Catherine Of Siena Institute

What Catherine Of Siena Institute does

Catherine of Siena Institute (CSI) is a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit Catholic formation organization founded in 1997 by Sherry Weddell and Fr. Michael Sweeney, O.P., originally as an affiliated ministry of the Western Dominican Province and now operating as an independent apostolate in good standing with the Diocese of Colorado Springs. CSI equips Catholic parishes, dioceses, and individual laypeople for evangelization and lay apostle formation through three core programs: the Called & Gifted Discernment Process (a three-stage charism identification workflow built around the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory covering 24 charisms), Ananias Training (a 17-hour, 5-session spiritual accompaniment curriculum available in English and Spanish), and the newly launched Generation of Saints program (a two-year comprehensive parish formation pathway funded by a 2024 Lilly Endowment grant).

The Institute delivers these programs through a multi-channel model combining live workshop delivery by a network of 15+ trained presenters, a learning management platform at learning.siena.org for streaming video content and online assessment, subscription-based access for trained parish and diocesan teams, and e-commerce fulfillment of participant guides, leader kits, and books authored by Weddell including the global best-seller Forming Intentional Disciples. Revenue is generated through workshop fees ($3,900 in-person, $1,600 hybrid), Team Training certification ($265-$700 per participant), annual parish and diocesan subscriptions ($100-$2,500 depending on organization type and size), group licensing for video content, book and material sales, and parish mission honoraria.

Customer segments are vertical within the Catholic Church, with parishes and dioceses as primary enterprise buyers and individual lay Catholics, clergy, and religious as persona-level participants. Stated cumulative reach exceeds 225,000 individuals across more than 1,000 parishes in 230 dioceses on five continents, with 12,000+ members in the FID Facebook Forum community. The organization operates with approximately 10 staff and 15 presenters, supported by technology infrastructure including eCatholic (web platform), Constant Contact (email), Authorize.Net (payments), and standard analytics tooling; no AI or machine learning capabilities are evidenced.

Name

Catherine Of Siena Institute

Legal name

Catherine of Siena Institute

Website

https://siena.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catherine of Siena Institute is a Colorado Springs-based Catholic nonprofit founded in 1997 that equips parishes, dioceses, and laypeople for evangelization through the Called & Gifted charism discernment process, Ananias Training, and the Generation of Saints formation pathway, serving over 225,000 Catholics across 1,000+ parishes and 230 dioceses worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Religious Formation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Services (61), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAD

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYEDAHAKAF

Missionary Training Colleges & Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAKAE

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

Keywords

• Catholic formation programs
• Spiritual gifts discernment
• Parish evangelization services
• Lay ministry training
• Discipleship formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs, Colorado

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Workshop and Training Fees: Live workshops at parishes cost $3,900 plus travel; hybrid workshops are $1,600; Team Training ranges from $265-$700 per participant depending on format and location. These represent the primary professional services revenue stream.
2. Subscription Services: Annual subscriptions for parishes ($500/year), dioceses ($1,000-$2,500/year), and apostolates ($100-$1,500/year) provide ongoing access to the learning platform and program support for trained teams.
3. Book and Resource Sales: Sale of books including Forming Intentional Disciples, Intentional Intercession, Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, and Fruitful Discipleship. Also includes study guides and companion resources.
4. Training Materials and Kits: Sale of participant guides, leader guides, and resource kits for Called & Gifted and Ananias Training. Individual participant guides $25, Leader kits $169, bundle options available.
5. Group Licensing: Unlimited access video streaming licenses for parishes, dioceses, and apostolates. Ananias Training group license available for $400 one-time fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Catherine of Siena Institute provides Catholic formation programs focused on charism discernment, spiritual accompaniment, and lay apostle development. It delivers live and virtual workshops (Called & Gifted, Ananias Training, Generation of Saints), Team Training certifications, parish missions, clergy formation days, and accompanying books and online learning resources for parishes, dioceses, and individual Catholics.

