice. The Virtual Cohort often reminds me of the early Jesuits, who traveled far and wide but remained connected and unified through their letters and a shared mission.”