Implications of Synodality for SSpS Global Mission

By Sr. Mary John Kudiyiruppil

Introduction
Dear sisters, in this presentation, I must confess that I will not be speaking to you on things that
we never heard before or some ground- breaking realities or facts. With the help of the key
synodal concepts, we shall reflect on our synodal journey as a congregation. We all know about
the synod, in some places, we may have been part of the process.

However, for the sake of those who have not had the time or the opportunity, I shall give a brief
overview of what a synod is and what are the different stages of the present synodal journey of
the church. The presentation lasting about 40 minutes has two main parts.

The first part will be about the synod, the stages of the synodal journey and synodality. The
second part is about the implications of synodality for our global mission. I intend to highlight
the concept of synodality and its importance for our times today, especially for our ecclesial life.
Here we shall reflect on our congregational journey and see what the fundamental synodal call
or invitation is beckoning us to.

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The principal synodal question is” How is our 'walking together' which enables the Church to
proclaim the Gospel in accord with the mission entrusted to her, being achieved today at the
different levels?” (Preparatory Document no. 2). If we paraphrase this for our congregation,
how will it read? How is our ‘walking together’ as a congregation entrusted with a global
mission, being achieved today? Let us in this webinar ponder over this question. We can have
some sharing in group with the help of some questions and a plenum for free open sharing
before closing. Although on line, we are home, we are among ourselves and let us make it a time
of free open sharing.

1. What is a Synod?

The word “Synod” means an assembly of the clergy- mostly bishops- in the catholic church.
Less frequently it is also used for official decision-making gatherings of other Christian
denominations. The synod of bishops was instituted by Pope Paul Vl in 1965. As such, the word
is associated with hierarchy, patriarchy and exclusion because the laity and women have by and
large been excluded from this assembly.
So how did this word, which was until recently a not - so loved word among the ordinary
faithful and among women, suddenly become the central word? A word that was used to exclude
has now become the synonym for inclusion. Only a few years ago, we would have refrained
from using this word saying it is a highly masculine expression. And today we use it to signify
sharing, inclusion, and participation.
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So, what actually happened? There are several reasons: one of them comes from our desire for
novelty. We were getting tired of words like communion, discernment, participation, inclusion
etc., so when a new word “synodality” appeared on the scene, it received immediate acceptance
and became an endearing word. Actually, we are still talking about what we have been talking
all these years: listening, discernment, communion, inclusion, participation and so on. Chances
are that soon we will get tired of this word as well. Probably with the conclusion of the Synod in
2024, the word will also make its exit from the everyday vocabulary. But for now, it is a new
language.

1.1 What is Sinodality?

While the term “Synod” refers to an event or activity that is happening in time and space in
relation to a particular structure or organization in the church, “Synodality” denotes the
particular style that qualifies the life and mission of the Church. Synodality is a way of being
church, a process that includes listening, discernment, participation and inclusion. It points to
the direction the church will take in the future, how it will go ahead. By inference, synodality is
a way of relating, a way of doing things and making decisions in seminary formation, in
women’s religious formation and determining aspects of religious community life. In leadership
it will reflect through less pyramidal and hierarchical, more circular and dialogical style of
leading.

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2. Stages of the Synodal Process

The opening celebration 2021: In the opening statement, Pope Francis quotes Pope Paul Vl.
“Communion, that is, cohesion and interior fullness, in grace, truth and collaboration. Mission,
that is, apostolic commitment to the world of today” (Pope Paul Vl, 1970).

The local/ national stage 2022 (where most of us in our own particular milieu participated or
led discussions. This is the stage where the conferences of religious and formation institutes
were asked to give their responses to synodal invitation. USG-UISG created a Synodal Synthesis
Commission of four persons (Frs. Jose Cristo Rey CMF, Orlando Torres SJ, Srs. Maria
Cimperman RSCJ, and Gemma Simmonds CJ) to collate the responses that came from the
conferences of religious men and women around the world. Congregations could take the
discussions with all the members, or in their provincial/ regional councils or in their general
councils. The four-member team studied the responses that came and prepared a synthesis of
the main ideas, topics, concerns and suggestions. This response was presented to the Vatican
Secretariat for the Synod as the contribution of USG- UISG towards the church’s synodal
journey. Through these voices, we hear the dream of “a global and synodal Church that lives
unity in diversity. God is preparing something new, and we must collaborate”.

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The synthesis was prepared under six perspectives. Stories of synodality, seeds of synodality,
weeds in the synodal process, fruit of discernment, consequences of synodality in RL and
concrete proposals.

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Stories: the success stories say how the synodal processes were applied to general/provincial
chapters and assemblies, reviewing of the constitutions and in formation programmes.

Seeds: include the presence of women in decision- making bodies of the church, involvement of
the laity in ecclesial life, congregations coming to completion which at the same time are seeds
for newness and freedom. New initiatives from the part of the church and religious
congregations, dialogue, shared mission, hospitality, new paths of solidarity and inclusion,
covid-19 and the subsequent rise in the use of social media to connect, to relate and to support.

Weeds: synodal process is not free of some weeds: lack of collaboration from some quarters,
and even doing nothing about this call from the church by those responsible for it. Attitudes
contrary to the synodal spirit, gender imbalance, clericalism, unwillingness to practice
synodality in religious institutes and clinging onto outdated structures and practices, to mention
a few.

Fruit of discernment: The Holy Spirit is revealed in synodality through closer relationships,
building bridges, inclusions, communion, unity, where all have a voice, all are heard, simple,
fraternal, pilgrim and welcoming. For consecrated life, the fruit of discernment shows itself by
enriching humanity through charisms and by walking together in the same direction. There is
now more dialogue within congregations, between cultures and between generations. What will
be the features of a synodal church? It will be a church that goes out, innovative church, in
collaborative discernment, less clerical and based on the common vocation of all the faithful
through baptism, circular not pyramidal, participating, witnessing, compassionate, inclusive, and
less self- referent. In summary, a conversion to the Holy Spirit, led by the Spirit, walking
alongside the Holy Spirit.
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What are the limits of synodality in real practical life? Can all decisions be made in a synodal
way? Is it workable? Can everything be discussed with everyone? Can all be included in
everything? What are the criteria for making decisions? Some even say that synodality is
actually reaching only the higher middle class and the upper class even among the clergy.

The continental stage in 2023 with 7 continental assemblies, is the most innovative aspect of
the synodal process and the most significant stage, in my opinion.

The universal stage with its two parts: the first sitting of the Synod in October 4-29, 2023 and
second sitting in October 2024.

The Synod proper will witness 70 non- bishop members- half of them women- will be able to
vote in the synod. The 70 non-bishop members will be chosen by the Pope from a list of 140
prepared by the 7 International Reunions of Bishops' Conferences and the Assembly of
Patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches (full members). Five women religious (UISG) and five
men religious (USG) chosen by their respective organizations will be full members with voting
rights. "the Church will be more complete, and it will be a joy to have her represented in her
entirety in Rome." Cardinal Mario Grech is the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.
Since we can find all this and more from the synodal website, I will not go any further on it. Let
us now see what is synodality.

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3. Communion - Participation – Mission
- Constituent Elements of Synodality

Preparing this presentation, what caught my attention is the three component terms under
synodality: communion, participation and mission. Why has the church used these words to
tease out the full meaning of Synodality? Precisely because these component words elaborate
the sense and depth of synodality, and without which the meaning of synodality could be largely
vague. Of the three, we will leave out the word “mission” for two reasons: one, because we are
talking about mission which is the central point, mission is the umbrella under which we place
communion and participation. Secondly, technically speaking the word mission has a different
connotation and sense from communion and participation. Mission is the playing field where
communion and participation play their role. Therefore, I will elaborate on the terms
communion and participation to highlight SSpS global mission.

3.1 Communion

It is difficult to define communion; so let us describe what the experience of communion feels
like. What is communion? What does communion mean for SSpS?

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Communion is feeling the pulse. It is the connection one feels with another which is often
invisible but deep. I remember a short flight within Indonesia some years ago from one
community to another. I was at the back of the plane and I saw a sister sitting a few rows ahead
of me. From behind she looked like a SSpS. I approached her and lo and behold, she was a
SSpS. She was a missionary in Mexico if I have not forgotten, and was returning home for
holidays.

We could not enter into a conversation for lack of language except for a few words. But I cannot
explain the difference it made to me for the rest of my journey. Suddenly I felt secure, relaxed,
joyful and really enjoying the flight. The feeling that in this totally strange place, there is another
ssps, made all the difference to me.

This is an experience of communion- the bond, the warmth, the connection I feel with another at
a deeper level from sharing same vision and charism. It is the inner current as it were. When
you look at the sea from the shore, sometimes you can see mountains popping up from the sea,
above the water. They look like separate distinct mountain peaks. But actually, they are
connected under the water. They are a series of mountains connected at the base. The distinction
and separation are only above the water and from a distance. Communion is something like that.
It is feeling connected. For this to happen, we have to get closer, to go deeper. From a distance
we are separate, distinct, not connected. Coming closer we feel affinity with the other.

To elaborate further this point, I like to narrate a children’s story of the Ash Tree.

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In a forest there were many types of trees. There were the tall and majestic oak and teak and
pine. There were also humble, common and ordinary trees like the ash tree. They are bushy trees
not so high and majestic like oak or pine. The pine and the oak used to make fun of the Ash
Tree. They said things like “look at the ash tree, they are really ugly, look at the way they
spread, they are everywhere. They are pretty useless, and they are so many. They destroy the
beauty of the forest”. Thus, they despised the ash tree.