Product overview

The Catherine of Siena Institute offers a comprehensive suite of Catholic formation programs centered around three core products: the Called & Gifted Discernment Process (charism identification through workshops, interviews, and practical discernment), Ananias Training (spiritual accompaniment skills), and Generation of Saints (a two-year comprehensive formation journey). Supporting offerings include Team Training for local implementation, Parish Missions, Clergy Formation Days, and Speaking Engagements. The Institute also publishes books by Sherry Weddell including Forming Intentional Disciples, Intentional Intercession, and Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples. All programs are supported by an online Learning Platform at learning.siena.org for self-study, group facilitation, and subscription management. Spanish-language resources are available for Called & Gifted and Ananias Training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Called & Gifted Discernment Process A three-part charism discernment process that helps Christians recognize and exercise spiritual gifts (charisms) given by the Holy Spirit. Includes an introductory workshop, one-hour gifts interview, and Discernment in Depth practice. Used by over 200,000 individuals since 1993.
• Ananias Training A 17-hour, 5-session formation process that equips people to walk with others in faith through compassionate listening, recognizing stages of spiritual journey, and sharing Jesus' story. Available in English and Spanish.
• Generation of Saints A comprehensive two-year parish formation initiative inspired by 17th-century French saints. Incorporates Ananias Training, Making Disciples workshops, and Forming Intentional Disciples book studies to form intentional disciples and build missionary culture.
• Team Training 16-hour training program (virtual or hybrid over two weekends) that equips individuals to conduct gifts interviews and lead Called & Gifted small groups. Prerequisite for becoming a subscribing Called & Gifted community.
• Parish Missions 10-12 parish missions per year covering topics related to discipleship, conversion, spiritual growth, discernment, and mission. Includes weekend presentations and daily Mass assistance.
• Clergy Formation Days Formation programs customized for continuing education of clergy including topics on governance, calling forth gifts of the baptized, and disciple-making in parishes.
• Forming Intentional Disciples Bestselling book by Sherry Weddell on evangelization and making disciples in the 21st century, covering five thresholds of postmodern conversion.
• Intentional Intercession Book by Sherry Weddell on becoming a powerful collaborator in Christ's mission through intentional, Spirit-led prayer and intercession.
• Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples Collection of wisdom from experienced leaders on transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach.
• Fruitful Discipleship Book on understanding charisms and how discipleship unleashes spiritual gifts to produce lasting fruit in the Church and world.
• Learning Platform Subscription Annual subscription to the online learning management system at learning.siena.org for Called & Gifted and Ananias Training courses, including streaming videos, Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, resource guides, and team management tools. Parish subscriptions $500/year; Diocesan subscriptions $1,000-$2,500/year; Apostolate subscriptions $100-$1,500/year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200,000 individuals have completed the Called & Gifted Discernment Process since 1993
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered foundational and core.

• Western Dominican ProvincefoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSI was originally founded in 1997 as an affiliated ministry of the Western Dominican Province, dedicated to equipping parishes for evangelization and formation of lay Catholics. It is now an independent apostolate.
• Diocese of Colorado SpringscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSI is listed in the Official Catholic Directory under the Diocese of Colorado Springs and is in good standing with the diocese. Operates with fidelity to Church teaching.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Word on Fire Catholic Ministries: Bishop Robert Barron's Catholic evangelization apostolate producing media (films, podcast, YouTube), books, and parish/diocesan study programs targeting the same Catholic lay-formation buyer.
• Dynamic Catholic Institute: Matthew Kelly's Catholic lay-formation and parish engagement ministry; sells books, parish programs, and speaking/services directly to Catholic parishes and dioceses, mirroring CSI's content-plus-workshop subscription model.
• Catholic Answers: Catholic apologetics and evangelization media organization producing formation content, live events, and parish resources serving the same lay and parish-customer base.
• Alpha Catholic (Alpha for Catholics): The Catholic edition of the Alpha parish-based introduction/formation course; trains parish teams, sells licenses and resources to parishes, competing with Ananias Training for parish formation budgets.
• RENEW International: Catholic parish renewal and small-group faith-sharing organization offering process-based formation programs and parish/diocesan subscriptions directly competitive with CSI's Called & Gifted offering.

Emerging players

• Theology of the Body Institute: Catholic formation provider offering online and in-person formation programs, certification training, and parish resources centered on John Paul II's theology of the body; overlapping audience and parish-purchase motion.
• Ave Maria Press: Catholic publisher of parish and ministry resources; overlaps with CSI's book and resource catalog as a formation-content supplier to parishes.
• St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology: Catholic biblical formation organization offering parish studies, online courses, and leader training; competing for the same parish small-group formation spend.
• Ascension Press: Catholic publisher and parish study program provider (e.g., Jeff Cavins Bible studies); competes for parish formation budgets and small-group leader training dollars.

Regional players

• Franciscan Media: Catholic media and formation organization producing books, audio, and parish study resources (including the Catholic Update program); comparable product mix but with a Franciscan rather than Dominican framing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/catherineofsienainstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/catherinesienainstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catherine-of-siena-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catherine Of Siena Institute