Short Bio
Mary Martin brings a wealth of experience in leadership formation and spiritual development to her work. She currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Leadership Formation Institute (LFI) at the Catholic Information Center, a ministry of the Paulist Fathers in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this role, she helps form lay leaders into missionary disciples who serve parish communities across the country.
Mary’s leadership in the Church includes serving as Director of Unleash the Gospel at Work and as a Coach and Team Leader with the Missionary Strategic Planning Department at the Archdiocese of Detroit. After several years in parish ministry, she founded Mary Martin Consulting, offering spiritual direction, faith-based retreats, and intercessory prayer training for groups.
She continues to teach the Called and Gifted Spiritual Gifts Discernment Process with the Catherine of Siena Institute and serves on the board of Mary’s Mantle, a Catholic home for pregnant mothers. Mary holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. As a trained spiritual director, her passion is encouraging individuals and groups to become all that God calls them to be.
Mary enjoys all the season of Michigan and is a proud mother of two and grandmother of five, who loves traveling, cooking, and transforming sacred spaces.
Lay Leadership Formation
As the Program Coordinator of the Leadership Formation Institute, Mary and the team form lay Catholics as faith-filled disciples, equip them as leaders and send them as missionaries to serve their parish communities. They work with pastors and parish staffs to design meaningful parish projects that are impactful and evangelize.
As the Director at Unleash the Gospel (UTG) At Work, Mary provided resources and training for individuals to share their faith in their workplaces. She designed social media posts and was the host of a podcast The UTG Innovation Podcast, sharing stories of conversion and faith.
Mary provides spiritual direction to people seeking a deeper relationship with God through prayerful individual sessions and inspiring weekend retreats.
Diocesan and Pastoral Leadership
As a Coach and Team Leader, Mary supervised a team of missionaries in The Archdiocese of Detroit. This included equipping parishes with healthy leadership teams, providing intercessory prayer training and developing a dynamic strategic plan through a process of study and discernment.
While at St. Joseph Parish Mary and a team of volunteers, led the parish through a five-year pastoral planning process, including goal setting, progress reports and ministry improvement training.
Non Profit
As the current Board Secretary at Mary’s Mantle, a Catholic Home for Expectant Mothers, Mary assists with long term strategic planning.
She worked at Guest House, an Addiction and Recovery Facility for Catholic Priests and Religious Men and Women as the Director of the National Catholic Council on Addictions (NCCA) offering an educational forum providing support and programming for Catholics in Crisis.
Spiritual Gifts Discernment
As a National Teacher with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Mary teaches Called and Gifted, a process of spiritual gifts discernment and provides local team training and coordination.
Mary Martin Consulting provides spiritual direction and leadership retreat work in and around the Detroit area.