One day a young farmer came to the forest. He wanted a handle for his axe. He got into
conversation with the trees and asked what wood might be a good handle material for his axe.
The pine and the oak said in one voice: “cut the ash tree, cut them, they are so many anyway.
They are everywhere, cut them. They are pretty useless otherwise”. So the farmer cut the ash
tree that was closest to the pine and the oak and went home. The next day he came to the forest
with his sharp axe with a new ash handle. He began to cut down all other trees, and as he
approached the oak and the pine, the oak said to the pine: “friend, I think we made a mistake.
We forgot that we are all trees at root. We did not realize that the death of one of us is the death
of all of us”. Now, transferring this to the congregational level, what does this story say about
communion? Dear Sisters, we are all human beings at root, and we are all ssps by call. The
diminishment of one of us is the diminishment of all of us. The increase and progress of the
congregation in any part of the world is the increase and progress of all of us in all other parts.
The decline and diminishment of the congregation in any part of the world is the decline and
diminishment of ssps everywhere. It challenges us to shed our parochial thinking. During the
Pandemic, we often heard this axiom: “none of us is safe until all of us are safe”. And we
experienced it ourselves how our lives were affected even if one was not infected with Covid -
19.

3.2 Participation
A second component of the synodal journey is participation: participation in the church’s
mission, in the congregational mission, and in the local mission. A couple of months ago I had a
short home visit. My youngest brother is actively involved in the parish, the manager as it were,
of the temporal good of the church and in the general running of the parish. I asked him if there
was any thing happening on synodality. He said: nothing. We never heard about it. When was
it? What was it about? Were we expected to do something? Some of you may be able to identify
yourself with similar situation in your places. This is just to illustrate to you how little the large
majority of the lay faithful are called to participate.

There is something that Pope Francis keeps repeating in his encyclicals in Amoris Laetitia (261),
Evangelii Gaudium (222), Laudato Si’ (178) and Lumen Fidei (57): And that is “ time is greater
than space”, “the whole is greater than the part”, and “reality is greater than ideas”. Initially
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reading this has left me confused and baffled. I did not understand it. But in the context of
synodal participation it makes sense. Time is process, fluid and in motion. Time is propelling us
to move ahead. Time refers to fullness. Space refers to limitation, possession and enclosure
grabbing for power and control in the present moment. Space, he says is about getting stuck
blocking processes. He asks to give priority to actions which generate new processes.

“The whole is greater than the part” (EG 234) is to say avoid narrowness and banality. The
“part” keeps us on the ground and grounded. We can and must work on a small scale in our
neighbourhood but it is the “whole” that gives us larger perspective. It is to be understood in the
context of globalization and localization. It points to people who think too much about their
circle of safe and comfortable friends and allies, and too little about the people around them,
who want to inhabit the big issues of the day without reference to the people who are around
them. It reinforces the principle of the common good in Catholic Social Teachings.

“Reality is greater than ideas” (EG 233): Jesus did not redeem us with ideas and statements but
by taking on human flesh and by pitching his tent among us. It means to give flesh to our dreams
and ideas by concretely performing acts of justice. He says “realities are there, ideas are worked
out”. The reality of vulnerability, struggle, doubt, and depression are there colossally. Now why
am I saying this? This principle has implications for SSpS mission. It is challenging us to sense
the times we are witnessing, to consider the whole reality of the congregation instead of the part

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that I am in, to nurture passion for mission not only in lofty ideals or prayers but also in
courageous and generous availability for the reality and needs of the congregation.

4. Tent: Hosting Communion and Participation

The theology of communion and participation are captured well in the biblical image of the
tent used in the working document for continental level in the section called Listening to the
Scriptures. Let us dwell a little longer on this symbolism. What is the symbolism of the tent and
why is it so significant for synodality?

Tent is a very powerful biblical imagery. The entrance to the tent is an important location
because that is all there is to a tent- the entrance is the most prominent and visible feature of a
tent. It is a place to go out and to come in, to receive people and to keep contact with the outside
world. It is at the entrance that we meet the outsider. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to the
tent and so, could meet the three visitors. The people of Israel came out and stood at the entrance
of their tents to meet Yahweh who spoke with them through cloud and fire. Together as the
people of God they moved. It is a symbol of communion. To be under the same tent is to be in
communion. It is a place of close familiarity, interaction and a community on the way, a people
on the move. The Church is a tent; expansive, but not homogeneous dwelling, capable of
sheltering all, but open, letting in and out (cf. Jn. 10:9), and moving toward embracing the
Father and all of humanity ( #27).

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Tent is a symbol of participation in that it is extendable to include others, to invite people to
enter and be part of. It is not a fixed structure, immovable or fortified, but is flexible. It can
afford to let people in because it is basically an open space, space brought inside, there is
nothing to guard fiercely in a tent and precisely for that reason it is a free space. All a tent needs
is some ropes, some clothes and some pegs. The pegs anchor the structure to the ground and
ensure its solidity, but remain capable of moving when the tent must be pitched elsewhere.

The synodal theology is best expressed through the imagery of the tent. Tent is a symbol of
mission because it proclaims the one who pitched his tent among us (Jn 1:14) who sent us out
and instructed us not to carry spare tunics, or haversacks or money, but to be on the way, not to
linger, not to be stagnant but to move on. It reminds us of the millions of refugees who live in
tents who are awaiting for inclusion and integration. Tent is an imagery of being in mission, on
a mission of being sent out and moving. The tent imagery can be applied to our congregation,
our provinces and us as individual SSpS. Global mission for SSpS means being available to the
call of the Spirit through the congregation. It calls us to enlarge our tents, to throw wide our tent
cloths, to make firm our pegs.

Our congregation is that tent: 134 years on the way with Jesus and being led by the Spirit.
Constantly asking us to enlarge our spaces to let the refugees and migrants, the marginalized and
the vulnerable to enter and participate. We move with other congregations, in our provinces and
regions our individual and collective journeys. Like the people of Israel who settled each
according to their tribes, our communities are also spread in 40 plus countries in an ever-
widening act of enlarging our spaces to include others, to respond to the realities of different
cultural, social and ecclesial milieu.

We are called to stretch out, therefore, but also to move. The tent structure is a metaphor that
expresses the need for discernment. It is under this condition that the members of the
Church/congregation, each and all together, will be able to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in
fulfilling the mission. “The Holy Spirit is pushing for the renewal of our strategies,
commitments, dedication and motivation so that we can walk together and reach those who are
farthest away by spreading the Word of God with enthusiasm and joy, by putting our talents,
gifts and skill to use, by accepting the new challenges and by producing cultural changes in the
light of the Gospel and the life of the Church” (from the EC of Venezuela).

Tent tells us that we have begun the journey but we are not yet there. The synodal journey has
begun but has still a long way to go. Tent a sign of hope in that it gives us the assurance ewe
will reach the destination.
Our provinces and regions are tents opening their entrances to the people around them.
Enlarging our tent is at the heart of fulfilling our mission. Communion must lead us to a
permanent state of
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mission: meeting and listening to each other, dialogue, reflection, discernment together are all
actions with positive effects in themselves, but they are not understandable if they are not
directed at pushing us to go beyond ourselves and our communities of reference in order to carry
out the mission.

Individually, each of us is a tent. Our global mission beckons us to open our hearts and minds.
Pope Benedict XVl when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger was once asked by an interviewer,
“How many ways are there to God?” he answered: “As many as there are people. For even
within the same faith each one’s way is an entirely personal one,” The individual’s faith journey,
and that each of us comes from a unique time and place, with a history that is not identical to
that of anyone else, makes this possible.

Part 2

5. SSPS Global Mission

We are living through very challenging times, but also very rich and eventful times especially in
our ecclesial life: the Synod, the Jubilee in 2025 under the theme Pilgrims of Hope, and within
this jubilee year there is the jubilee of consecrated life, jubilee of family, and jubilee of children.

Now being in UISG, and having encountered a variety of congregations, I come to realize even
more deeply, the uniqueness of our congregation. There are about 2000-member congregations
of UISG some very large congregations, some old and well established, some others are new,
young, small and struggling. There are about 470 + congregations coming to completion in
Europe and North America alone and there are congregations that are just sprouting now with
immense hope and expectation. There are congregations that are explicitly missionary and
international. Even in understanding mission, each is quite different. Some understand it as
having a centre somewhere or a community somewhere. I have heard comments like yes, we
have a mission in Tanzania. In this scenario, our congregation has a special role. It has amazed
many sisters about the way our congregation is functioning and engaging in mission. The very
word “mission” means “to be sent out”. So, whatever we may argue to the contrary, there is an
aspect of going out implicit in the word mission. This has been my experience that in UISG
often when they want to present a congregation to any group for its internationality, missionary
experience inter cultural communities, and even resources both personnel and material, they
invariably point to the SSpS.

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Whereas others look up to us for our dedication to the missionary vocation how passionate are
we, inside ourselves, about being sent out? We are a congregation in communion with one
another, we are highly conscious of the needs of the people around us and we do rise up to
respond to the needs; we do have well drafted guidelines for formation, leadership, finance and
communication.

Our congregation has long trodden the path of communal discernment which the synodal
document mentions several times as the lasting solution to the problem of exclusion. We are not
afraid to spread out our tent clothes so that more can enter and share in our life and mission. We
are generous, magnanimous in inviting other religious to our houses. In the specific nature of
our call, in the missionary thrust, in the understanding and availability for congregational
mission, in the way interculturality is understood and practiced (often ssps are the sole resource
persons), in the management and administration of temporal goods, in the organizational and
structural set up/style, in the well drafted manuals on formation, administration, finance,
communication. We have behind us well -established roots, traditions and years of lived history
in the diversity of our ministries.

5.1 In what ways are we like the others?

Our call is fundamentally the same. In our fundamental vocation through baptism to follow
Jesus we are all the same. ‘The fundamental charismatic structure of the church means that each
individual has his or her place in the community, a place that is determined by the individual’s
charism; it also means that each one co-constitutes the church. If the individual looses his or her
place or if that place is taken away, then the community is affected not only on moral level but
also at its core and even demoralized. It is in the depth or degree in which a congregation is
committed to a particular focus of that call and mission that one congregation is different from
another. In discipleship, in our vowed life, and in our service to the church we are like the
others.

