The Lay Centre
Source: http://www.laycentre.org
Archived: 2026-04-23 14:59
The Lay Centre
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AN INTERNATIONAL
AN ACADEMIC
A SPIRITUAL
COMMUNITY
AN INTERNATIONAL
AN ACADEMIC
A SPIRITUAL
COMMUNITY
Our Vision
To inspire and prepare future leaders to serve the Church and the world.
Our Mission
We offer lay women and men a meaningful experience of community life as well as impactful programs for human, spiritual, intellectual and professional development.
Our Values
Faith, Hospitality, Dialogue, and the Care for Our Common Home are the core values that inspire us in everything we do.
Latest News
Filter
All
2024
2025
2026
News
Uncategorized
Ruth Frampton: Walking Among Faiths
Alumni News: From Exeter to Rome, Ruth Frampton reflects on a six-week experience at The Lay Centre that shaped her ministry. Immersed in community life, prayer, and interfaith encounters, she…
April 2, 2026
Blessed Triduum and Happy Easter
In this Holy Week, we reflect on the light of Christ’s Resurrection, finding hope and renewing our commitment to love and faith in everyday life.
April 1, 2026
Applications: Summer Lay Leadership Program | July 2026
This summer, The Lay Centre opens a new residential program for young professionals in Rome, co-sponsored by the Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS).
March 11, 2026
‘Remain in My Love’: A Lenten Retreat of Renewal and Silence
Retreats strengthen community life while also offering space to be alone with oneself and with God. When we step away from the familiar rhythms of daily life, it becomes easier…
March 3, 2026
Living Christian Unity: The Lay Centre’s Ecumenical Initiatives During the Week of Prayer
As a community rooted in dialogue as a core value, The Lay Centre took part in two significant events during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity—an annual initiative that,…
February 25, 2026
In the Footsteps of St. Philip Neri: A Pilgrimage of the Seven Churches
“This journey allowed us to rediscover the experience of being pilgrims. It was especially meaningful to walk together as a community, not remaining alone in prayer, but sharing it with…
February 25, 2026
Shulamit Miller: A Journey of Discovery, Dialogue, and Shared Horizons
Alumni News: She is an archaeologist whose research focuses on urban life and architecture in the southern Levant from the Late Hellenistic to the Early Islamic periods. Currently working on…
February 20, 2026
All news
Our Vision
To inspire and prepare future leaders to serve the Church and the world.
Our Mission
We offer lay women and men a meaningful experience of community life as well as impactful programs for human, spiritual, intellectual and professional development.
Our Values
Faith, Hospitality, Dialogue, and the Care for Our Common Home are the core values that inspire us in everything we do.
Help us
to help
To support The Lay Centre’s mission of promoting the laity through faith, hospitality, dialogue, and the care for our common home, please donate.
Donate now
Help us to help
To support The Lay Centre’s mission of promoting the laity through faith, hospitality, dialogue, and the care for our common home, please donate.
Donate now
Testimonies
“
“At The Lay Centre, I learned that the openness of our hearts and minds, as well as our behaviour and attitude, can impact our surroundings. This is a place of communion, where we take care of one another and share the values and characteristics of Christ.”
Sadaf Yaqub, Pakistan
“
“The exercise of ‘tuning’ our common prayer and liturgies according to the needs and gifts of the residents was a unique experience in growing and listening to others. It allowed us to provide a different kind of care or service to the community and its members.”
Tommaso Bacci, Italy
“
“I loved The Lay Centre and the time there was wonderful. I felt at home. It was a very warm and welcoming surrounding. I made friends there who are still friends. I also discovered the world of interreligious dialogue and, specifically, the Catholic world.”
Shulamit Miller, Israel
“
“If you are searching for a place to grow in all areas of life. This is the place to be. The Lay Centre is a home, where you learn to love with your talents, serving the community, where you grow in knowledge, learning from others, where you deepen your faith, praying for each other and sharing life struggles.”
Stefanie Bross, Germany
“
“I learned so much about the different work lay people were doing or hoped to do in the Church. I was edified to see how hard my fellow students were working, how seriously they took their prayer lives and how much they encouraged one another to pursue their studies and vocations.”
Dianne Traflet, USA
“
“Here we have opportunities to learn from experts in different areas, workshops on leadership and the general exposure to different beliefs and worldviews that come from living in an international, intercultural, interreligious community. The strength that the community provides through rich conversations, nightly prayer, and a shared life is a source of comfort and hope.”
Tere Ávila, Mexico
“
"It has been a great advantage to have people who study similar things to me and to be able to ask questions and think together. Community evenings have always been moments of great growth. I always continue thinking a lot about what I heard.”
Maria Rocha, Portugal
“
“This community has restored my hope in the Church, and has given me the grace to share the journey with other laypeople, full of a desire to learn and serve. It has also been a fundamental space to motivate me to keep my spiritual habits always alive.”
