Commitment to the Mission - Commitment to the healing mission of Jesus and the mission and values of the particular sponsored ministry. 

Commitment to Catholic Social Teaching – Commitment to and ability to advocate for Catholic Social Teaching, especially human dignity, justice, the common good, solidarity and a preferential option for the poor.  

Mature Spirituality – Mature spirituality rooted in regular practice of faith and a personal prayer life (for Catholics, this means regular liturgical and sacramental life) and a commitment to the charism of the ministry. 

Prudence – Prudence, that is, good judgement and ability to apply general principles to specific situations and to ask the right questions. This prudence guides both specific decisions the sponsor might be called to make as well as the ability to promote cooperative and fruitful relationships with the bishops and the Holy See, as well as with civic and political groups. 

Understand the Role of the Sponsor – Ability to understand and exercise the role of the sponsor distinct from governance and management.  

Prophetic Imagination – Ability to exercise "prophetic imagination," by promoting the larger Gospel vision for the ministry and to take risks and speak boldly when necessary. 

Willingness to Grow – Willingness to grow in knowledge of the various areas of expertise cited in the competency matrix. 

Willingness to Work as a Group – Willingness to work as a group and take the time necessary for careful discernment as a sponsor body.  

Competency Matrix

In addition to the personal qualifications that each member of the sponsor body should possess, there are certain skills or areas of expertise that should be represented in the sponsor body as a whole. While not every member will possess knowledge in all these areas, the sponsor as a group should seek persons or have access to persons with expertise in each area, as appropriate. The sponsor as a whole should also exhibit as much gender, racial and cultural diversity as possible.

The sponsor body competencies include:

THEOLOGY

• Advanced understanding of and ability to apply theological concepts such as Church, mission, ministry, eschatology, Christology, sacramentality, scripture and Catholic Social Teaching to the ministry of health care
• Familiarity with canon law and Church structures, and especially the sponsor’s particular canonical structure, and bylaws

ETHICS

• Knowledge of health care ethics, both clinical and organizational
• Knowledge and understanding of the Catholic moral tradition and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services
• Experience with ethical discernment at the system level

 MINISTRY FORMATION

• Knowledge of principles of spiritual formation, especially for adult laity 
• Ability to contribute to a vibrant and prayerful sponsor community
• Ability to support the spiritual growth of others through initiating, overseeing and assessing formation activities
• Experience with the process of discernment in decision making

CLINICAL

• Knowledge and ability to address clinical issues such as quality, standards of care, medical education and ethical issues
• Extensive knowledge of the health care delivery system

ORGANIZATION