Updates from Rome: CSTM Delegation Reflects on Synod

Friday, October 18

As I stepped into the Aula, the space where Synod delegates gather every day, it felt surreal. It took me back to when this Synod process began in 2021, reminding me of all the conversations rooted in discernment, prayer, and deep listening that I’ve participated in since then. Standing in this space, I was struck by the significance of this journey and the privilege of walking alongside others and being changed by their stories. It was truly a full circle moment. 

When the cameras went live, it was our opportunity to ask the questions we had carefully discerned as a delegation. At that moment, what we had anticipated all week became real. This was a chance to deepen our understanding of Synodality. Sister Leticia Salazar shared a point that really struck me: “I am very hopeful for the United States to see you here because when I saw that only 1% of Catholics responded to the listening sessions, I said, ‘Oh my god, we have to go for the 99%.’” As someone who was part of that 1%, I felt the sadness that many missed out on the sacredness and mutual conversion of these conversations throughout these three years. As I walked through this week infused with hope and excitement of Synodality, I was reminded of the hesitancy to embrace this new way of being Church back home. Many are reluctant to engage in a process that might lead to personal transformation and others are worried that change won’t actually happen. 

But this is at the heart of Synodality: taking the risk. It means entering conversations without a clear agenda and allowing ourselves to be open and vulnerable. We are called to a process that isn’t about certainty or control but about trust, deep listening, and a willingness to be transformed. While the 99% may have been missed in these three years, it is not too late. In fact, this is only the beginning of Synodality and this way of being Church. 

This journey starts with a fundamental practice: listening. Earlier in our week, Sister Alessandra described the process of listening as “a listening that burns our hearts.” This type of listening isn’t comfortable or easy; it challenges us to let go of our preconceived ideas and be moved by the stories of others. Synodality isn’t easy. This practice allows others' pain to become our pain and others' joy to become our joy. Sr. Alessandra reminded us to “be ready to be hurt.” Real transformation occurs when we embrace the risk of change, focusing on deep, authentic encounters rather than just fixing problems. 

After the cameras turned off, we had the chance to ask a few more questions. We concluded on a question that struck me, “How have you personally experienced spiritual conversion throughout the Synod process?” As each panelist shared their experience, it became clear that they had been profoundly changed. I saw firsthand how narratives that challenge our perspectives, can lead us to a change of heart.

Reflecting on our week here in Rome, I see how each delegate I encountered has been deeply transformed by this way of being Church. Looking inward, I recognize my own transformation. Synodality has taught me that this journey isn’t about reaching perfect conclusions or expecting the Church to provide all the answers. It’s about being present in the process, showing up, and allowing those encounters to change us. If we all change, the Church changes. 

For me, this is the true power of Synodality. At its core, it isn’t a task to check off; it’s a way of being Church that calls us to ongoing conversion. We are invited into this practice not to fix things or find quick solutions but to allow ourselves to be transformed through our encounters with one another. And that’s the most powerful lesson I’ve learned: true Synodality changes us if we let it.

-Bella Statnick, M.Div. '26

Thursday, October 17

Throughout this week we’ve gathered around numerous tables. At the end of packed days, we settle around the table, break bread, and share about the day’s encounters. In addition to our group meals with one another, each day we have also been sent in pairs, much like the disciples, to share meals with synod members and to listen to one another in conversation. I find that this image of gathering around the table mirrors what is happening among the synod delegates this month. Each day they gather at round tables and listen to one another and to the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

This image came up again today when three of us attended a lunch and conversation between female students of the CENTERS delegation (the 14 universities here in Rome to encounter synodality) and female synod members, including synod consultants, delegates, and facilitators. We were hosted by UISG, the International Union of Superiors General, which is a meeting place for superiors general of women’s religious orders worldwide. Following our lunch, we sat in a meeting room at round tables that resemble those in the synod hall. Gathered together as women in the church, we heard a reflection on Proverbs 9 about Lady Wisdom. In this passage, Lady Wisdom invites all of us to her table banquet. The woman who offered the reflection noted that Lady Wisdom invites us to the table with our questions, confusions, and wonderments. At times, we might doubt that there is enough or that some will go to waste. We might wonder, particularly as women in the church, whether we are enough or whether we belong at the table at all, especially when some in our church tell us as much in word and action, or lack thereof. But instead, Lady Wisdom offers us abundance and assures us that none will go to waste; she invites all of us to her sacred table and to “walk in the way of insight” (9:6). 

Lady Wisdom’s abundance was evident as we joined in conversations in the Spirit (the synodal method for dialogue and discernment) and shared our prayers for women in the church. Her abundance was evident as we observed that women offer so much to the church, and that women in many places worldwide have been modeling the synodal way already. It was evident as we heard from female synod members about the great strides that have been made between last October’s session and this October’s, as lay and religious women have made their voices heard and been listened to by priests, bishops, and cardinals. The Spirit was abundant and alive in the room as we sang a litany of female saints and shared our prayers for women in the church with one another.