Daniela N. Giraldo, Colombia
“
"A highlight of living at The Lay Centre were the friendships, where there is genuine openness for discussion. Also, the Wednesday evening community nights and the high-calibre guests invited by The Lay Centre have been very enriching. I’ve learned a lot about different aspects of the Catholic Church, including its spirituality, theology, and practical aspects of its functioning."
Francis Chan, Hong Kong
“
“It's fascinating. Sharing practices and rituals with people from different faiths made me realize our shared humanity. The growth in understanding diverse viewpoints and participating in meaningful practices, even if initially unfamiliar, is great.”
Yarden Millington, Israel
“
“Participating in The Lay Centre community made me reflect on the community of my own tradition and how I can carry the wisdom gained here into the future for the benefit of others.”
Sayalay Sandardikar, Myanmar
“
“The community has certainly been supportive over the course of my studies, with each of its members contributing in their own way in making it a welcoming and peaceful space in which to have enriching exchanges of ideas, constructive interactions, as well as moments of fun together.”
Elia Gittardi, Italy
“
“I would describe my experience at The Lay Centre as an opportunity, a blessing, a privilege. [...] In the Centre, dialogue wasn’t just about ideas; it grew out of friendship. You learned to listen, to understand, and to find common ground even with differences.”
David Angeles Garnica, Mexico
“
"My time there influenced how I understand my role as a layperson in the Church and what it means today to be a lay leader, that is, an active person in the world, rooted in faith, and committed to dialogue. Indeed, laypeople have a vital role in bridging Church and society, faith and mission, study and action."
Dimitrios Keramidas, Greece
Subscribe to receive our newsletter:
“We can count on many lay persons, although still not nearly enough, who have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great fidelity to the tasks of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the faith. […] The formation of the laity and the evangelization of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge.
“
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 102
The Lay Centre
at Foyer Unitas
Largo della Sanità Militare, 60
00184 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 772 6761
Fax: +39 06 772 676 235
[email protected]
FAQs
Legal terms
The Lay Centre
at Foyer Unitas
Largo della Sanità Militare, 60
00184 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 772 6761
Fax: +39 06 772 676 235
[email protected]
FAQs
Legal terms
Follow us:
Subscribe here:
Close Menu
INTRANET
About us
Mission Reports
2023-2024
2022-2023
News
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Skip to main content
Close Search
AN INTERNATIONAL
AN ACADEMIC
A SPIRITUAL
COMMUNITY
AN INTERNATIONAL
AN ACADEMIC
A SPIRITUAL
COMMUNITY
Our Vision
To inspire and prepare future leaders to serve the Church and the world.
Our Mission
We offer lay women and men a meaningful experience of community life as well as impactful programs for human, spiritual, intellectual and professional development.
Our Values
Faith, Hospitality, Dialogue, and the Care for Our Common Home are the core values that inspire us in everything we do.
Latest News
Filter
All
2024
2025
2026
News
Uncategorized
Ruth Frampton: Walking Among Faiths
Alumni News: From Exeter to Rome, Ruth Frampton reflects on a six-week experience at The Lay Centre that shaped her ministry. Immersed in community life, prayer, and interfaith encounters, she…
April 2, 2026
Blessed Triduum and Happy Easter
In this Holy Week, we reflect on the light of Christ’s Resurrection, finding hope and renewing our commitment to love and faith in everyday life.
April 1, 2026
Applications: Summer Lay Leadership Program | July 2026
This summer, The Lay Centre opens a new residential program for young professionals in Rome, co-sponsored by the Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS).
March 11, 2026
‘Remain in My Love’: A Lenten Retreat of Renewal and Silence
Retreats strengthen community life while also offering space to be alone with oneself and with God. When we step away from the familiar rhythms of daily life, it becomes easier…
March 3, 2026
Living Christian Unity: The Lay Centre’s Ecumenical Initiatives During the Week of Prayer
As a community rooted in dialogue as a core value, The Lay Centre took part in two significant events during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity—an annual initiative that,…
February 25, 2026
In the Footsteps of St. Philip Neri: A Pilgrimage of the Seven Churches
“This journey allowed us to rediscover the experience of being pilgrims. It was especially meaningful to walk together as a community, not remaining alone in prayer, but sharing it with…
February 25, 2026
Shulamit Miller: A Journey of Discovery, Dialogue, and Shared Horizons
Alumni News: She is an archaeologist whose research focuses on urban life and architecture in the southern Levant from the Late Hellenistic to the Early Islamic periods. Currently working on…
February 20, 2026
All news
Our Vision
To inspire and prepare future leaders to serve the Church and the world.
