In an era defined by moral confusion, digital distraction, and institutional distrust, the Catholic Church faces a generational challenge: how to form leaders—faithful, disciplined, and courageous—capable of responding to the spiritual and cultural crises of our time.
One answer may lie not in something new, but in something ancient. Rooted in nearly 1,000 years of tradition, the Norbertine Order offers a timeless model for formation that is quietly gaining new relevance, especially through the vibrant witness of St. Michael’s Abbey in Southern California.
A Living Monastic Model
Founded by St. Norbert in 1121, the Norbertines are canons regular—priests who live in community, bound by a rule, and committed to both contemplation and active ministry. Their motto, Ad omne opus bonum paratus (“Prepared for every good work”), captures the heart of their identity: men forged in prayer, brotherhood, and sacrifice, ready to be sent.
At St. Michael’s Abbey, this motto isn’t an ideal on paper—it animates a thriving community. With over 60 priests and over 40 seminarians, the Abbey is forming men with deep interior lives, steeped in the liturgy, and trained to serve wherever the Church needs them. Their impact stretches beyond the cloister, touching education, evangelization, and now, even strategy.
The Abbey Group: Mission Meets Execution
Born from the Norbertine context and co-founded by Fr. Justin Ramos, O. Praem., and lay leader Shane Giblin, the Abbey Group is an international consulting firm that serves the Church’s most ambitious projects. What began as a bold effort to support the Abbey’s $120 million capital campaign has grown into a premier Catholic strategic partner.
Their edge isn’t found in flashy branding or aggressive outreach. In fact, they do no marketing at all. Their success lies in values formed in silence, prayer, and monastic rigor—lived out by a team composed of former collegiate athletes and high-performing professionals, each selected for excellence and fidelity.
Giblin explains, “Being excellent and being Catholic are too often treated as separate pursuits. We’re showing they belong together.”
That integration—of holiness and competence, strategy and faithfulness—is rare. And it’s precisely what the Church needs more of.
A Blueprint for Renewal
What does this Norbertine-inspired model offer the broader Church?
First, a renewal of leadership culture: one grounded not in personal charisma, but in character. At the heart of St. Michael’s Abbey and the Abbey Group is a formation process that prizes humility, discipline, and mission-readiness. These are the same virtues that built the Church’s golden ages, and they are needed now more than ever.
Second, a rejection of mediocrity: both spiritual and professional. The Abbey Group’s work reflects a deep conviction that Catholic institutions must strive not just to survive, but to thrive with integrity, beauty, and strategic clarity.
Third, a witness to fraternity. The Norbertine model is not individualistic. It trains men to live and lead in communion. This countercultural ethos is foundational to forming teams that serve with unity, trust, and shared mission.
Prepared for Every Good Work
As the Church looks to the next generation of leaders, it must ask: Are we forming men and women who are truly prepared? Prepared to pray. To sacrifice. To serve with excellence. To suffer for the truth. To lead with humility.
The Norbertines of St. Michael’s Abbey, and the mission-driven professionals at the Abbey Group, offer a compelling yes to that question—not just in theory, but in action.
Ad omne opus bonum paratus.
Prepared for every good work.
Not merely a motto, but a mission. And perhaps, a map for the Church’s renewal.
Photo by Luís Feliciano on Unsplash