To conclude, I invite you to reflect on Lady Wisdom’s banquet table and consider: in the spirit of synodality, who are you called to invite to the table? How might our CSTM community journey better together when all are at the church’s banquet in full communion, participation, and mission? 

Lady Wisdom, pray for us!

-Alexis Larios, M.T.S. '25

Wednesday, October 16

As a child, I remember looking forward to becoming an adult, because adults “have it all figured out.” Uncertainty, lack of confidence, the feeling of being limited—those were all experiences I associated with being a child, and would thus disappear at midnight on my 18th birthday. Well, as I passed that milestone and several years more, I finally realized that those feelings were never tied to a developmental stage—they are core to our humanity. Something I say often to myself as I navigate the world is “we’re all just making it up.” The more elegant version of this statement is that we’re all human: at every stage of life, in every place and position in the world, we are all human. And as a mental health counselor (in training), I get to witness this first hand as I observe the inner worlds of people who others may be intimidated by or admire or think “have it all figured out”; and trust me, no one does.

This morning, our group had the opportunity to attend the general audience with Pope Francis and listen to a section of a catechetical cycle on the Holy Spirit. In the picture above, we are standing not a yard away from the Holy Father. Being near to power has been a theme of this trip I’ve been reflecting on. Part of being immersed in the synod has meant being immersed in the structural and institutional aspects of the church. By the end of the week, our group will have had the pleasure of meeting with leaders in two Vatican dicasteries, several synod delegates, and leaders of the synod itself. Beyond formal meetings, we have had casual encounters every day with some of the most powerful leaders in the church. Rather than intimidate us, I think these encounters have done the opposite—they have humanized the people who before were just abstract decision makers in a far away and inaccessible land. We have laughed with them, commiserated with them, and been listened to by them. 

This humanization is why the question I am most interested in asking these delegates is what spiritual formation is being provided to them as they take part in this important  process in the church. In my training, we are constantly being made aware of our own humanity and the perpetual need to form the self, since it is the very tool we use to heal the people we work with. The more one can know and lower their own defenses and train themselves to be truly open and nonreactive, the more available their heart is to love and their mind to see clearly. The synod, especially the new way it is being done, is a church process unlike any other. It requires more than the highest theological degrees and the most extensive ministerial experience; it requires softened hearts, which themselves require spiritual “maintenance,” if you will. This is why I was pleased to hear from a delegate that this is the first synod where delegates participated in a retreat before it began. It sounds like synod leaders and Pope Francis similarly understand the importance of preparing one’s own heart to encounter the other. He proclaimed to us today that “the Spirit dwells in us.” Let us not forget to do the intentional work of making more and more room for the Spirit to work within us and through us.

-Morgan Hodges, M.A/M.A. '25

Tuesday, October 15

Over the past several days here in Rome, I have been blessed to witness the richness of  synodality—the concept of walking together as a Church. While many of my encounters  have been with Church leaders and delegates, it has been primarily in the mundane,  everyday moments where I’ve felt the most profound experience of synodality. This  immersion trip has revealed to me that synodality is not confined to official conversations  or institutions but is something we live out daily, in ordinary ways. 

One of the most impactful experiences during this trip for me has been our late-night  walks home through the quiet streets of Rome. As I walk alongside my peers, tired and  sometimes a little delirious from the long day, I am transported back to my summer as a  U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate at Fort Knox. There, I served as a regimental chaplain,  leading cadets on 8-13 mile rucks in the middle of the night. In both situations—whether  walking through the Roman streets or counseling cadets during rucks—I realized: this is  synodality. Walking together, journeying forward as a community, even when we are not  fully prepared or don’t know what lies ahead. 

These moments of shared journeying have reminded me that synodality is about closing  the gap between where we are and where we need to be. This is the already but not yet.  We must find creative ways to walk forward together, and sometimes the simple act of  walking in itself is the most meaningful step. Whether it’s witnessing a flock of pigeons  sharing their limited food supply or watching two delegates embrace in a shared moment  of tenderness, these small experiences have been the clearest examples of finding God in  all things, even in the mundane. 

I am about three (literal) weeks into St. Ignatius’ 19th annotation, and it’s likely this  practice has attuned me to search for God in the ordinary. Ignatius invites us to recognize  that God is present in all things, all places, and all people. This has been particularly true  during my time in Rome. But even more so, these experiences have reminded me that  synodality—walking together, listening to one another, sharing the fruits of the Spirit—is  not limited to the walls of an institution or the grandeur of the Church.  

