Diocese of Wilmington helps launch networking program for Catholic business leaders

Downtown Wilmington, Delaware. / Credit: Real Window Creative/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 28, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Wilmington’s Catholic Business Network launches next month, connecting Delaware’s Catholic business leaders for networking and collaboration.

The Catholic Business Network (CBN) “will unite professionals who are not only driven in their industries but also guided by their faith, offering a space where success is measured not just by profit but by impact, service, and witness to the Gospel in the workplace,” Sheila McGirl, CBN founder and development director for the diocese’s newspaper, The Dialog, told CNA. 

McGirl and Joseph P. Owens, The Dialog’s editor and general manager, are spearheading the effort. McGirl previously launched a similar campaign in New Jersey when she worked for the Diocese of Camden.

“After founding the Catholic Business Network in South Jersey, I witnessed firsthand the power of connecting faith and enterprise, where relationships rooted in shared values led to collaboration, mentorship, and a deeper sense of purpose. It is our hope to bring that same vision to Wilmington,” McGirl said. 

“We have so many Catholics who do great work in their businesses in the diocese and we believe they can help each other grow while engaging with other Catholics in business,” she said.

Owens and McGirl intend to help attendees promote their businesses by providing them with print and digital advertising packages to grow their networks. They have invited interested businesses to apply online for the upcoming event. 

The initiative will kick off June 4 with a breakfast at the parish center at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church in Greenville, Delaware, with keynote speaker Bishop William E. Koenig of Wilmington, who will speak on “The Vocation of the Business Leader.”

After the first event, McGirl plans to hold future meetings around Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland to include other business centers in the diocese. 

Similar efforts are taking place across the United States.

Earlier this year, the Diocese of Toledo held a breakfast event with a talk titled “Bringing Your Christian Faith into Your Business” with the intent “to engage and empower northwest Ohio business leaders and professionals to promote Catholic values in the workplace.”

On June 18, the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia will hold an evening event to help individuals network and create “fellowship with like-minded Catholic business professionals and owners.”

In addition, Baltimore businesses will also have the chance to participate with other Catholics at a “leadership breakfast” hosted by the Catholic Business Network of Baltimore. The gathering is set to take place at the end of June.