Tizoc Rosales led the Catholic Services Appeals Foundation before starting his new position in mid-May as director of advancement at The Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, an organization he previously served for seven years.  

Advancement has been defined as a strategic process organizations use to advance their mission. Development is part of that process, connecting donors to an organization’s mission. Rosales said a philanthropist taught him that advancement is “a lot like evangelization.”  

“Too many people see it as a horizontal phenomenon, horizontal relationship between someone in my role and a donor, a potential donor,” Rosales said. “Rather, it’s a linear thing between the donor or the person who wants to support a certain mission, and God.”  

Then it’s up to the donor to ask God, “What do you want me to do with this?” Rosales said. “And when those things happen, it’s so beautiful,” he said. 

Rosales recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss his new role and the value of advancement efforts at the seminary. He described ways the seminary provides “integrative Catholic formation for those called to serve as priests, deacons or lay leaders in their local Church.” For example, he said more than 1,500 lay men and women took part in the Catechetical Institute School of Discipleship this spring; more than 20 lay students received a master’s degree this past spring; 33 men are in formation for the diaconate; 30 “future Catholic school principals” are participating in the Certificate of Catholic School Leadership program this summer, and the Institute for Ongoing Clergy Formation “continues to grow,” Rosales said. 

The vision of The St. Paul Seminary is “a Church on fire with the Holy Spirit, a world transformed in Jesus Christ,” Rosales said. “So, the advancement team plays an important role in that because the formators, the priest formators, the lay leaders that are leading all these programs that we talked about are doing such an amazing job,” he said. “We owe it to them and to our Church to provide the … financial fuel to make all that go.” 

During the interview, Conley asked Rosales what the term “Catholic leader” means to him, and how his faith influences his leadership style. To hear his responses and to hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. June 23 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. June 24 and 2 p.m. June 25. To learn more about The St. Paul Seminary and how to support its mission, visit SaintPaulSeminary.org. 

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who describes the 2023 presbyteral assembly, at which priests from across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gather for reflection, prayer and fellowship; and Jesuit Father Joe Laramie, author, national preacher for the Eucharistic Revival and a speaker at the June 24 “Hearts on Fire” retreat at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, who discusses his special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.