God is not working harder in Rome than He is anywhere else. Rome may be filled with  beautiful reminders of the Church's history, but God’s Spirit is just as alive in the most  unexpected places. It is easy to think that it’s simpler to find God here, surrounded by  such profound history and faith, but synodality challenges us to recognize that God is  working in every corner of the world, not just among the delegates or in holy places. As Church, we are called to be creative in how we move from synod to synodality,  understanding that God walks with us wherever we are.

A time that particularly touched my heart was during our Centers synodal engagement  with synod delegates. Our time together ended with a powerful moment of prayer, where  the delegates prayed over us, and we, in turn, prayed over them. I felt the strong presence  of the Spirit as tears welled up in my eyes, a tangible reminder that we are in this  together—delegates, clergy, laity, and all the members of the Church. In that moment, a  scripture reading from the Spiritual Exercises came to mind: "I, even I, am he who  comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass"  (Isaiah 51:12). 

Monday, October 14

The third day felt like a whirlwind. Waking up and walking out to see St. Peter's basilica felt like a dream. We walked through the busyness of St. Peter’s Square and the streets of Rome as our group made our way to the Lasallian Generalate to gather with the U.S. delegations consisting of 14 universities. A gathering of more than 100 people consisting of students, faculty, and staff organized by CENTERS (Catholic Education Network to Encounter Rome and Synodality). We met with people from all different backgrounds across the U.S. to pray for our journeys as we prepared to encounter the Synod. We prepared to engage Synod Delegates and prepared for the opportunity to ask delegates questions that will be televised regarding the Synod and the future of our Church. We did this by participating in the same round-table conversations modeling the Synod's process to come up with questions we could ask them as we prepared to represent the U.S. young Catholic population and very learned how challenging it could be. We all carried different stories, backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches. How could we be expected to synthesize our experiences and perspectives to create one question to ask Synod delegates regarding the future of our Church?

Flash forward to the evening some folks got the opportunity to have dinner with some U.S. Synod Delegate members. It was in those conversations at the dinner table that I recognized the extent of the difficulty behind Synodality and simultaneously, its significance. Being in a city that holds so much sacred history of the Church and richness in ancient culture, one can see the deep intertwined relationship between culture and the Church. The Church has existed in and through time, some elements/traditions have remained constant while others have shifted by and through the breath of the Holy Spirit. Now as we experience this shift of commitment in our Church to be more Synodal, there is no promise on what the outcome will be. We don’t know what the future will hold for our church and our world. We have placed our hopes and trust in these delegates that represent the various voices around the world trusting they have adequately listened to the needs of the faithful. And yet, they are people just like us. They are people that get tired, that need breaks and seek nourishment. I was reminded that we have placed our hopes and expectations on human beings who let the Spirit move through them. And don’t we all carry this call? The call towards listening to the Spirit and to be “Protagonists of the Synod”.

Sunday, October 13

Sunday began with Mass at the Caravita, the English-speaking Jesuit community in Rome. In the afternoon some of us attended a guided meditation and conversation surrounding pivotal women in the history of the Church who are memorialized in statues around the crown of St Peter’s Square. In the evening our group had the privilege of dining with Sr. Nathalie Becquart. Sr. Becquart (or Sr. Nathalie as we called her), is an Undersecretary to the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, a position that engages her experience with the youth and her study and witness of the practice of synodality. Sr. Nathalie’s appointment by Pope Francis on February 6, 2021, made her the first woman in history to have the right to vote in the Catholic Synod of Bishops.

Synodality, as a concept, has been a difficult to grasp. Personally, I feel that even though I was tasked with discerning and introducing the initial process to my parish, and even though I poured over the instruction documents to find “the right way” to run our first listening sessions, my first pass fell short of understanding the heart of the reasons for the listening sessions. I understood the phrase “listening Church” to mean that Pope Francis and the governing body of the Church were interested and ready to hear our stories. And that is true! However, more importantly, or perhaps most importantly, the Synod on Synodality is asking us, the hands and feet of Christ, to BECOME a listening Church. This is something Sr. Nathalie emphasized when talking about the transformation that comes from engaging in synodal conversation, and as she reminded us, synodality starts with a cup of coffee!

The parishes and congregations around the world are being asked to engage in this very deliberate, and honestly very foreign, way of relating to one another in order for us to reach a deeper transformation. Sr. Nathalie stressed that what has become clear in the Synod on Synodality is that the needs of the faithful and those on the margins in the global Church are as diverse and varied as the places She inhabits. In order to best serve one another we must listen deliberately to those in our own communities and animated by the Holy Spirit find a way to respond as the hands and feet of Christ.

It is in the in-between that the Spirit lives and the best way of learning it is to participate in it ourselves.

