More Than A Dozen Catholic Colleges To Collaborate In Synodality Effort
Several institutions founded by the Jesuits, of whom the late pontiff was a member, are receiving significant funding.
The Neuhoff Institute for Ministry and Evangelization at the University of Dallas, along with fifteen other cooperating Catholic colleges and universities, announced the launch of the Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS).
CENTERS is a collaboration to strengthen active listening, dialogue, and shared decision-making in the Catholic Church in the United States. It will support the Church’s global synodal journey, begun by Pope Francis in 2021. It has received $10 million in funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. grant awarded to Loyola University of Chicago via the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. The initiative equips theological schools to address critical challenges in forming pastoral leaders for Christian congregations today and into the future. The Neuhoff Institute will participate across the network while engaging the university and regional Catholic communities in ministry and leadership formation.
"On behalf of the Neuhoff Institute and the University of Dallas, I am excited to be part of this grant initiative," said Jodi Hunt, PhD, executive director of the Neuhoff Institute. "The timing is perfect as we shift from listening to action in the Diocese of Dallas synod. This grant will support ongoing synodal formation in Dallas and across dioceses nationwide. We hope to renew and strengthen the vibrant gifts of parishes we encounter, guided by the Holy Spirit and our Church's rich traditions. As one of four core partners, we have a unique opportunity to work with other Catholic universities in integrating synodality into the fabric of lived Catholicism."
“We are grateful for Lilly Endowment's support, which enables the participating institutions to deepen Church renewal through shared deliberation and collaborative discernment," said Provost Matthias Vorwerk. "This initiative will strengthen ministry leadership formation and develop innovative practices to foster an engaged, mission-centered Catholic Church across the country."
“We are grateful for the investment of Lilly Endowment in the application of Loyola’s greatest intellectual resources to the formation of a stronger, more responsive Church for the 21st Century,” said Loyola Provost Douglas W. Woods. “This initiative will help shape the role of Jesuit, Catholic education and the ways Loyola can help inform and lead the Church through effective education at both the leadership and grass-roots levels.”
CENTERS is anchored by Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University and governed collaboratively by participating institutions: Catholic Theological Union, Gonzaga University, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University New Orleans, Mexican American Catholic College, Xavier University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Saint John's University, Saint Joseph's University, Santa Clara University, Southeast Pastoral Institute, University of Dayton, University of Dallas, University of San Francisco and Villanova University.
"Over the last four years, faculty and students from Catholic colleges and universities across the country have been discerning together how we can respond to Pope Francis’ call for a Church renewed through listening, dialogue and shared discernment," said Peter Jones, interim dean of Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies, who will lead the CENTERS with Michael Canaris, an associate professor in the institute. "This grant from Lilly Endowment enables CENTERS to deepen and broaden that work. Together, our institutions will strengthen ministry leadership formation, develop new models of synodal practice, and help animate a more participatory and mission-focused Church in the United States."
CENTERS will fund local capacity-building projects at each participating institution, support regional retreats and training programs, convene national assemblies and endow the Adsumus Fellowship, a national cohort-based ministry leadership formation program. It will also offer opportunities for Catholics not affiliated with participating institutions. Additionally, CENTERS will be fundraising through the Loyola University Chicago Pathways Challenge to sustain the program. More information on participation and fundraising will be shared later this year.
The Ann & Joe O. Neuhoff Institute for Ministry and Evangelization at the University of Dallas fosters personal growth, professional ministry and transformative service to the Catholic Church, the broader Christian community and the world. Continuing education courses taught by nationally recognized faculty are conveniently offered online, onsite and in satellite locations in both English and Spanish. For more information, visit udallas.edu/ministry.