The Spirit bestows charismatic and hierarchical gifts on the church. The spirit with which the
congregation lives on is called the charism of that religious congregation. The charism of the
founder is not purely personal endowment. It is rather some particularly striking manifestation
of the grace of Christ that it is so significant for the life of the church that it does not disappear
with death of the founder but as it were, creates for itself an external structure, a more or less
perfect expression of itself in visible, community form, a congenial environment in which it can
feel at home, survive, thrive and propagate itself. To be called by God to membership of that
body which is the religious congregation is to be invited by him to share in that charismatic
spirit, which has overflowed from the founder and which has found embodiment in the external
structures of the congregation. For us that charism is mission, not one aspect of mission, but
mission in its entirety. Often, I am asked what is the charism of your congregation? At times I

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have struggled to give a satisfying answer. To know what our charism is, to ask where our
energies and resources flow. But now I know for us SSpS it is our missionary availability that
characterises our congregation.

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5.2In what ways are we different?
To an outsider identical twins seem indistinguishable, but the mother knows who is who, she
will assure you that they are quite different in appearance and in personality. What distinguishes
one religious’ congregation from another is not so much the work that characterises the
congregation, but rather that spirit of the founder which gives a distinctive style to their
community life and their way of living the vows.

For example, there are congregations that have clear criteria where they will be living or
working. Joining such a congregation, one knows where she will be for the rest of her life. In
our case it could be anywhere. Synodality for us means being in communion with the
congregational mission, participating fully in its charism and mission each according to her
capacity, training and talent. I have often come across senior SSpS well into their fifties and
sixties who are now asking for at least some years of missionary experience outside their own
country. My own advice would be not to wait until we grow old to nurture this desire; when we
are younger it is easier, more enjoyable and effective to live the experience of being sent rather
than when we have already begun with body aches and tiredness. If we are afraid to take any
risks, what is the meaning of the prophetic call of our vocation? What does “prophetic” mean if
it excludes any risk- taking? You hear often expressions like mission is everywhere, you don’t
have to go out to be a missionary. Very true: but by the same argument that mission is
everywhere, I can be anywhere and not only in my country or province.

5.3Communion and Participation in SSpS Life and

Mission
An essential element of a synodal Church, one which still needs significant deepening and better
understanding, is the call to a more meaningful inter-cultural approach (#53). Diversity in unity
is a true vocation: diversity of approaches should be seen as the implementation of a model of
interculturality, where the different proposals complement and enrich each other, going beyond
that of multiculturality, which consists in the simple juxtaposition of cultures, closed within their
perimeters” (Contribution of the Pontifical Council for Culture) #55. Synodality is about the
formation of the heart- continuous and ongoing, with attention to interiority and conscience,
prayer and silence through active and meaningful liturgical and sacramental celebrations (#82).
Formation- not simply a matter of providing specific technical or methodological skills but
includes personal, spiritual, theological, social and practical dimensions.

Pope Francis at the audience in January 11, 2023 said: “Apostolic zeal is the very oxygen of
Christian life”. At times apostolic fervour to share the good news of the Gospel can diminish,
the Pope admitted, and when we lose sight of the "horizon of proclamation," our Christian life
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suffers,

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can become closed in on itself and wither. But keeping the missionary dimension alive provides
the "oxygen" for Christian life, invigorating and purifying it.

How does the notion of synodality permeate our practice of mission? Synodality does not
happen automatically. It takes strenuous efforts to build communion, to allow and experience
participation. The synodal journey is still incomplete; it has an already and not yet dimension.
What might help build communion within the congregation? It is important to be familiar with
the lives, history, constitutions and chapters, biographies and notable members and anecdotes,
feasts and prayers of the congregation. The 15th General Chapter Direction para 5 reads:
Impelled by the Spirit’s call to the Church for synodal journey, we review and expand our
collaboration, networking, and interconnectedness. We seek to cross multiple borders. We have
to take care not to institutionalize mission in coordinators and animators; it is more than
allocating roles and powers, it is sharing responsibility. We desire better formed, better
accompanied and less isolated SSpS. The loneliness and isolation that members may face in the
community or in the province is something we need to pay attention to ( #52). “If the conditions
are right, life is inevitable” (Ted Dunn). Synodality aims to cultivate the courage and the ability
to sit down and talk in a face-to- face conversation.

Are we doing enough to grow in consciousness of global mission? Do we engage in

conversations, share experiences, encourage each other or are we killer-joys, narrating “horror”
stories about our mission experience back home or upon retransfer? Are our conversations about
other peoples and other cultures uplifting, encouraging, informed and positive? Often, we can
fall into the trap of spending too much of our precious time and energy in remembering
nostalgically how nice and neat our past was. A sister told me they call it www (when we were).
In order to enter the synodal process with openness, we have to first abandon the complacent
attitude that says: “We have always done it this way”.

The synodal document mentions two main spiritual temptations facing the Church in responding
to diversity and the tensions it generates: first, the temptation to remain trapped in conflict, such
that our horizons shrink and we lose our sense of the whole, and fracture into sub-identities;
second to become spiritually detached and disinterested in the tensions involved, continuing to
go our own way without involving ourselves with those close to us on the journey (# 30). Do
we find similar temptations in our congregational journey? Legacies of sectarianism, tribalism,
ethno- nationalism – differently expressed and experienced in diverse places - share the same
characteristic threat: to narrow the Church’s expression of its catholicity. The new geography of
the presence of consecrated life in the church is drawing new cultural balances in the lives and
governments of the institutes. This should foster a new enthusiasm for the congregation. Do we
experience a similar threat in our understanding of mission? Are we narrowing it down to our
particular milieu only?

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5.4 Being Permanently in a State of Mission
In September 2022 Pope Francis said: we need a pastoral and missionary conversion. Mere
administration can no longer be enough. Let us be in a permanent state of mission. In Evangelii
Gaudium passion for mission is well illustrated. In it the real foundational theology of
synodality can also be found. Recalling the words of the late Pope Benedict, he said: apostolic
zeal "proclaims Jesus not by proselytism but by attraction, out of a joyful desire to share with
others the loving gaze of Jesus and the call to follow him as his disciples." For as Pope Benedict
16 taught us, “The Church does not engage in proselytism. Instead, she grows by ‘attraction’”.

This attractive and joyful witness is the goal to which Jesus leads us with His loving gaze and
with the outgoing movement that His Spirit raises up in our hearts”. Though mission demands
great generosity on our part, it would be wrong to see it as a heroic individual undertaking, for it
is first and foremost the Lord’s work, surpassing anything which we can see and understand
(#12). Only then with this realization that we will be able to maintain the spirit of joy, he says.
That God loved us first, that God gives growth” this is the cause of our joy. Our religious
missionary vocation is a blessing, a grace, a favour and is to be accepted and celebrated thus. It
is not to be lived with a long face as if to say “I am making this great sacrifice for God”. Look
how great I am, actually God should be grateful to me!

Pope Benedict XVI’s words takes us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not
the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which
gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”. This is the starting point for passion for
mission. “Communion and mission are profoundly interconnected”- being “permanently in a
state of mission” as Pope Francis would say.

New Wine in New Wineskins by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic Life (2017) states: It is not easy to go from simple administration of a
well- known situation to lead others to unknown destinations. It is important to move from
strategies of survival to launching processes otherwise called “communion of intent”. Managing
emergencies that are constantly emerging consumes a lot of energy and leaves little room for
engaging wholeheartedly in mission. Synodality is the new wine that must be allowed to be
received with joy and creativity into new wineskins- something new is happening. Is the new
wine of synodality being poured into new wineskins and the genuineness is preserved? Or are
we still with old wine skins? Geographical expansion of a congregation must be accompanied by
adequate revision of the styles, structures, mindset and cultural knowledge. In this context I am
very happy about the good preparations under way for the Congo Mission with months of
preparation and community building activities.

20
It is faithfulness in the Spirit that will guide us to find our place in the church at the service of
humanity. Synodality will demand of each of us co-responsibility for the common mission,
articulated as unity of mission in the plurality of ministries (#67). Each continent, because of its
common historical roots, its tendency towards socio-cultural commonality and the same
challenges for the mission of evangelisation, constitutes a privileged sphere for the sharing of
experiences, the exchange of gifts, and new pastoral options (#73).

In UISG we are everyday receiving complaints from women’s congregations on care and
safeguarding, on abuses, on tussles with authority, power and leadership. We have some
common projects one of which being care and safeguarding. Going through them I am
convinced that synodality is the only way ahead.

It is generally admitted that women’s congregations and religious communities are much more
engaging, dialoguing, meeting longer and more often, sharing, working harder, attending and
offering courses esp. in formation and leadership. But it has also come to our attention that
women’s communities and women religious in general are far more suffering, enduring abuses,
constrained and exploited than men religious in their own system. This is a baffling reality.
Why is this happening? I would like you to talk about this in your communities, if not now,
later.

Conclusion
About the Synod many people ask: is anything going to happen beyond the synod next year?
Will the synodal journey end with the preparatory experience? What concrete fruit will we see
from this Synod? The answer lies within each of us. There is no outside solution or answer
whether the synod will bear fruit. To this effect, I like to end my presentation with another story.
It is the story of the flower and fruit.

There is a collection of poems by R. Tagore, called The Fruit Gatherer. In this poem Tagore
narrates an imaginary conversation between a flower and a fruit in which the flower asks the
fruit: O fruit how far are you from me? The fruit replies; I am hidden within your heart, O
flower. Then the flower asks again: O fruit when will I see you? The fruit replies: if you are
waiting to see me, I have no chance.

