CSTM students travel to Rome for synodal pilgrimage
Seven graduate students from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry traveled to Rome in October as part of a network of 14 Catholic colleges and universities from across the United States taking part in an immersive experience around the Synod on Synodality.
Organized by CENTERS (Catholic Education Network to Encounter Rome and Synodality), the weeklong pilgrimage was designed to form participants in the methods and spiritual practices of synodality and equip them to become protagonists of renewal in their own communities. Some 150 undergraduate and graduate students, campus ministers, and educators were able to engage with synod delegates and other Church leaders, attend a general audience with Pope Francis, and participate in teach-ins, prayer, and a communal art project, among other activities.
“Through their participation in every stage of this global process, young people have told us that they are not the Church’s future, but rather ‘the now of the Church’, ’ said CSTM Associate Dean Anthony Russo, who led the BC delegation. “They have been catalysts for synodality here in the U.S. and have asked for more formation in synodality, for more access to communal discernment processes, and that their gifts be placed at the service of the mission of the Church. This pilgrimage was just one way to move from listening to young adults to acting with them."
The mosaic, created by artist Becky McIntyre, features the prayers of the students from the U.S. schools participating in the CENTERS synodal pilgrimage.
The 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, commonly referred to as the Synod on Synodality, held its second session from October 2 to 27. A multiyear initiative called for by Pope Francis in 2021, the synod—the theme of which is ‘For a synodal church: communion, participation, and mission’—invites the people of God and Church leaders to journey together to listen and discern a path forward for the Church so it can best serve its worldwide mission. It's considered by many to be the largest consultation in human history, and its work will extend past the conclusion of the General Assembly. This synod has been notable because it is the first Synod of Bishops to extend voting privileges to women and laypeople.
"If becoming a synodal Church is truly a generational project, then we have to offer younger generations a taste of synodality that will sustain them in making their own contribution to that effort,” Russo continued. “I’m grateful to CENTERS for bringing students together for shared learning, prayer, and witness, and to CSTM Dean Mick McCarthy, S.J., for financially supporting this pilgrimage.”
The CSTM graduate students in the delegation were: Dominic Chai, S.J., Tayz Hernandez, Morgan Hodges, Alexis Larios, Carly Reidy, Rachel Sexton, and Bella Statnick.
CSTM doctoral student Kayla August, who was supported by separate external funding, also took part in the CENTERS synodal pilgrimage, where she served as a facilitator for a meeting between CENTERS students and synod delegates.
The U.S. higher education institutions participating in the synodal pilgrimage represented a variety of religious traditions, including Augustinian, Cornelian, Ignatian, Lasallian, and Marianist. In addition to BC, the other participating schools were Catholic Theological Union; Georgetown University; La Salle University (Philadelphia); Loyola University Chicago; Loyola University New Orleans; Rosemont College (Philadelphia); Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia); Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University; Santa Clara University; University of Dayton (Ohio); University of San Francisco; Villanova University; and Xavier University (Cincinnati).
“Synodality requires a letting go of individual agendas and a willingness to engage in a process that requires placing trust in the methodology of the synod, and also trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in it all,” said Russo. “When we let go of individual agendas, we open ourselves up to even more possibilities. Possibilities that are perhaps more expansive than we could have imagined because they come from God rather than us.”
One of the highlights for the group was “University Students in Dialogue with Synod Leaders,” where participants were invited into the Paul VI Audience Hall for a Q&A with synod leaders Secretary General of the Synod Cardinal Mario Grech; Synod General Rapporteur Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg; Daniel Flores, bishop of Brownsville, Tex.; and Sister Leticia Salazar, ODN, chancellor of the diocese of San Bernardino, Calif. The Q&A, which was broadcast live to a global audience, has been archived on the synod website.
To generate questions for the Q&A, the CENTERS delegates took part in teach-ins guided by “Conversations with the Spirit,” a communal discernment process that has been utilized during the synodal assembly in Rome. “It was a very intentional process and the questions raised came from the stirrings of the students,” said Russo.
Outside of official meetings and dinners, the CSTM delegates had opportunities to visit the Camerette (pictured here), the rooms where Saint Ignatius spent his final years, and tour basilicas in Rome, including St. Maria Maggiore, which will serve as Pope Francis’s final resting place.
Throughout the week, CSTM delegates engaged in meaningful conversations over shared meals and in meetings with synod delegates, such as a conversation between female students of the CENTERS delegation and female synod consultants, delegates, and facilitators, hosted by UISG (International Union of Superiors General).
Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, a CSTM student who is serving as an undersecretary to the Synod of Bishops, met the CSTM delegates for dinner. Sr. Becquart is the first woman in history to have the right to vote in the Synod of Bishops. “She talked about risk, trust—both in people and the process—and how vulnerability is essential to synodality,” said Russo. “Her words informed how our students made sense of the rest of the week.”
“Synodality starts with the faithful,” said CSTM delegate Morgan Hodges. “Without our own willingness to take the risk of being vulnerable and sharing our stories, there is no one for our leaders to listen to, and thus the synodal process cannot begin.”
Hodges said in one of the group’s meetings, a U.S. diocesan priest who was a synod delegate asked them what they would say if they had two minutes on the synod floor to talk to all the participants, including Pope Francis. As the young people offered their thoughts, the priest took notes on what was said. Hodges said she imagined the priest later sharing what he heard with the other delegates.
A memorable part of the week came when all the CENTERS delegates gathered at the Jesuit Curia. Each attendee was given a numbered piece of colored paper upon which to write a prayer for the Church’s synodal journey. The fragments were assembled into a piece of mosaic artwork that was presented to the synod leaders at the Q&A. The four synod leaders contributed their prayers to the mosaic, completing the artwork.
The CSTM delegation also met with Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, an arm of the Roman Curia that oversees issues related to social justice and peace, including migrants and refugees. Sister Smerilli is one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican. She talked with the students about how the synod was informing the work of the dicastery.
“This was not a weeklong experience, but a catalyst for young people to live as agents of hope in the Church,” said Russo. “This consortium was about forming and growing young people as ambassadors of synodality for this worldwide project of becoming a more synodal Church. I was really proud of the CSTM students and network as a whole. These students really showed a willingness to show up, to learn, and to engage. I'm hopeful for what will come as they resettle in our communities.”
Since the CSTM delegation’s return to campus, they have hosted a prayer service for a synodal Church. They also facilitated a school-wide community meeting on synodality and wrote an article about their experience for Jesuit Global.
“I want young Catholics in the U.S. to know that the Church, at the highest level, is hearing you and is using synodality to transform the Church in a way that is based on our scripture and tradition,” said Hodges, who is pursuing a joint M.A. in mental health counseling and M.A. in theology and ministry degree. “The Vatican can feel very far away, not only in distance but in power, and I want to share my experience of encountering these officials, who have true servant hearts and a strong desire to infuse synodality throughout the formal structures of the Church.”
Boston College’s impact on the synodal pilgrimage was felt beyond the CSTM delegation, said Russo, who noted that many of the leaders of the other CENTERS delegations were Boston College alumni. “It shows that Boston College—both the Theology Department and the Clough School of Theology and Ministry— educates and forms people who are actively engaging with the needs and realities of the Church in the world. The way BC does theology is transformative.”
To read firsthand accounts of the CSTM delegation’s experience, visit the CSTM Encounter blog.
Scenes from the synodal pilgrimage
