The Legatus’ Annual Summit emphasizes faith, fellowship, and witness

When pizza magnate Tom Monaghan founded Legatus in 1987, its members had as their mission to “study, live and spread the Catholic faith” in their families, businesses, and communities.

Today, almost 40 years later, that mission has attracted more than 5,500 Catholic business leaders and their spouses in more than 90 chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, who gather each month for prayer and fellowship.

The organization’s 2026 Annual Summit, held January 29-31 in Santa Barbara, California, drew its theme from the Gospel: “Enter Into the Joy of Your Master” (Matthew 25:23). It offered an enriching blend of faith, fellowship, and formation.

Stephen Henley, Legatus’ international president, talked to CWR about the Summit’s theme, its speakers, and the Cardinal O’Connor Defender of the Faith Award. That award is presented annually by Legatus, recognizing a person who has defended the Catholic Faith in the public square.

The award is named for Cardinal John O’Connor (1920-2000), Henley explained, because he was at the forefront of the founding of Legatus. O’Connor, who was the archbishop from 1984 until his death, determined that clergy should not be members of the organization. “He was a giant of a man,” Henley said. “Not just a priest who was important and well-known, but also someone who actually took risks to defend the Faith.”

The Cardinal O’Connor Award recipient this year was Archbishop José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles. Henley said that Archbishop Gomez was honored for his leadership role in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he served as ecclesiastical advisor over the past 15 years. During that time, he helped to shape the bishops’ policy regarding immigration, as well as other significant policies.

“Archbishop Gomez,” stated Henley, like Cardinal O’Connor, “…is just a holy, humble bishop. Oftentimes, bishops become kings of their own fiefdoms. It’s hard to access them and to get feedback from them. But Archbishop Gomez is different; in the end, he remembers where he came from. He has such a love for his priests and for those who are under him. He offers a great example.”

Keynote speakers at the annual event included award-winning actor Neal McDonough, a devout Catholic, who shared his personal testimony and talked about his career in Hollywood, including acting alongside Sylvester Stallone in the dramatic crime series Tulsa King.

McDonough is noted for turning down roles because he refuses to act in sex scenes or to kiss female co-stars, citing his Catholic faith and respect for his wife, Ruvé. As a result, Henley noted, McDonough was blacklisted and lost large roles in Hollywood. McDonough told the story of how he had made that decision, and how many people have come up to him to thank him, reporting that his example had caused them to stand tall in their own decisions.

There was one film, The Last Rodeo, in which McDonough was able to share a kiss at the end of the story; that’s because the film company hired his wife Ruvé for the role. McDonough and his wife participated in a fireside chat onstage before the Legatus audience, and Henley said that the beauty of their marriage poured through in the conversation.

Another keynote speaker was Dr. Benjamin Carson, a prominent neurosurgeon and former head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Carson gained national fame in 1987 when he led a team of surgeons who performed the first surgery separating twins who were conjoined at the head. Carson spoke about the pressure that he felt as he was preparing for the serious surgery. Dr. Carson was able to face such a high-pressure situation calmly because of his professional competence, but more importantly, because he relies on God.

Dr. Carson also spoke about his work in the pro-life movement and his public stance against abortion. How, he asked, can you be a surgeon and perform surgery, even intrauterine surgery, and see the beauty of God’s creation, and then just slit through it, destroying the life? Dr. Carson believed that some doctors who perform abortions are just deranged. He reported that today more than 65% of abortions are chemical abortions, which Carson describes as “a disgusting process.”

Another speaker was Fr. Josh Johnson, a pastor and vocations director in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He began his talk with a quote from the Gospel of Matthew: “Enter into the joy of your Master.” Father Josh spoke about the need for prayer and recommended that members start their mornings with intentional prayer, turning off their cell phones during prayer time, because the day gets away from you very quickly. “If you wait until the end of the day,” he warned, “it’s likely it’s not going to happen.”

Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, entered religious life in 1998 after finding that her success as a Division 1 volleyball player did not satisfy her deepest needs. She encouraged the Catholics gathered together to rest in God’s mercy, allowing themselves to be transformed through his healing mercy.

Vic Gundotra, former Senior Vice President of Google Engineering, was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, eventually becoming an elder in the Watch Tower Society. Then, after being an atheist for a time, he converted to the Catholic Faith. Gundotra talked about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how he uses it as a part of his faith life. He explained how Catholics can navigate challenges with AI in business, explaining that it can be used for the study of the faith, while at the same time being aware of the potential dangers.

James Olson, former Chief of CIA Counterintelligence, explained how faith and espionage can coexist. You can be a good Catholic, he explained, and at the same time be a good spy, which was certainly a topic that was both unusual and fascinating.

Sam Goodwin, son of Legatus members from St. Louis, was on a whirlwind world tour, hoping to set foot in every country in the world, when he was captured, falsely accused, and imprisoned in Syria. He spent 63 days in captivity, with much of that time in solitary confinement. He recounted his experiences to members of Legatus gathered in Santa Barbara, and he shares that moving story in his book Saving Sam: The True Story of an American’s Disappearance in Syria and His Family’s Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home.

More information about Legatus, about its membership requirements, and about its monthly and annual events, can be found on the organization’s website.

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