21
Tagore concludes by saying the flower must die believing the fruit will emerge. The flower does
not see the fruit. In the act of dying, the flower gives way for the emerging fruit without seeing
it. The flower has to die first; only then the fruit will emerge. Often it is so in our lives as well.

What will happen with the synodal process? What changes will we see in our lifetime? We do
not know. What visible, tangible implications will synodality have on our congregation? we
cannot say, but we have to sow the seed, do our best and leave the rest to God. Although frank
in their diagnosis of the problem, the synodal reports are not hopeless. They are encouraging,
involving, leading and facilitating participation. The steps we take in this synodal journey as a
congregation will help us to rekindle the passion for mission and realize the joy of a life given
over to God in the SSpS way.

22
23
References

New Wine in New Wineskins: The Consecrated life and its Ongoing Challenges since Vatican
Council ll, Guidelines, Librereia Editrice Vaticana, 2017.

Enlarge the Space of Your Tent (Is 54:2): Working Document for the Continental Stage, General
Secretariat of the Synod, Vatican City, 2022.

Contributions from USG-UISG to Synodality, (draft) 2022

Instrumentum Laboris, (Working Document for the October 2023 Synod), June 2023.

Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, (Post Synodal Exhortation on Love in the Family), 2016.
Evangelii Gaudium, (Apostolic Exhortation on the Joy of the Gospel), 2013.
Laudato Si’ (Encyclical, on Care of our Common Home), 2015.
Lumen Fidei, (Encyclical, on the Light of Faith), 2013.
Papal Message during visit to Alexandria and Spoleto on Mission, September, 2022
Papal Audience, January 11, 2023.

Pope Benedict XVl: Papal Message during the apostolic visit to Aparecida- Brazil, 2007.
Spe Salvi, (Encyclical on Christian Hope), 2007.
Jesus of Nazareth: from the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, Trans.
Adrian J. Walker, Doubleday USA, 2006.
SSpS Constitutions
15th SSpS General Chapter Directions

Sr. Mary John SSpS

Webinar June 2023

24
Three years after the first announcement came from the Vatican that the Church was
about to embark on a multi-stage, multi-year, worldwide process of becoming “a more
synodal Church” – “synodal” being a term that few Catholics, even clergy, could
actually define at the time – we have reached a semi-culmination of the process.
October 29 was the final day of the 25-day-long 2023 Synod on Synodality, which was
preceded by diocesan, country-wide and continental preparatory gatherings beginning
in 2021. It is not really the end of the Synod, however, which is scheduled for a “part
two” in October 2024. What was accomplished at this year’s endlessly anticipated,
prepared, observed and commented-on Synod?
Practically speaking, it may take years to find out. On the other hand, a sketch of the
practical implications of synodality was already present in the 2021 “Preparatory
Document” written for the opening of the whole synodal process. It explained that
“structures and ecclesial processes” would need to be put in place at all levels of the
Church.
An example it cites are parish pastoral and financial councils; another is diocesanand
Church-wide events which involve the whole body of the faithful in “decisionmaking.”
The document says that “the advanced demands of modern consciousness concerning
the participation of every citizen in running society, call for a new and deeper
experience and presentation of the mystery of the Church as intrinsically synodal.”
This seems to suggest that the Church must somehow reflect the democratic model of
governing that 21st-century people are accustomed to (at least in the West: as
reported by the Pew Research Center, as of 2019, just over half of the world’s nations
were considered “democratic,” but most are in North and South America and Western
Europe).
(Concrete evidence that the influence of the West has been heavily weighted: nearly
half (30 of 62) of the Synod’s non-voting “experts/facilitators” come from Europe,
while only four come from all of Africa, despite the fact that the Catholic population on
that continent is nearly equivalent to Europe’s.)
So it is not entirely clear that this type of “synodal” governance is really in the “modern
consciousness” of all, or even the majority, of Catholics worldwide, nor is it clear how
this concept differs from that which Pope Francis dismissed as a “parliamentary”
model of the Church when he said in 2015 that a synod “is neither a convention, nor a
parlor, nor a parliament or senate.”
So what is it?
In his article in the Winter 2021 edition of the Catholic journal Communio, American
theologian Nicholas Healy of the John Paul II Institute set the stage for consideration of
the meaning and role of “synodality” in a definitive way.
Healy notes that “The contemporary emphasis on synodality can be traced to Pope
Paul VI’s decision in September of 1965 to reintroduce the practice of regular meetings
of bishops to address issues of concern for the universal Church.” 25
Healy explains that since Pope Paul VI decided to institute a regular Synod of Bishops
in 1965, “synodality” — a hitherto unknown term — has been understood in the
Church rather as “collegiality” between all the bishops and the Pope as they exercise
their shared responsibility for the universal Church in hierarchical communion.
“The new idea,” says Healy, “that has gained currency in recent years is that
‘synodality’ pertains to the essence of the Church and every aspect of the Church’s life
and mission. In the words of Pope Francis, ‘Synodality is a constitutive element of the
Church.’ The inauguration of a multiyear ‘synodal process’ involving the whole Church
and culminating in an Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the
theme of synodality in 2023 is the most visible expression of this “synodal
ecclesiology.”
Theological foundations
Pope Francis proposes synodality as the new operative mode of the Church. Are there
actually theological foundations for this doctrine?
Healy answers, “The first and most basic concern of synodal ecclesiology is an
awareness of the common dignity and vocation of all the members of the Church. By
virtue of the sacrament of baptism, all of the faithful participate in the priestly,
prophetic, and kingly offices of Christ.”
He continues, “Undergirding the participation and co-responsibility of all the faithful is
the doctrine of the sensus fidei fidelium.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 92, explains the sensus fidei thus:
“The whole body of the faithful, who have an anointing which comes from the holy one
(cf. 1 Jn 2:20,27), cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the
supernatural sense of the faith (sensus fidei) of the whole people of God, when ‘from
the bishops to the last of the faithful’ it manifests a universal consensus in matters of
faith and morals.”
“What is arguably missing,” comments Healy, “from the various documents on
synodality or the synodal process is an adequate reflection on the source and meaning
of hierarchical authority in the Church. […] “In this context, it is necessary to recall the
sacramental nature of ecclesial authority. Hierarchical ministry is not delegated or
authorized by members of the Church; it is a gift of grace.”
In contrast, the specific vocation of the laity is defined as of a “secular character.”
In the words of Lumen Gentium, the laity “are called by God so that they, led by the
spirit of the Gospel, might contribute to the sanctification of the world, as from within
like leaven, by fulfilling their own particular duties.”
“Looked at in this light,’ says Healy, “the synodal process, as described in the relevant
documents, seems liable to a subtle ‘clericalization’ of the laity, in the sense that their
contribution to the life and mission of the Church is measured by the extent of their
involvement with tasks that are specific to the hierarchical ministry of the Church.”
“The sacramental nature of ecclesial authority arguably suggests a path of reform
somewhat different from the idea of ‘promoting participation in decision-making’
proposed by the synodal process.
“True reform, then, demands a return to the life-giving source of authority, Christ 26
himself.
“This is more than a moral appeal for the Church’s hierarchical ministers to act like
servants.
 “A return to the source of authority entails faithfully preserving the priceless gift of
Christ which is the deposit of faith.”

religions
Article
Synodality and Its Implications for Catholic
Schools: An Exploratory Study of System Leaders in
Western Canadian Catholic Schools
Matt Hoven * , Eugenia Pagnotta-Kowalczyk and
Dean Sarnecki
St. Joseph’s College, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J5, Canada; pagnotta@ualberta.ca (E.P.-K.);
sarnecki@ualberta.ca (D.S.)
* Correspondence: hoven@ualberta.ca

Abstract: Pope Francis’s dream for a synodal Church has implications for Catholic schools globally,
but what exactly are these consequences? This paper explores Francis’s vision in the context of
Canadian Catholic schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories (NWT), where
these schools are fully-funded by the government and enroll nearly a quarter million students. Ten
exploratory interviews with chief superintendents from these schools—which formed the basis of a larger
study—were analyzed to understand potential connections to Francis’s vision and his four commitments
to synodality: focusing on relationships, a culture of encounter, the essentials of the Christian faith, and
local decision-making. The pope differentiates synodality from democratic forms of leadership and
demands a communal form of listening and discerning God’s Spirit. While the superintendents’ style of
leadership appeared to mirror synodality in many ways, predominant issues remain to be explored: an
emphasis on relationships upends the status quo and gives new directions for the schools; encountering
others will inevitably demand prophetic leadership by the system leaders; leading with the essentials of
faith will not please everyone in Catholic schooling; and shared authority among the superintendents,
bishops, and trustees requires further dialogue.

Citation: Hoven, Matt, Keywords: Catholic schools; leadership; system leaders; superintendents; synodality; Pope Francis;
Eugenia Pagnotta-Kowalczyk, dialogue; Canada
and Dean
Sarnecki. 2024. Synodality and Its
Implications for Catholic Schools: An
Exploratory Study of System Leaders
in Western Canadian Catholic Schools. Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed
Religions 15: 491. https://doi.org/ under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
10.3390/rel15040491 4.0/).

