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As I write these lines, I have just arrived in Fatima, Portugal, for Tepeyac Leadership’s annual retreat.
This year, much of the world’s attention continues to be focused on the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence and the profound questions it raises about human dignity, work, truth, and the future of society. Just days ago, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, dedicated precisely to these questions and to the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. The Holy Father reminds us that technological progress, while powerful, must always remain at the service of the human person and never the other way around.
At Tepeyac Leadership, these are not abstract conversations. They are deeply connected to our mission of forming faithful Catholic lay leaders capable of responding creatively and courageously to the challenges of our time.
Fatima is one of the two Marian sanctuaries that participants in the TLI program may choose for their Tepeyac Leadership Retreat, the highlight of their eighteen-week experience through the leadership program. The other retreat is taking place this weekend simultaneously at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Over the past several weeks, participants have received formation rooted in Catholic social teaching and authentic lay vocation. They have been challenged to think creatively about some of the most pressing issues facing society and the Church today. Now, they come together in person for prayer, fraternity, discernment, and reflection, asking in a concrete way how God is calling them to serve as lay Catholic leaders in the world.
Please keep both retreat groups in your prayers this week, those gathered here in Fatima and those gathered at the Basilica of Guadalupe. Pray for openness to the Holy Spirit, clarity of mission, courage in leadership, and deep trust in God’s providence.
I also encourage all of you to read Magnifica Humanitas in the coming days. Like Rerum Novarum more than a century ago, this new encyclical arrives at a pivotal moment in history and invites Catholics to engage the modern world with both conviction and hope.
When I write to you again next week, I will be in Milano, Italy, speaking with a group of lay Catholic leaders and sharing with them the vision of Tepeyac Leadership and the urgent need for faithful Catholics to lead in every corner of society.
Thank you, as always, for your prayers, friendship, and support of this mission.
Sincerely yours in Christ and Our Lady of Guadalupe,
P.S. Discover the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego. See her image. And join Archbishop José Gómez, Bishop Thomas Olmsted and Bishop Timothy Freyer for The Hour of the Laity 2026 in Mexico City.
