BRAINTREE -- About 50 people, including cabinet secretaries for the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as the heads of the archdiocese’s affiliated entities and their board members, gathered for Mass and a strategic Oct. 8 at the Pastoral Center.

The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley in the Bethany Chapel. Cardinal O’Malley thanked the congregation for their service and he stressed the importance of boards in institutional success.

Following the Mass, attendees gathered in the Thomas J. Flatley Meeting Room for a series of speakers which spoke on board recruitment and functionality. The meeting highlighted the meaning of a Catholic organization, how to form a strong board, how a board should function once in place, and school board governance, since many affiliates are in the education field.

“The hope is that we can build on this event and offer more hands-on workshops designed for all trustees in hopes that it will make them, their organizations, and the archdiocese more effective,” said Kevin Kiley, Budget and Planning Director for the archdiocese. “We wanted to convey the many good services that the Pastoral Center provides our affiliates and their boards and this is just one of the many ways that we serve and support.”