Academic Editors: Renée Köhler-Ryan

and Eamonn Conway

Received: 16 February 2024

Revised: 12 March 2024
Accepted: 9 April 2024
27
Published: 16 April 2024
1. Introducti synodality is “to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow
on hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together
The Vatican’s
relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a
General Secretariat
bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give
of the Synod (2024,
strength to our hands” (p. 3). Given this dynamic vision, we ask
p. 2) describes
specifically how Pope Francis’s dream for a synodal Church can impact
synodality as “the
Catholic schools? How might it spark renewal and change in Catholic
specific modus
schools and relationships both in and outside the Catholic community?
vivendi et
This study considers Francis’s synodal vision in light of the realities of
operandi of the
separate Catholic schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest
Church . . . when all
Territories (NWT) based upon exploratory interviews with Catholic school
her members journey
system leaders in these jurisdictions. Because synodality is about greater
together, gather in
“collaboration” and increased “synergy” within a faith-based framework
assembly and take
(O’Neill 2023, p. 98), we outline the relationship between Catholic schools
an active part in her
and the local church with an eye toward synodality. Next, we report how
evangelizing
system leaders—in this case, chief superintendents—understand the present
mission”. The
and future of public Catholic schooling in Western Canada and how this
purpose of
compares and contrasts with the major

Religions 2024, 15, 491. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040491 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions

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Religions 2024, 2 of 55
15, 491

themes of synodality. We conclude with considerations for Catholic

schools and describe how synodality can potentially renew the mission
of the schools.
1.1. Synodality: Four Commitments
To make the connection between synodality and Catholic schools, we
must succinctly capture Pope Francis’s vision of synodality. To do so, we
turn to the work of Richard Gaillardetz, an American theologian of
Catholic ecclesiology at Boston College. Although one of many
important theologians writing on the topic of synodality, his 2023 article,
“Synodality and the Francis Pontificate”, is particularly helpful. In it, he
argues that Pope Francis makes four commitments to synodality that
advances the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (2023, p. 46). This
four-fold framework of commitments—that is, Francis’s pledge to the spirit
and teaching of the Council as a way of renewal—provides a structure for
our effort to establish how synodality may impact Catholic education.
The first commitment to a synodal church, as stated by Gaillardetz
(2023, p. 46), “requires transformed ecclesial relationships”, where
priority is placed on baptism as the source of vocation and Christian
identity. Instead of prioritizing a clerical Church, where lay people step
aside for priestly leaders, Francis emphasizes Vatican II’s universal call
to holiness. For instance, Francis has instituted new ministries,
including the catechist, as a means to broaden the roles and decision-
making in the Church. Those who serve in public ministry for the
Church are thus called to listen to and serve all of God’s people.
Theologian James Keenan (2023, p. 128) adds that the Church must
also recognize the danger of hierarchicalism and thus he challenges
leaders to promote their work as a noble service to bring about “an
ethics of vulnerability”. Critics fear that Francis’s shift toward
transforming relationships—where he has highlighted the importance of
listening to everyone—potentially downplays the theological nature of the
Church (Briola 2023, p. 4). Nonetheless, a focus on transformed
relationships in the Church makes room for trust in the sensus fidei of
the people, where the pontiff underlines the pilgrim journey of God’s
People (Ruddy 2023, p. 222).
Second, the pope is committed to a Church that moves outward and
into the world. This missionary dimension, states Gaillardetz (2023, pp.
49–50), includes a more welcoming church and one that engages the world
through Francis’s notion of a “culture of encounter”. Francis explains this
term: “To speak of a ‘culture of encounter’ means we, as a people, should
be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building
bridges, planning a project that includes everyone” (Pope Francis 2020, p.2
216). God’s mercy is personally encountered in one’s neighborhood, where
friendship is nurtured and assistance is offered to those whom God puts in
their lives. A culture of contact is favored over avoid- ance or isolation. In
other words, Francis promotes a disposition of humility, generosity, and
patience toward those who think and live differently in the pursuit of
Religions 2024, 3 of 55
15, 491
unity.
Rather than understanding the Church as an abstraction, the pope
believes that people become their complete selves through communal life.
This vision counters the influences of consumerism, the technological
paradigm, xenophobia, and neoliberal global capitalism and its throw-away
culture (Gaillardetz 2023, p. 51). In contrast to these forces, Francis’s
promotion of Catholic social teaching acts as a counterpoint, providing an
effective resource “to restore the frayed social trust in society today”, as
explained by Keenan (2023, p. 130). Francis wants the Church to go
outward, proclaim its message, and accompany others on their journey,
according to theologian Christopher Ruddy (2023). Critics press that a
change of ecclesial style and a listening ear is not enough in the face of
large social issues (Faggioli 2020b, p. 100) and yet encouraging a mindset
that moves Catholic leadership outside the parish walls is an important step
toward a mission-driven identity.
Third, Gaillardetz argues that Francis’s commitment to a synodal
church focuses on the essentials of the Christian faith. Instead of a
Church preoccupied with “propositional certitude”, Francis wants
preaching directed toward the core of the Christian faith where
doctrines lead people into a relationship with Christ (Gaillardetz 2023,
p. 53). Francis’s approach focuses on the kerygma as the early Church’s
initial proclamation of faith, which

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Religions 2024, 4 of 55
15, 491

can run counter to religious education programs largely based on

dogmatic theology. This approach is more understandable for a broader
audience, especially the poor and marginalized, and less aimed at the
educated elites (pp. 53–54). Francis, much like his namesake from
Assisi, emphasizes the Gospel message in contrast to a keen interest on
rule enforcement over doctrinal and moral issues (p. 55). Critics warn
that Francis’s commitment to a synodal experience could act as a cover
for doctrinal change (Ruddy 2023, pp. 225 and 231). However, the
Holy Father has argued for an encultured Christian message so that the
gospel can be respected and understood in different (and in more)
contexts (Faggioli 2020b, p. 94).
Francis’s fourth commitment to synodality is based on “the
authentic exercise of authority . . . guided by the principle of
subsidiarity” (Gaillardetz 2023, p. 57). Subsidiar- ity encourages local
decision-making and is based on the centrality of baptism for the
Christian vocation instead of an ecclesiology focused on ministerial
ordination. Thus, fulfillment of the Church’s mission is not only the
concern of the clergy and the Vatican, but also for lay people and the
local church (p. 58). Critics argue, Gaillardetz (p. 58) adds, that the
move to decentralize runs the risk of downplaying the spiritual identity
of the Church (see also Ruddy 2023, pp. 213–14), as if it is only a
sociological reality or one in need of democratization. Francis himself
has spoken out against the synod becoming a “parliament”, arguing
that the Spirit must be at work among and within participants (Faggioli
2020b, p. 96). Without this spirit-led dimension, Francis explains, a
synod can fall prey to the “dictatorship of functionalism”: creating a
system that follows reasoned advice and teachings but forgets that
Christianity is first an announcement (Faggioli 2020b, pp. 97–98).
Supporters of Francis, like author Gerry O’Neill (2023, p. 98), claim that
making the Church more collaborative and less clericalized will increase
engagement and improve the psychological safety of Catholics working
and ministering in the Church.
1.2. Context: Western Canadian Separate Catholic Schools
Pope Francis’s four commitments to synodality mark a change in style
for the Church and potentially will influence current and future leaders
within Catholic schools. In particular, we wonder about the impact of
synodality upon Catholic schools in Western Canada. It is first helpful to
explain our context. At the birth of the nation, constitutionally- protected,
denominational schooling rights were included in the British North
America Act of 1867. In regions where Catholic schools had the right to
establish separate schools, like Alberta, Saskatchewan and the NWT, the 4
religious minority (usually Catholics) were able to form school divisions in
the same district as a public school (usually Protestant). Those first
Catholic separate schools established in the late nineteenth century
provided an education that supported the beliefs and values of parents
and their local Church.
Religions 2024, 5 of 55
15, 491
Because Catholic schools globally follow a number of governance
models dependent upon context—for instance, the variety of frameworks
used in the United States (Sheehan 1997, p. 130)—it is imperative to
understand our Western Canadian situation to conceive how synodality
might impact our schools. The schools today maintain many structural
similarities to local public schools, which are no longer Protestant but
primarily areligious or secular. Catholic schools in Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and the NWT are fully-funded by their provincial or
territorial governments and adhere to the government-mandated
curriculum, school inspections, teacher certification, and participation in
joint public– Catholic associations (i.e., for teachers, superintendents, and
school board trustees). Thus, although “separate” in name, many of the
overarching structures are shared with their public school counterparts.
Catholic schooling in Western Canada also contains many
distinguishing features. The locally-elected Catholic school board trustees
provide oversight for the schools’ long-term success. They are
accountable to the electorate—as per provincial law—and accept the
local bishop as the leader of Catholic education—as stated in Canon
Law (Canon Law Society 1983, canon 803). The schools welcome both
Catholic and non-Catholic families. This hospitality is actually
demanded of the schools from both the State and the Church.

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Religions 2024, 6 of 55
15, 491

For example, in Alberta, as stated in the provincial Education Act

(Province of Alberta 2012, sec. 10(4)), parents have a choice on where
their child attends school, whereas Canon Law underlines the importance
of a religious and moral education in accord with the conscience of parents
(Canon Law Society 1983, canon 799). School boundaries do not generally
follow local parish boundaries, which can complicate intra-church
relationships. A particularly complex situation is the question of
ownership of the land that the schools sit on: the Church has no
ownership of the land, yet the school’s board of trustees is responsible
to care for the property and to respect the authority of the bishop.
Overall, this Catholic schooling system in Western Canada contains its
own distinctive governance model, which includes elected, appointed,
employed, and state partners.
The schools are authentically Catholic In several ways. They teach
religion classes which at the high school level are accredited toward
graduation. The schools celebrate Masses and other liturgies—where
primarily ordained ministers from local parishes preside—and advocate
for the reception of sacraments among the student body. The districts
promote the schools as a faith-based option that permeate the
curriculum with the Christian faith. They can preferentially hire
Catholic candidates given their denom- inational schooling rights
(Feehan 2008). The uniqueness of this faith-based option for schooling
is reliant upon their capacity to distinguish themselves from public
schools. Local bishops endorse the schools as “Catholic”, as stipulated
in Canon Law (Canon Law Society 1983, canon 803), provide an
advisory voice in their governance, and approve the religious education
programming. Catholic school superintendents and trustees also belong
to special Catholic associations that advocate and support publicly-funded
separate schooling. All in all, this religious schooling system serves over
one quarter of the preK–12 student population, amounting to over
230,000 students in over 600 schools (ACSTA n.d.; Fortosky 2023).
These separate Catholic schools have one foot in the public square
and the other in the parish courtyard. Much of what they do is
mandated by government regulation, while they maintain commitments
to the local Church and the Catholic tradition. This two-pronged mission
has brought about a thriving faith-based option that grows at a faster or
equal rate to local public schools (Fletcher 2018). It maintains
government standards and offers a faith-based option that appeals to
many families. The mixed sources of support—from the common purse
and the Catholic tradition—means that changes brought about by
synodality may very well look different from those felt in parishes and
6
other ecclesial agencies. To this end, our paper follows the four-fold
synodal commitment framework as articulated by Gaillardetz: we
determine how and where system leaders practiced synodality in their
leadership, and speculate how a synodal approach can assist in
strengthening Catholic schools.
Religions 2024, 7 of 55
15, 491

