Reviewing the past year and revving up the new

January is a month to take stock and look ahead. Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about what Legatus and its members have accomplished in 2022. Thanks be to God, we can be pleased with that list. I have also been going over our plans for 2023, and I am excited for what we have in store for our membership over the next 12 months.
 
Our members are paramount. Without you, Legatus would not exist. In 2022, we grew Legatus by 5 percent and renewed 91.1 percent of our members, our best retention rate since 1999. To help prospective members, we finalized a new streamlined and easier online membership application. For current members, we transitioned our membership portal to a new platform that can be used at the chapter level and to  reinforce the lead- generation efforts to grow our organization. Development initiatives started this year in four cities: Coeur d’Alene, ID; Charleston, SC; and in Knoxville and Memphis, TN.
 
Legatus members are staying, our membership is growing, and our territory is expanding. And our monthly chapter fellowship events are as prevalent and interesting as ever.
 
In January 2022, we were thrilled to have hosted our first full-size Summit since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Summit, held in Amelia Island, FL, was packed with members and featured memorable speakers including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio, and actor Jonathan Roumie. Our members enjoyed six successful international events: two Oberammergau pilgrimages, one Mexico pilgrimage, two Enclaves, and one Cooper Clinic event. Legatus was online with member events as well, with webinars ranging from the archbishop of the Ukrainian rite discussing the war in Ukraine to Bishop Andrew Cozzens speaking on the Eucharistic Revival.
 
The new year has just begun, and Legatus is hard at work on our goals for 2023 and beyond. They include chartering six new chapters, including one each in Mexico and Canada. We are planning to place a renewed emphasis on forums, which will present professional training opportunities for our members. Finally, Legatus is planning to launch the Strategic Academic Relationship initiative, providing scholarships to members and their relatives to Newman Guide schools.
 
These accomplishments and aspirations are empty if we forget that God is the source of our joy, that He is our rock, and that He loves us. In the new year and always, we will continue to strive “to help members study, live, and spread the Catholic faith in all spheres of their life.” We want our lives as Catholics to radiate hope, so that the world can be brought to the glory of God.
 
We are thankful to God and to our membership for a successful 2022. We take gratitude in reviewing the accomplishments of Legatus over the last year, and we are revving up to make 2023 a year to remember. The entire leadership team at Legatus is here to serve you. Never hesitate to reach out to us and share your thoughts and suggestions. And please keep us in your prayers as we begin our work in the new year.

STEPHEN M. HENLEY is president of Legatus.