Bishop Olmsted, you are the founder of Tepeyac Leadership. And now the Bishop Emeritus of Phoenix. Do you find time to stay involved with, and what is your sense of the urgency of, the mission of TLI?
The mission of TLI is intimately linked with the universal call to holiness issued by the Council Fathers at Vatican II. As a Bishop Emeritus, I remain engaged in the Church’s mission of evangelization but am freed from the “crisis management” that is part of a Bishop’s governing role. Thus, I have more time now for intercessory prayer, spiritual reading, and adoration of Christ in the Eucharist.
Engaging in intercessory prayer more frequently throughout the day, Jesus has given me a deeper appreciation of His words (Mt 7:7), “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
I have more time, now too, to spend with lay leaders in the Church, particularly those engaged in Evangelization, Pro-Life activities, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Sacred Music, Sacred Art, Native American Ministry, Eastern Catholics and other Christians, dramatic productions, and other creative arts.
A special joy is having increased opportunities to spend with good friends and members of my large family, including my still active 103-year-old mother, five siblings and their children and grandchildren.
Over the past eight years, Tepeyac Leadership has grown substantially. What to make of this growth, and its global impact?
TLI is the work of the Creator Spirit. “The Holy Spirit comes to help us in our weakness,” Saint Paul writes to the Romans (8:26). In every time and season of the Church, our weaknesses show forth within the Body of Christ, but that should not discourage us. It should help us identify where we need further study, commitment, and growth. When we are weak, Christ is our strength, the Spirit comes to our aid. In our weakness and in our share in the Church’s mission of evangelization, the Holy Spirit prompts and enlightens us. For this reason, the mission of the Church never stands still, the Creator Spirit continues to call forth leaders.
Tepeyac Leadership gladly bows to the Spirit and surrenders to the way He is raising up new leaders among us. Sometimes, TLI does this through questions like those employed by St. Paul (I Cor 6:15, 19), “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price.”

How would you describe the mission of Tepeyac Leadership? Why does it matter?
The mission of TLI is found within the mission of the Church. Gladly embracing their role within the Body of Christ, lay leaders do this by living their life-in-Christ within the multiform cultures that make up society today.
You have been there for the past few THL conferences and now will also support the organization's first Gala. How would you rate the performance of the first two conferences as far as their impact on the attendees? What are your expectations for the gala?
Someone described Servant of God Dorothy Day in this way: “She lived as though the truth were true.” That conviction permeates the TLI conferences; the authenticity of the presenters and their compelling personal witness to Christ and His Kingdom stirs in our hearts a greater hunger for close communion with Christ.
In a popular culture, teeming with turbulence and confusion, it is refreshing to meet other followers of Christ, happily embracing their vocation and mission from Him.
The Holy Spirit makes the Scriptures and the Sacraments come to life. St. Augustine said, “The Liturgy is the fire of the Holy Spirit.” Not only do the THL Conferences feature speakers alive in the Spirit, serving Him gladly within the laity where He has led them, but they also deepen our desire to love and live the Eucharist where the mystery of our Redemption in Christ comes to life.
Why should Catholics get involved with the mission, or attend and support the first Tepeyac Leadership gala?
Fall in love with Jesus and your life will never be the same. Witness others who have done this, and your desire for deeper friendship with Him is ignited anew. TLI will inoculate you against mediocrity. You will be more attentive to Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew 25.