2. Materials and Methods

This article draws from research completed for a larger study
describing the challenges and opportunities that face Catholic schools in
Western Canada according to chief school superintendents (Hoven et
al., forthcoming). Insight from educational leaders provides an
opportunity to examine division structures and programs in Catholic
schools from a privileged vantagepoint. Chief superintendents are the
CEOs of school districts, which can enroll hundreds, thousands, or tens
of thousands of children dependent on the population and geographical
size of the school district.1 Chief superintendents are hired solely by the
school board trustees, must follow the direction of the Minister of
Education and the School Act, and consult with local bishops.
Providing oversight of a school district’s educational plans, engaging the
parent community, and listening to special interest groups, they have an
incredibly complex position that is politically-demanding and time-
consuming (Parsons and Brandon 2017, p. 1). Our study included ten
superintendents, all baptized Catholics, who demonstrated an ability to
maneuver in both educational and ecclesial circles. They all had taken
graduate studies, had previously been classroom teachers and

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Religions 2024, 8 of 55
15, 491

school administrators, and were now system leaders who were middle-
aged or nearing retirement age.
This article takes data from the above exploratory study, which
focused on a small group of top experts in their field, and mirrors the
approach of other exploratory studies (e.g., Cook et al. 2022; Sipper
and Batra 2022; Stebbins 2011). The superintendents have specialized
knowledge about, and much responsibility for, Catholic schools. It is
valuable to understand their high-level perspectives on Catholic
schooling. The lead researcher spoke at a meeting of superintendents,
where many volunteered to participate. As the researcher traveled
throughout the region to complete the interviews, the participants
encouraged others to also be interviewed. A list of fifteen questions
were shared with the participants prior to the interview, as the interview
itself was semi-structured. The interviews lasted from 50 to 90 minutes.
One participant emailed their responses instead of being interviewed. The
recordings were sent to a professional transcriber.
The transcripts were reviewed for accuracy by the researcher and each
participant, and then underwent a thematic analysis to identify and
interpret patterns across the data set (Braun et al. 2017, pp. 12–13).
Larger themes revealed clusters of meaning, which included the theme of
synodality. That theme became this paper. Because we engaged ten
people out of a pool of thirty chief superintendents in this region, we
vigilantly seek to protect their anonymity and cannot describe the
background connected to any pseudonymized leader. Finally, the study
received ethical approval from the primary investigator’s home
university’s research ethics board.

3. Results
In what seemed to resemble a spirit of synodality, chief
superintendents showed a commitment toward building communities of
strong relationships, an interest toward participation in ecclesial
activities, and a desire to foster the faith-based mission of their schools.
While the theme of synodality was not explicitly asked about nor
discussed in the interviews, the study occurred in the midst of the synod
diocesan phase of which some superintendents were directly involved.
This engagement may have influenced their familiarity with a synodal
approach. Furthermore, synodality was modeled personally by Pope
Francis during his papal visit to Canada in July 2022. With the chosen
theme of “walking together”, the pontiff listened to stories and sought
forgiveness from Indigenous Peoples for the Church’s role in
government-financed Indigenous residential schools. He exemplified 8
“encounter” and “dialogue”, hallmarks of synodality. Synodality in
many ways appears to mark the leadership styles of these superintendents,
but subtle differences and a lack of clarity remain. In this section, we
present the interview results within Francis’s four commitments to
synodality as described previously by Gaillardetz.
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3.1. Reshaping Relationships
A synodal church “requires transformed ecclesial relationships”,
according to Gaillardetz (2023, p. 46), where ecclesial leaders prioritize
baptism as the source of vocation, the universal call to holiness for all
people, and listening and service to others as a central criterion for
leadership. The importance and primacy of relationships was clearly a
priority for every superintendent. Lillian described the importance of a
leader knowing her schools’ staff members, where she could walk into any
school and people would “call me by name”. She also spoke about the staff
and students of her school district as family: “our school division is very
close knit and very much a family. . . one of the highest qualities of
Catholic schools is their sense of community”. She explained that it was
through conversations with other educators that relationships deepened and
a common language of faith bound people together. The faith identity of
the schools created a connection that galvanized and united the community.
Clare spoke about building trust as a foundation for positive
relationships. She joined a school district in crisis where “trust was
depleted in this division. . .I knew I had to build trust. . .I really became
vulnerable. . .my pivotal piece of turning the division around was

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communication, and in that communication, they saw that I was a

woman of faith”. Clare was open and vulnerable to others, witnessing
to her own story of faith where “people started to attach to my story”.
Clare worked to dismantle the top-down structure in her school district
and replace it with a collaborative environment that tries to build a
“true sense of community”.
Ben shared the importance of having “teachers teaching teachers”.
Teachers are given the opportunity to share their life stories as
evangelization and as a means of creating unity and connection. Ben
added how acts of faith build community. Once after a school’s
morning prayer, students were asked to share a sign of peace. As
students on a break greeted each other, a guest walked into the school:
“These young men and women start going up to him saying, ‘Peace be
with you.’ I can’t imagine what that guy felt as he walked out of that
school. He must have thought, ‘That was the nicest school I’ve ever
seen’”. Ben attributed these moments of relational encounter to “blessings,
peace, and . . . having more joyful faith rituals”. Prayer and rituals
strengthened relational bonds opening space for a culture of encounter.
Catherine agreed that conversations about faith cultivated stronger
relationships but explained that this bond can be challenged by students
asking hard spiritual questions of teachers. A polarized society, or
inexperienced teachers unable to adequately respond to these queries,
creates tensions. Steve also explained how life-giving conversations lay
the foundation for building a strong sense of community, and stated
that this was important for welcoming all students: “God wouldn’t want
to close any doors. . .so we embrace those families and help them learn
about our Catholic faith”. Barbara added that cultivating genuine
relationships comes from knowing each other, where there is “fun,
collegiality, and sometimes some good-natured teasing and joking”.
Superintendents overall endorsed strong relationships nurtured by
belief in a transcen- dent God, who could create bonds of friendship and
understanding through vulnerability and faithfulness.
3.2. A Missionary Church
For Francis, a missionary Church is one that moves outward and
into a broken world. In this approach, schools have multiple points of
connection to the Church and are also inter- woven with the secular
education world. Many superintendents noted that the pandemic created
spaces where a culture of encounter was not only needed but became
intentionally engaged. For example, Frank shared how COVID-19
lockdowns and the slow move back to normalcy meant that school
leadership and educational partners tried to understand a deeper sense10 of
illness and dis-ease. They worked with staff “accompanying mental health
and wellness” issues, including a painful grieving process over what
had been lost. It required a lot of support from the school district. In
light of this drive to encounter each other and overcome isolation, Frank
felt inspired by the papal visit’s theme of walking together: “we made it
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our own with the whole idea of accompaniment”. Underlining the
theme of accompaniment, Frank hoped everyone could be more
supportive of each other. Ross underlined the challenges of
participating in a culture of encounter. While his district provides
opportunities to encounter Christ through worship and teacher faith
formation, his school district “has staff of all faiths working in our
schools”. All staff, including non-Catholics, are contractually obligated to
participate in school faith formation and take what they can out of the
experiences. Despite the schools having the right to fully permeate
curriculum with Catholic teachings and speak about faith in Jesus
Christ, he insisted that, “our references to our distinct nature are
fragmented”. There is a real challenge to communicate faith in today’s
world: “The better we are at articulating how we are different and
demonstrating that, the better chance we have of maintaining our
viability”. Murray agreed with this perspective and called for a cultural
change at the system level in schools. He explained: “We came from a
culture where superintendents sat in their office and then occasionally
talked to principals, who sat in their offices. We need to build a culture
where superintendents are in the classroom, where the central office is in

