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Six graduate students and one faculty member from �������� will join over 150 participants from 15 U.S. Catholic universities for a pilgrimage to Rome, taking place October 12 to October 19. The pilgrimage coincides with the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is convening throughout October.

This pilgrimage is designed to foster engagement with the global Synod on Communion, Participation, and Mission. Participants will be introduced to the spiritual practices and methods of synodality, empowering them to become transformative leaders in their communities. Most institutions have integrated the pilgrimage into credit-bearing courses. At Loyola, participants are enrolled in a graduate-level course on synodality offered by the .

“Pope Francis has invited all of the faithful into communal discernment about the future of the Catholic Church through this current Synod on Synodality,” said Assistant Professor of Pastoral Studies Emily Jendzejec, Ph.D., who teaches the Synodality course and will attend the pilgrimage. “Our course and pilgrimage to Rome during the final weeks of the current Synod invite students to engage with synodality as an ecclesial concept of journeying together at a pivotal moment in the life of the Church. This is a transformative opportunity for our students within their ministerial formation, and I am hopeful in how they will share the fruits of their experiences with the wider Loyola community and the students’ faith communities and ministries when they return.”

The institutions participating in the pilgrimage represent diverse global charisms within the Church—Augustinian, Cornelian, Ignatian, Lasallian, Marianist and Vincentian—as well as leading U.S. theologates and seminaries. A full list of participants is provided at the end of this release. During the pilgrimage, students will take part in teach-ins, communal prayer, participatory art, guided tours of Rome, attendance at Pope Francis’ weekly General Audience and direct encounters with Synod delegates and Church leaders.

"I joined the Synodality course because I'm curious how intentional listening to one another and to the Holy Spirit can help the Church face the challenges of our times,” said Loyola participant and graduate student Joe Manahan. “As a history and art lover, I look forward not only to visiting Rome's historic sites, but also to meeting program participants from around the world and experiencing firsthand a Church that journeys together."

The immersion experience is generously supported by Loyola’s Office for Mission and Identity and by the Rev. Stephen J. Duffy Chair in Catholic Studies. Interested parties can contact Assistant Professor of Pastoral Studies Emily Jendzejec at epjendze@loyno.edu to learn more.

Participating Institutions:

• Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry
• Catholic Theological Union
• Georgetown University
• La Salle University, Philadelphia
• Loyola University Chicago
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• Rosemont College, Philadelphia
• St. John’s University, New York
• Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia
• Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University
• Santa Clara University
• University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
• University of San Francisco
• Villanova University, Philadelphia
• Xavier University, Cincinnati