Dear TLI family,
This past week, Times Square became a stage for something extraordinary. Cardinals, an actor, and 5,000 faithful carried the Eucharist through the bustling streets of New York City, a vivid reminder that Christ seeks to meet us in every corner of our lives. We salute our friends in the Napa Institute for orchestrating this annual procession, courageously bringing the sacred into the very heart of the city. It’s a powerful witness to the truth that faith is not meant to be contained, it is meant to transform the world around us.
At Tepeyac Leadership, our mission resonates with that same vision. Just as those faithful carried Christ through Times Square, we seek to form lay Catholic leaders capable of bringing Christ to every area of human activity, to the “middle of the world” in their professions and communities. Our vocation calls us to enter spaces that are often secular, complex, or challenging, and infuse them with the love, wisdom, and integrity of the Gospel. The Eucharist in Times Square reminds us that no place is too ordinary, no challenge too great, for Christ to be present through us.
Yet, alongside this inspiration, we are also called to reflection. Pope Leo XIV, in his recent apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, challenges us with eight piercing questions about our love for the poor. He reminds us that the Church is fully the bride of Christ only when she is the sister of the poor. This is not a gentle suggestion, it is a central call to action. Our efforts to bring Christ into society are hollow if we overlook those who are most in need of His presence. The Pope’s words urge us to see Christ in the marginalized, the vulnerable, and the forgotten, and to meet Him there with love, service, and humility.
The intersection of these two moments, the public witness in Times Square and the quiet call of Pope Leo, offers us a profound insight. True leadership in the Church is never about prominence or applause alone. It is about courageously entering the world with Christ, and doing so with a heart attuned to the needs of the poor. Whether we are guiding a team, teaching students, or shaping civic life, our authority is measured not by influence but by charity. The Eucharist carried through the city and the exhortation to love the poor are two sides of the same coin, both call us to incarnate Christ in our daily lives, and to ensure that His love reaches everyone.
As part of the TLI family, you are living this mission every day. Your witness, prayer, and professional engagement help form a culture in which Christ’s presence is not theoretical but tangible. Our work is not easy, and the world can sometimes seem indifferent or even hostile, but every act of leadership rooted in faith is a small procession bringing Christ to the people who need Him most.
Let us continue to be inspired by the courage of those walking through Times Square with the Eucharist, and by Pope Leo’s challenge to love the poor. May we never tire of forming leaders who embody Christ in their work, and may we remember that every effort to bring faith, hope, and charity into the world contributes to a culture shaped by the Gospel. Together, we are carrying Christ to the very center of society, and together we are answering His call to love without compromise.
Sincerely yours in Christ and Our Lady of Guadalupe,
P.S. Join the TLI 2026 cohort! Apply today to be part of the next generation of Tepeyac Leaders.