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the classroom”. Engaging teachers and parents in formal school reviews—

i.e., school-wide assessments of their Catholic identity—enabled voices
outside of leadership and helped to build a culture of understanding. One
teacher stated that participating in a school review “was the first time in
my 25 years of teaching that somebody from the central office asked
my opinion”.
Instead of circling the wagons, many superintendents explained the
importance of having conversations and truthfully naming differences
of opinion. Sam explained how a visit to his schools revealed a global
student body. This variety was also evident in social values, where
“media concerns about the treatment of LGBTQ community members. .
.can pit church teaching versus mainstream society. They don’t fit
together perfectly. . .it’s a major issue”. Despite trying to find points of
convergence, Sam recognized the reality of seemingly unresolvable
issues. Others noted encountering politically conservative Catholics
who were critical about vaccine mandates and weaker sexual mores.
Nevertheless, Sam found solace in trying “to think of Pope Francis and
his culture of encounter”.
The superintendents endorsed Catholic schools as welcoming
places. They sought to encounter and listen to others, seeking to
improve the lives of students and staff. They could also feel cultural
tensions over politically-charged issues of the day. It was not easy.
3.3. Focus on the Essentials of the Christian Faith
Francis wants a synodal church to focus on the essentials of the
Christian faith rather than on doctrinal or moral certitude. He seeks an
accessible message for all people: one directed at the marginalized
rather than focused on educated elites. The superintendents felt the
pressures between these different approaches as exemplified in faith
formation. Some, like Clare, argued that teacher faith formation could be
overly complicated and staff members wanted a less technical
examination of faith and sought a practical application of it. Others,
like Ross, recognized that students could ask some difficult questions of
a theological nature and oftentimes religion teachers could not handle
these well. To be sure, superintendents supported the teaching of
religion and their school districts’ faith formation programs. Some
hoped that there would be an evolution of an understanding of church
teaching; others admitted that on some moral issues they could not
simply meet in the middle between the Church and mainstream social
views. No one was endorsing watering down the Catholic faith, but
many were concerned about how well the faith was being passed on to
young people, especially when familial connections to the parishes were 12
usually weak—as stated by Sam, for instance.
A major challenge to Francis’s kerygmatic inspiration in the schools
is that some superintendents wondered about the motives of teachers:
some teachers appear to be Catholic only in name. Sam pointed to the
lack of authenticity of some Catholic educators. He explained, “If I’m
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going to have a teacher go into a Catholic school and . . . celebrate
being Catholic, they gotta work that through their internal life. Because
without that, I think it starts to be . . . pretending”. Many wondered how
the Catholic faith would be passed on in situations like this. If there is
not an authentic witness to the faith, students begin to believe that the
catholicity piece is simply an add-on. Ross explained how his schools
try to “make our school communities places permeated by the Gospel
spirit of freedom and love” while being “welcoming of all faiths”. This
dual-pronged approach can water down the essentials of faith if not
done well.
Murray shared a way of making faith more practical. He asked staff
and individual teachers to set goals and review how faith was being
actualized in their schools and classrooms. He asked, “what are you
doing in your faith life to grow yourself forward?” He explained the
“essentials of the faith as answers to the following questions, ‘Is faith
being integrated in every classroom? Do you have a prayer table?
What’s the average prayer life of a student who goes to our school, and
what’s your engagement in social justice activities?’” He explained that
the benefit of a Catholic school over a public school is that the faith-
based school can examine the purpose behind everything: “we have a
more holistic education. . .something that burns at the heart of [our
teaching], a lens by which we

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see the world.” He wondered how this distinction could be more front and
center, which in its own way reflects the pontiff’s concern.
Francis advocates for a kerygmatic approach to religious education
broadly speaking, but there appears to be no single answer among
superintendents. Yes, improved religious knowledge and practice are
necessary, but the contexts and needs vary to such a degree that there
seems no simple way forward.
3.4. Attentive to Local Decision-Making
According to Gaillardetz (2023), Francis’s vision of synodality tries to
be more attentive to local decision-making as inspired by the principle of
subsidiarity. An authentic exercise of authority includes input from lay
people and the local church, plus maintaining respect for the authority
of the ecclesial officials. Authentic authority, furthermore, is more than
merely democratic reforms or bureaucratic refinements. How ought
Catholic schools demonstrate this difficult balance among layers of
authority?
The superintendents acknowledged the authority of the local bishop
within Catholic schooling. He is the standard bearer for the mission of the
schools. Many superintendents spoke about a positive relationship with
their local bishops, including their personal admiration for their example
and leadership. Others were not as positive about their relationship or did
not have much to say about it. One generalized that bishops work
predominantly within ecclesial circles and local churches, whereas
superintendents wade deeper into the waters of regular life. Their complex
role includes engagement with the bishop, but also with others: they are
hired by a board of trustees, must meet the demands of the School Act and
the direction of the Minister of Education, and be attentive to the needs of
students, parents, and other groups. Superintendents described functioning
inside a bureaucratic reality that contains different kinds of authority.
These tensions were captured well in an example from Murray. He
explained how his district—like the others—asks for a priest reference
letter when the teacher is hired and also a few years later before they are
offered a continuous teaching contract. The authority of the Church
exists in tension with, or in addition to, the prevailing secular values and
professional teaching requirements. Murray explained how he strives to
“find a way through that can both be authentic to Catholic teaching and
work with the worldly authorities”. The authority of the Church,
through the role of the Bishop and the parish priest, are necessary for
the Catholic school to thrive, as stated by this superintendent. He
explained a situation where the parish priest wanted “to know how
you’re gonna be handling this [Gay-Straight Alliance] group that is 14
going to be trying to form in your high school. If I don’t like your
answers, I won’t be able to support the schools”. His rigid approach left
little room for subsidiarity. Murray asked if this particular priest knew
about the pastoral guidelines on gender and sexuality that the
superintendents worked on in consultation with the bishops. The priest
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eventually read the guidelines and continued his support of the schools.
Working together on the policy was functionally beneficial and
spiritually unifying, even if the priest was using a strong-arm approach.
Often the superintendents noted how society generally shows little
respect for the authority of the Church and its bishops. For example,
many superintendents noted low churchgoing rates among students and
teachers. Frank wondered how this would affect the long-term
projections for enrollment in Catholic schools. Sam added that the lack
of parish involvement by families depletes the mission of the schools. It
would seem that the broader social influence of the bishops is
shrinking.
The complex social roles of superintendents appeared to succeed most
with a listening, dialogical stance toward the educational community.
Francis’s call for greater attentiveness to the principle of subsidiarity gives
support to the leadership style of the superintendents, while obedience to
episcopal authority was sometimes less than wholehearted.

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4. Discussion
Throughout the interviews, moments of vulnerability, fear,
commitment, helplessness, and empowerment were expressed within the
research relationship. Superintendents shared both personal and
professional experiences in what could be described as a sense of
synodality. It might not have been named as such, but in many ways, it
mirrored the type of dialogue Pope Francis endorses, “The culture of
care becomes the compass at local and international level to form people
dedicated to patient listening, constructive dialogue and mutual
understanding” (Gaillardetz 2023, p. 53). The pontiff remains dedicated
to a collaborative, synergistic form of leadership that is uniquely
Christian and inclusive. We divide this section also into the four
synodal commitments outlined above and seek to understand possible
implications for Catholic schooling.
4.1. A Re-Examination of Relationships Leads to Change
Pope Francis’s call to synodality asks leaders to re-examine and
reshape relationships inside the Church. Catholic schools in Western
Canada are heavily influenced by policies attached to government
regulations and professional associations for educators and trustees.
Catholic educators are part of a broader publicly funded schooling
system model. In these large bureaucratic systems, cultivating effective
relationships is necessary in the face of the temptation to follow a
technological mindset or fashionable ideologies (Alberta Education 2023,
p. 3; Congregation for Catholic Education 1997, paras. 1 and 10). In
Francis’s 2019 address to the German bishops, he adds that the danger of
“a new ideological colonization” is that of the “dictatorship of
functionalism” (Faggioli 2020b, p. 98). When policies and procedures
direct decision-making processes, a synodal approach counters by
asking for deep listening to others and attentiveness to the Spirit.
Instead of blindly seeking greater efficiencies, smoother transactions,
and improved networks, a Gospel-inspired school leadership must seek
deeper truths through repentance, openness, and a willingness to
respond. Interviewed superintendents believed that their vulnerability
and faithfulness forged communal bonds.
All superintendents spoke about the importance of fostering
relationships. This emphasis surely reflects their experiences as leaders
and their academic studies and profes- sional pedagogies. Many
expressed how relations were formative in creating an excellent
educational environment for students and their families. This relational
perspective under- lined an inclusivist approach, where all students were
16
welcome in their schools. Schools must offer an individual “a positive
experience of social and fraternal relationships”, ac- cording to the
Congregation for Catholic Education (2022, para. 19), “as a precondition
for becoming a person capable of building a society based on justice
and solidarity”.
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Through the building of relationships, Francis reminds us that at times
God’s Spirit seems adversarial: there are moments when “the Holy Spirit
kicks the table, throws it, and starts over” (Faggioli 2020b, p. 98). A
synodal church must understand that disruption to the status quo
requires careful examination. The pope explains that a tepid response is
not enough: “. . . we run the risk of starting from ourselves and from
the anxiety of self-justification and self-preservation that will lead us to
make changes and adjustments, but halfway” (Faggioli 2020b, p. 97).
Renewal of relations is necessary for a real response to the issues faced.
With whatever problem in the education sector, a process of deep listening
among administrators, trustees, and bishops is vital as a future guide for
how we educate children.
The danger here lies in system leaders who might see nothing new in
synodality, as if to say, “we already do that”. However, as the synod
document Instrumentum Laboris explains, these relationships need
to be built upon the method of dialogue called a “conversation in the
Spirit”. This is a potential model for co-responsible decision-making
amongst Catholic educators. The document describes conversation in
the Spirit “as a shared prayer with a view to communal discernment for
which participants prepare themselves by personal reflection and
meditation. They give each other the gift of a meditated word nourished
by prayer, not an opinion improvised on the spot” (Synod of Bishops
2023, para. 37).