-Carly Reidy, M.A. Student

Saturday, October 12

Buongiorno Roma! Despite the fatigue from the overnight flight, there was a palpable sense of excitement as we began the day, sharing cappuccini and cornetti over joyful laughter and conversation about the pilgrimage ahead. The breathtaking view of the eternal city from the rooftop of the General Curia of the Society of Jesus on the Via Borgo Santo Spirito, along with a brief prayer at St. Peter's Basilica near the apostle's tomb, offered a moment to pause and take in both the historical and present significance of where we stood. Catching sight of Synod delegates walking together in conversation deepened the sense of immersion into the life of the Church, here and now—alive, moving, and discerning, offering a vivid snapshot of communion, participation, and mission.

Our first day of pilgrimage was marked by the celebration of the Eucharist at the Camarette, the very rooms where St. Ignatius spent his final years. A small brick marks the place where Ignatius died on July 31, 1556, inscribed with the words "HIC OBIIT PATER IGNATIVS" ("Here died Father Ignatius"). Standing in this sacred space invites quiet contemplation. His original desk remains, where he wrote to Jesuits and friends across the world, and his worn pilgrim shoes speak to the long journey he made—from Pamplona to Rome, a lifelong journey of conversion and trust.

As we sang “These Alone Are Enough” after communion, the final verse—“When the darkness falls on my final days, take the very breath that sang your praise. Give me nothing more than your love and grace. These alone, O God, are enough for me”—resonated deeply. Sung in the room where Ignatius breathed his last, it underscored his complete surrender, his enduring love for the Church, and his profound trust in God's unfolding graces.

Following in the footsteps of the "Pilgrim"—as Ignatius often referred to himself—this pilgrimage calls for a spirit of openness to what is yet to come. Intention, transcendence, and memory—elements of pilgrimage—seem to be emerging (Brouillette, 2022). It's only the first day, and while much has already been received, there are still more gifts untold.

-Dominic Chai, S.J., S.T.L. ‘25

Friday, October 11

Today, a group of seven CSTM students and I will depart for Rome to join over 120 other students, campus ministers and educators from 14 Catholic colleges and universities from across the U.S. for a pilgrimage in conjunction with the month-long meeting of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

This collectively designed experience aims to create spaces for student participants, both undergraduate and graduate, to continue to encounter the dynamism of the Synod on Communion, Participation, and Mission. Highlights during our time in Rome will include:

• Two synodal "teach-ins"
• Dinner with members of U.S. synod delegation
• Luncheon at the Jesuit Curia to which all synod delegates have been invited
• Attending the Pope's General Audience
• A theological-pastoral forum hosted by the synod to deepen the theology of synodality
• Luncheon with female students and delegates
• An hour-long Q&A with synod leadership in Paul VI Hall that will be broadcast live to the world. Tune in on Friday, October 18 at 11:00am ET.

Over the past few weeks, I found myself overwhelmed by the details and logistics – and also a sense of fear. "Is this really going to work?!" Every piece of this experience was shaped by a group of 20 or so leaders from the various institutions. The process collaborative, inspiring, and joyful – and also daunting. As Pope Francis constantly reminds us, though, the Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the synod, and over the past year of planning, there were constant signs of this Spirit at work as we brought this shared experience to life: delegates saying "yes" to dinner with us, the invitation into dialogue with synod leadership, and the list goes on. 

As we journey to Rome, my fundamental hope for our group and network (and certainly for the synod at-large) is for a willingness to be attentive to the Spirit that is alive, in our midst, and inviting us to dream together – indicative of a God who desires to draw near to us through the experiences of our lives, and who guides each of us and the larger church into greater communion, co-resposibility, and discipleship. This has personal, communal, and ecclesial dimensions, and as the Instrumentum Laboris (working document) for this second session of the General Assembly reminds us:

No reform could be limited to structures alone but must be rooted in an inner transformation according to the “mind of Christ” (Phil 2:5). For a synodal Church, the first conversion is to listening, the rediscovery of which has been one of the greatest fruits of the journey to date. This is, first of all, listening to the Holy Spirit, the real protagonist of the Synod, and then listening to each other as a fundamental disposition for mission.

My hope, too, is that this pilgrimage fosters the hope of young adults in a synodal church, encouraging them to dream and trusting that their dreams are heard. I pray that our network learns to listen well, and also feels listened to. Pope Francis has reminded young people that they are not the future of the church, but the "now of the church." May this be claimed with faith and creativity, humility and boldness.

We're grateful for your prayers along the way, for our group and network as well as the General Assembly and the shared project of together becoming a more synodal church. Follow along on Instagram @bcstm and @synodalitycenters.

-Anthony Russo, associate dean