In an effort to continue the unprecedented grassroots consultation of the global Catholic Church begun by Pope Francis in 2021, Loyola Marymount University will host an evening with community members from Southern California with one of the delegates to the global meeting in Rome in October 2023.
With the goal of modeling continued conversations and a deeper understanding of what is truly a seismic shift in the way the Catholic Church sees itself, Sister Leticia Salazar, O.D.N., will take us behind the scenes of the meeting in Rome, and involve the community interactively in trying out the consultation process and continuing it in each of their own settings.
“The Synodal Path: Transforming Catholicism and Reconciling the World” will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, at 7 p.m. in LMU’s Ahmanson Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public and will provide simultaneous translation for both Spanish and English speakers. A reception with Sister Salazar, chancellor of the Diocese of San Bernardino, and community members will follow.
The event is organized by the LMU Latino/a/x Theology and Ministry Initiative, a joint effort of Theological Studies and the Center for Religion and Spirituality.
Community members can access information and register for the event here. Para mayor información y para confirmar su asistencia haga clic aquí. A recording will be available afterward.
Interviews before or after the event are available from LMU faculty experts: Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., Cecilia González-Andrieu, Brett C. Hoover, Robert Hurteau, and Jennifer Owens-Jofré.
Background
Since 2021, the Catholic Church worldwide has been engaged in a synodal process. The Greek word synod means “going together.” Throughout history, synods have been held to provide a space for Catholic leaders to wrestle with common concerns as they seek to be faithful to Christ’s mission in the world. The need for active engagement with the world is central to the papacy of Pope Francis, who constantly calls the Church to practice listening and learning from one another. The hope is that all Catholics will be better equipped to engage the world in word and deed. Synodality seeks to connect the global Catholic Church more closely to each other and to the needs of the present world. However, this particular synod looks very different from synods past.
The “Synod on Synodality” of the past three years is a series of consultations with Catholics globally at all levels: beginning at parishes and dioceses, moving to regional, national and continental levels and culminating in the global. In October 2023 a worldwide session of 364 delegates from around the world met in Rome, and LMU alumna Sister Leticia Salazar, Chancellor of the Diocese of San Bernardino, was one of them.
For the first time in history, the delegates were not just Catholic bishops; Pope Francis insisted that lay women and men, priests, religious sisters, and brothers be present to join in the conversations, reflections, and discernment of the synod. Sister Salazar will share her experience of the synod in Rome as she leads this year’s annual Community Conversation on Pastoral y Teología Hispana.
About the Presenter
Sister Salazar serves as Chancellor of the Diocese of San Bernardino, one of the country’s largest with 1.6 million Catholics. In the synodal process, in addition to being a member of the October 2023 synod in Rome, she has been active in synod preparation at the diocesan, regional, national, and continental levels. She previously served as director of Hispanic ministry and director of the Institute for Pastoral Ministry with the Diocese of Orange. She was provincial superior of the religious order of the Company of Mary Our Lady United States Province, and she is a member of the leadership team for the Province of the Pacific (USA, Colombia, Peru). She holds a master’s degree in bioethics and spirituality from LMU, and a spiritual director/accompaniment certificate from the Jesuit Institute in Rome.
About LLTM
LMU’s Latinx Theology and Ministry Initiative emerged from a need to assess and respond to the large population of Hispanic Catholics in the United States, and is a joint project of the Department of Theological Studies and Center for Religion and Spirituality. As a Catholic university in the country’s largest Catholic archdiocese, LMU is uniquely situated to gather data and marshal resources that will aid in preparing Latinx Catholics for leadership and service in the Church. As the Hispanic Catholic population continues to grow, LMU seeks to grow in the capacity to truly serve this important community in the Body of Christ. LMU was the host institution for the 2014 Symposium on Catholic Hispanic Ministry in the United States, the follow-up to the Symposium held at Boston College in 2009. Contact LMU’s Latinx Theology and Ministry Initiative at lltm@lmu.edu or 310.258.8604.