Our Mission
We offer lay women and men a meaningful experience of community life as well as impactful programs for human, spiritual, intellectual and professional development.
Our Values
Faith, Hospitality, Dialogue, and the Care for Our Common Home are the core values that inspire us in everything we do.
Help us
to help
To support The Lay Centre’s mission of promoting the laity through faith, hospitality, dialogue, and the care for our common home, please donate.
Donate now
Help us to help
To support The Lay Centre’s mission of promoting the laity through faith, hospitality, dialogue, and the care for our common home, please donate.
Donate now
Testimonies
“
“At The Lay Centre, I learned that the openness of our hearts and minds, as well as our behaviour and attitude, can impact our surroundings. This is a place of communion, where we take care of one another and share the values and characteristics of Christ.”
Sadaf Yaqub, Pakistan
“
“The exercise of ‘tuning’ our common prayer and liturgies according to the needs and gifts of the residents was a unique experience in growing and listening to others. It allowed us to provide a different kind of care or service to the community and its members.”
Tommaso Bacci, Italy
“
“I loved The Lay Centre and the time there was wonderful. I felt at home. It was a very warm and welcoming surrounding. I made friends there who are still friends. I also discovered the world of interreligious dialogue and, specifically, the Catholic world.”
Shulamit Miller, Israel
“
“If you are searching for a place to grow in all areas of life. This is the place to be. The Lay Centre is a home, where you learn to love with your talents, serving the community, where you grow in knowledge, learning from others, where you deepen your faith, praying for each other and sharing life struggles.”
Stefanie Bross, Germany
“
“I learned so much about the different work lay people were doing or hoped to do in the Church. I was edified to see how hard my fellow students were working, how seriously they took their prayer lives and how much they encouraged one another to pursue their studies and vocations.”
Dianne Traflet, USA
“
“Here we have opportunities to learn from experts in different areas, workshops on leadership and the general exposure to different beliefs and worldviews that come from living in an international, intercultural, interreligious community. The strength that the community provides through rich conversations, nightly prayer, and a shared life is a source of comfort and hope.”
Tere Ávila, Mexico
“
"It has been a great advantage to have people who study similar things to me and to be able to ask questions and think together. Community evenings have always been moments of great growth. I always continue thinking a lot about what I heard.”
Maria Rocha, Portugal
“
“This community has restored my hope in the Church, and has given me the grace to share the journey with other laypeople, full of a desire to learn and serve. It has also been a fundamental space to motivate me to keep my spiritual habits always alive.”
Daniela N. Giraldo, Colombia
“
"A highlight of living at The Lay Centre were the friendships, where there is genuine openness for discussion. Also, the Wednesday evening community nights and the high-calibre guests invited by The Lay Centre have been very enriching. I’ve learned a lot about different aspects of the Catholic Church, including its spirituality, theology, and practical aspects of its functioning."
Francis Chan, Hong Kong
“
“It's fascinating. Sharing practices and rituals with people from different faiths made me realize our shared humanity. The growth in understanding diverse viewpoints and participating in meaningful practices, even if initially unfamiliar, is great.”
Yarden Millington, Israel
“
“Participating in The Lay Centre community made me reflect on the community of my own tradition and how I can carry the wisdom gained here into the future for the benefit of others.”
Sayalay Sandardikar, Myanmar
“
“The community has certainly been supportive over the course of my studies, with each of its members contributing in their own way in making it a welcoming and peaceful space in which to have enriching exchanges of ideas, constructive interactions, as well as moments of fun together.”
Elia Gittardi, Italy
“
“I would describe my experience at The Lay Centre as an opportunity, a blessing, a privilege. [...] In the Centre, dialogue wasn’t just about ideas; it grew out of friendship. You learned to listen, to understand, and to find common ground even with differences.”
David Angeles Garnica, Mexico
“
"My time there influenced how I understand my role as a layperson in the Church and what it means today to be a lay leader, that is, an active person in the world, rooted in faith, and committed to dialogue. Indeed, laypeople have a vital role in bridging Church and society, faith and mission, study and action."
Dimitrios Keramidas, Greece
Subscribe to receive our newsletter:
“We can count on many lay persons, although still not nearly enough, who have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great fidelity to the tasks of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the faith. […] The formation of the laity and the evangelization of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge.
“
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 102
The Lay Centre
at Foyer Unitas
Largo della Sanità Militare, 60
00184 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 772 6761
Fax: +39 06 772 676 235
[email protected]
FAQs
Legal terms
The Lay Centre
at Foyer Unitas
Largo della Sanità Militare, 60
00184 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 772 6761
Fax: +39 06 772 676 235
[email protected]
FAQs
Legal terms
Follow us:
Subscribe here:
Close Menu
INTRANET
About us
Mission Reports
2023-2024
2022-2023
News
Join us
Contact
Donate
En
It
youtube