An international association of Catholic chief executive officers is to form a chapter in Ireland. The Legatus association will hold its inaugural meeting in Dublin on October 14th, at which the new coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Diarmuid Martin, will speak.
Legatus (from the Latin, meaning ambassador) is the only organisation in the world aimed exclusively at Catholic business leaders. Founded in 1987 by Mr Thomas Monaghan, former owner of Domino's Pizza and the Detroit Tigers in the US, its membership criteria there have three grades.
Primary (CEO) membership refers to "the top-ranking individual in a business corporation"; secondary (division head) membership refers to "the top-ranking individual in a qualifying division or subsidiary"; and intermediate membership refers to applicants aged under 40.
Members in the primary and secondary rankings must come from companies which have 30 employees, or 10 employees plus $1 million annual payroll, with volume/values of $3 million or net values of $100 million. If in the financial services area they must have at least 10 employees and $100 million in assets.
Those at intermediate level must meet 75 per cent of the full criteria, must be able to show a 15 per cent prior three-year growth and must meet the full criteria by their 45th birthday.
In its mission statement the association says it matches members "with the most profound and convincing body of religious knowledge in the history of human thought". It aims to translate "the teachings of Christ and the social teaching of the church into practical applications, helps our members become eminently pragmatic about their faith".
Members, meanwhile, "don't typically wear their faith on their shirtsleeves. They spread the faith through good example, good deeds and high ethical standards".
According to its website (www.legatus.org) "Legatus currently provides a service to over 1,800 businesses in 58 chapters (and growing) across the US, and internationally on three continents."
Spouses are also full members, "which provides additional opportunities to enhance their marriages".
