Advocating For Structural Renewal

For more than four years, Ron, a retired Ernst & Young partner, has applied his business expertise, volunteering his time and talents at the pleasure of Bishop Oscar Cantú and chancery leadership on opportunities to improve diocesan structure and evangelization efforts. On the pastoral plan committee, he advocates especially for cross-parish collaboration and just compensation.

In freely devoting his retirement years to the diocese, Ron, now a trained spiritual director, feels he is answering God’s call. “God has blessed me a million times over, so I'm just looking to help wherever the Spirit leads.” He claims his years in the business world were a training ground for his current Church work. “The chance to help our local Church achieve spiritual renewal is daunting and inspiring, far more important than any client engagement over my 33 years of professional services.”

He credits the people he has encountered in the Church as a large part of the reason he wakes up inspired. “There are so many graces I am receiving through the fantastic people I encounter at the Chancery and in our parishes and schools.  The passion I observe in so many, clergy and lay alike, who love God and our Church more than anything is a glimmer of hope as to what is possible.” Ron shared how his own faith was activated about eight years ago.

Learning to Pray

It was the persistent, personal invitation of Father Brendan McGuire and the encouragement of Father Dave Ayotte who inspired Ron to attend a weekend retreat at El Retiro, the Jesuit retreat center in Los Altos. During that weekend, Ron found himself confronted with the reality of his relationship with God. “They asked us to ‘draw a picture of where God was’ in our lives. I drew a dot in the center, and that was me. Then, I drew a large circle around me, with a dot way out towards the edge of the circle. And I told everyone that it was a military radar system because God was located so far off it took radar to detect Him.”

Ron spent the rest of the retreat listening to how participants put God centrally in their lives; it was the start of an ongoing spiritual journey. Ron recalled, “Making the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises taught me so many things: how to pray in various ways, how to reflect deeply upon readings I had glossed over, how to journal my prayer experiences, and how to share these new thoughts and feelings with my spiritual director.”

Additionally, Ron reports that over time, he has come to rely on the Holy Spirit more than his own efforts. “Nightly, I seem to exhaust the simple prayer of ‘Come Holy Spirit, Come.’”  Apart from these prayer techniques that grew from the Ignatian exercises, he credits Catholic schools with nurturing his faith in early childhood.

A Passion for Renewal

“I didn't really appreciate it at the time, but the Presentation sisters were absolutely amazing. I stayed in touch with my eighth-grade teacher and school principal, Sister Vianney Buckley, until she died, just a couple of years ago, at the ripe young age of 94.” Ron also remembers that the structure underlying his education drives his current passion for Catholic Schools today. "Structure, in the form of tuition assistance, enabled me to attend Catholic school.  This is why I am so passionate about structure!”

Diocesan Director of Communications Cynthia Shaw is keen to collaborate with Ron. She cites how, “Ron has a unique gift: he can turn data and spreadsheets into a narrative of renewal and hope. His insights have been instrumental throughout the synodal and pastoral planning process, but what truly sets him apart is his passion for the Church. For Ron, the numbers are never just numbers—they represent the lives, faith, and opportunities to serve God's people

Rooted in Christ, Together in Mission:

Ron’s path serves as an example of how one missionary disciple, rooted in Christ and spiritually renewed, finds their entire life path shifted to being mission centric. Similarly, the diocese is also on a path of renewal, rooting itself in Christ to bring the diocese together in mission. For this reason, Ron’s colleagues are greatly encouraged by his service and his dedication to prayer.

Rosio Gonzalez, diocesan Chief Operating Officer, shared about working with Ron, “While Ron has been in the background helping process data and provide input throughout the process, I have been amazed how excited he has been about the prayer initiative - his passion is to get everyone in our diocese excited about praying!”  A commitment to prayer spurs him to action today. “That's why the structural renewal portion of our pastoral plan is so important,” Ron explained, “because it takes structure to offer inspiring prayer programs and retreats, to attract skilled staff, and grow the faith of our people.”

The Fruit of a Generous Spirit

On December 3, 2000, Joy, who had been studying in private for over a year, was baptized and received most of the Catholic sacraments in a beautiful family celebration.  But the cancer she had so bravely battled for over three years overtook her, and she unexpectedly died less than 24 hours later at the age of 70.  

Her model of generosity permeates Ron’s own life, though he humbly expressed his deep wish that he had centralized faith sooner. “By the time I learned how to pray, my kids were out of college.”  Yet, like his own parents, Ron and his wife Ann sent their children to Catholic schools and were actively involved in their parish, school, and neighborhood community. Ron shared proudly that his daughter Erin was recently married in the Church.

Ron’s dedication to spiritual renewal and the current pastoral plan is a testament to Joy Hallagan’s generous spirit.  Ron is the first to admit that he is still learning. By extension, one might also say the whole diocese is still learning as it commits itself to structural renewal.  For Ron and for all, healthy changes start with a relationship with Christ, which Ron acknowledges is still in progress for him. “It is a relationship that is growing, and I hope to continue; we are never done.”