Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and the Diocese of Madison are excited to announce a new evangelization initiative, the Mazzuchelli Institute of Mission and Leadership.

The Mazzuchelli Institute was born out of the Go Make Disciples initiative as a way to form faithful Catholics in their Baptismal call to be missionary disciples.

Our call to follow Christ is not one that reflects just our personal relationship with Christ.

Rather, our call is two-fold: A response of faith to God’s call, and secondly, an initiation into the mandate given by Christ to bring others to knowledge of the Gospel.

We are all called to a personal apostolate and discipleship that leads others to relationship with Christ.

The difficulty is that many people who are committed to living the Christian life do not feel they have the competence or confidence to share their faith, or to lead or mentor others into a life in Christ and the Church.

Three-fold structure

The Mazzuchelli Institute has been designed to give faithful disciples that competence and confidence they desire.

The focus is three-fold: Encounter with Christ, Embody the Faith, and Equip for Mission.

The “Encounter” component of the institute will introduce the participants to the theological and catechetical foundations of the Catholic Faith.

In the workshops, participants will be formed in the teachings of the faith according to Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The “Embody” component will introduce and train participants in prayer and the spiritual treasury of the Church while mentoring the participants in the Christian journey.

Finally, the “Equipping” component will focus on practical skills and training to become a missionary disciple in the Church.

Participants will be introduced to “best practices” of evangelization work in the Church.

The goal of the Mazzuchelli Institute is to form individuals in such a way that they feel prepared to first, discern their personal apostolate, and second, have the tools to live out their unique call to share the Gospel with the world.

Who is it for?

In order to best serve the many and various needs of the diocese, there are two separate formation tracks within the Institute.

The Missionary Discipleship Track is designed to serve the lay faithful in the diocese.

This track supports and equips leaders in parishes to live out their personal apostolate in the world and local community and in the life of the parish.

This track provides further formation for pastorate/parish Go Make Disciples teams and for other interested individuals.

There is also a Parish Leader Formation Track that is specifically designed for those who are employed or commissioned by a pastorate/parish to organize and implement the official programming and work of the parish.

This includes but is not limited to evangelization staff, faith formation staff, youth formation staff, pastoral ministry staff, and other interested parish or school staff members who are interested in attending.

Missionary Discipleship Track

The Missionary Discipleship Track is a two-year cohort that meets monthly.

This cohort will begin coursework and retreat experiences in September 2025.

The first year will focus on Encounter formation sessions along with Embody sessions. The second year will focus on Equipping sessions and continue with Embody sessions.

To apply to the Missionary Discipleship Track, complete the initial inquiry form at madisondiocese.org/institute which will be followed by a written application as well as a letter of suitability from your pastor/parochial administrator.

The Missionary Discipleship Track will also be offered in Spanish.

To register for the Missionary Discipleship Track in Spanish, go to madisondiocese.org/instituto.

Parish Leadership Track

The Parish Leadership Track also encompasses the three-fold structure of Encounter, Embody, and Equip but will focus primarily on equipping with the skills and tools needed to be a parish employee/leader.

It is a one-year cohort that meets monthly and involves one-to-one mentoring in the mission involved in being a parish staff member.

Interested pastorate/parish staff members can register for the Parish Leadership Track at madisondiocese.org/gettingstarted

Bishop Hying and the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis invite you to pray, discern, and consider applying for the Mazzuchelli Institute of Mission and Leadership.