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Superintendents clearly expressed their commitment to building

positive relationships, and that relationships nurtured faith development.
It becomes quite evident that spiritual conversations could prove to be
the most meaningful approach, given the complexity of decision-
making they are often faced with. Relationships, rooted in the model of
spiritual conversations, serve as a means to “sincere and respectful
encounter between brothers and sisters in the faith: to meet each other is to
encounter the Lord who is in our midst” (Synod of Bishops 2023, para. 6).
It is the responsibility of the superintendent to nurture positive
relationships and to lead teaching staff in the articulation of mission
and vision statements (Rymarz 2017, p. 17). It is also their responsibility
to ensure these statements are the lifeblood of the school and have the
backing of the bishop. Leadership formation, furthermore, requires
formal study, reflective practice, and social interaction, which further
roots the schools in the Catholic education tradition (Neidhart and Lamb
2016, p. 61). A relational emphasis offers employees a high level of
engagement and greater workplace safety (O’Neill 2023, p. 98). Pope
Francis insists that a renewed commitment to relationships is a pillar of
synodality.
4.2. Building a Culture of Encounter Includes a Prophetic Voice
A major theme of Francis’s papacy has been to create a “culture of
encounter,” where the Church moves outward and scrutinizes the “signs of
the times” (Gaillardetz 2023, p. 49). Francis often speaks out against the
many ills of our age: consumerism and the throwaway culture, the
technological paradigm, xenophobia, and neoliberal global capitalism
(p. 51). He believes that a culture of encounter can overcome cultural
assimilation or social isolation. For Catholic school leaders who act as
faith leaders, this means creating a unique faith- based identity through
conversations with others. According to Johnson (2009, p. 270),
“people construct identities through their talk and interactions with others”.
Leaders must seek creative ways to express the schools’ distinct and unique
character. In a post-Christian society this effort cannot be about building
walls and declaring that the schools are different. It requires upholding a
religious tradition and reading the signs of the times, which includes
cultivating communities of deep-rooted inclusion.
The creation of a culture of encounter demands a prophetic vision.
Francis states, “we cannot create a culture of dialogue if we do not have
identity” (Congregation for Catholic Education 2022, para. 2). Practically
speaking, pointed questions must be asked: Does the superintendent have a
complex understanding of their schools’ Catholic identity? Are they able to
articulate their Catholic identity to both insiders and outsiders? Is this 18
statement of identity more than a branding experiment? How can faith
formation opportunities be informed by a culture of encounter? Will
suitable financial resources be allocated? Unless leaders can articulate a
complex, authentically Catholic identity within a pluralistic society
(Congregation for Catholic Education 2013), the schools will become a
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diluted entity in the midst of varying interests and educational choices.
Educational philosopher John Sullivan (2001, pp. 27–28) promotes the full
embrace of the Catholic schools as both distinctive and inclusive. Holding
two apparently conflicting imperatives requires a culture of encounter: “. .
. the mission of the Church is to transmit something distinctive, a divinely
sanctioned message for life. . .on the other hand, an equally important
imperative for Catholicism to be fully inclusive, to be open to all types
of people. . .the gospel to be offered is not only to be addressed to all
people. . .it is. . .for all people”. This complex, relational model requires
leadership that seeks to prophetically encounter the world and meet the
needs of God’s people.
Because the schools are fully-funded by the government and plug
into these public governance structures, Catholic school system leaders
run the risk of accepting with little scrutiny the structures and language
of bureaucratic functionalism. Scanlan (2008, p. 48) adds that Catholic
school systems must critically reflect on their own practices and realize
how their organizations “mask injustices” as normalized patterns of
schools and society, which can be difficult to alter. When funding is
tied to government regulations, will synodality only be given lip
service? Entering into this level of encounter requires a

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belief in the help of divine grace and in a mercy that can embrace all
dialogue partners even amidst cultural tensions, politically-charged issues,
and the needs of the weakest in society. Because a synodal Church is a
Church of encounter and dialogue, according to Instrumentum
Laboris (Synod of Bishops 2023, para. 12), “we must begin to learn what
it means to live unity in diversity, a fundamental point to continue
exploring, trusting that the path will become clearer as we move forward.
Therefore, a synodal Church promotes the passage from ‘I’ to ‘we’. It is a
space within which a call resonates to be members of a body that values
diversity but is made one by the Spirit”.
It also requires the prophetic call to seek the truth of the situation,
being peacemakers instead of peacekeepers. Rather than reducing faith
in schools to a checkbox approach or a spiritualized viewpoint that
lacks lived expressions of faith, a culture of encounter approach
demands engagement toward what is true and good (Congregation for
Catholic Education 2022, para. 68–72). Further to this, avoiding a narrow
viewpoint or an exclusively legalistic approach requires seeking out the
mercy of God within the world rather than separating oneself from it. A
prophetic cry against shortcutting a culture of encounter can unlock
logjams and unleash reform that especially assists the most
marginalized.
“Walking together” should not simply be understood operationally
and managerially because it demands listening to everyone—including
through innovative approaches like social media (Brazal 2023, p. 105)—
which in turn requires leadership to prophetically name the problems
faced. A synodal approach pushes for encounter with everyone, both in
a spirit of mercy and truth. It is a matter of responding “to the needs of
the times without, however, ‘losing the synthesis between faith, culture
and life, which is the keystone of the educational mission’”
(Congregation for Catholic Education 2022, para. 29). Diplomacy is not
enough; leaders need a prophetic voice that stirs conversation and is
life-giving truth.
4.3. Focusing on the Essentials of Faith
Francis’s vision of synodality wrestles control away from the
educated elite, moral purists, and doctrinally-driven leaders, those who
too often act as gatekeepers. Instead of following their specialized
viewpoints, the pope demands a more humble embrace of the essentials
of faith. Explicit articulation of Christian beliefs is indeed a central
distinguishing character of Catholic schools versus their public school
counterparts. A faith education must emphasize the development of the
entire human person within a transcendent framework instead of being 20
narrowly restricted to cognitive learning or ideological interests (Sultmann
et al. 2022).
Focusing on the essentials of the Christian faith makes belief more
accessible to more people, and the superintendents generally believed
that a focus on engaging in the core of faith was vitally important.
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Improved religious knowledge and practice are needed—not to mention
forming witnesses in faith—but how contemporary Canadians receive
this message may be mixed, even in a Catholic school. Parents, as the
primary educators of their children, choose the school that best aligns
with their beliefs, their child’s needs, and other factors. Although
parents may choose the school for its faith-based mission, Rymarz
(2016, p. 42) explains that parents’ reasons for choosing Catholic
schools vary greatly. In many ways, secularized Canadians generally
want the many good effects that come from faith-based schooling but
without the demands and responsibilities of religious affiliation or
moral doctrines. Rearing children in a faith tradition is usually not a
priority for parents (Sultmann et al. 2022). Furthermore, those teaching in a
post-Christian society may feel awkward about inculcating religious
faith in children, even in a Catholic school. It is little wonder then that
pragmatic superintendents find this tension of being authentically
Catholic unsettling. While the levels of catholicity in school divisions
varied and superintendents recognized the need for authentically
Catholic schools, they felt the practical limitations of not having
undivided commitment from the parent community, teaching staff, etc.
Focusing on the essentials of faith potentially earns more buy-in from
the broader community, if it can be promoted through trusted
relationships and a culture of encounter. Without a doubt, a diluted
variation of Catholic schools will undermine the

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mission of the schools and consequently their constitutional protection.

Striking a fine balance is necessary for publicly funded Catholic
schools.
The question remains: what exactly are the essentials of the faith for
those in Catholic schooling? Ruddy (2023, pp. 220–23) argues that the
essentials of the faith include the universal call to holiness, a missionary
element, and themes of sin, grace, and the cross. With the religious
education program in particular, Rymarz (2023, p. 6) calls for a faith
education premised on “philosophical foundations which do not make a
priori assumptions about truth and meaning, and which recognize the
need for engaging content which has a strong cognitive foundation”.
This recommendation is in-step with Francis: engaging people where
they are at and yet ensuring a teaching of substance and quality.
Promoting a moral education of generic character traits will not suffice.
It requires announcing a message that counters conventional thinking and
is rooted in the kerygma (Faggioli 2020b, p. 98). While superintendents
rightly elicited prayer, liturgies, and faith formation as foundational
practices, leaders still need theological training to deepen and clarify
their articulation of faith.
4.4. Exercising Authentic Authority
At a moment when social trust in institutions is at record lows,
determining authentic authority is vital for the fate of society—let alone
Catholic schools (Keenan 2023, p. 112). Francis’s vision of synodality
promotes the principle of subsidiarity as a means to reform the exercise of
authority inside the Church and beyond. Subsidiarity involves encountering
the other as someone with God-given dignity and engaging in decision-
making best exercised at the local community and school levels. It is
described in Instrumentum Laboris (Synod of Bishops 2023, para.
17): “One common trait unites the narratives of the stages of the first phase
[of the synod]: it is the surprise expressed by participants who were able to
share the synodal journey in a way that exceeded their expectations. For
those who take part, the synodal process offers an opportunity for an
encounter in faith that makes the bond with the Lord, fraternity between
people and love for the Church, not only on an individual level, but
involving and energizing the entire community”. Authentic encounter
between fellow human beings enables opportunities to enliven relations.
Real authority, then, depends on openness and vulnerability, which was a
theme repeated by the superintendents.
The interviews demonstrated that superintendents treasured their faith
and had grap- pled with work and life issues from a faith perspective.
Without academic and practical training in theology and practical 22
theology, however, leaders can get caught up in politi- cized tensions
and pragmatic decision-making. Nevertheless, as many superintendents
pointed out, there need not be exclusionary thinking between being
Catholic versus being Canadian. Leaders can be true to both their
vocational commitment to faith and contrac- tual obligations as an
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educator. Differences in aims, roles, and responsibilities between
superintendents, trustees, and bishops meant that superintendents could feel
uncertain or frustrated about other leaders’ perspectives. Gaps in
understanding could lead to systemic tensions. Superintendents strive to
build positive relationships with staff and ecclesial bodies, yet it is
difficult to gauge or measure these and their levels of success. While
the 2022 Congregation for Catholic Education document tries to define
the roles of bishops (para. 59), the apparent global reality of different
episcopal viewpoints on sensitive issues means that leaders in Western
Canada are no different from others. Authentic authority requires
“dialogue and walking together” (para. 82).
Superintendents spoke respectfully of bishops, while bishops in turn
have traditionally supported the schools publicly. A mutual respect is
evident. However, because super- intendents take on many roles, do they
see themselves primarily as faith leaders versus administrators, managers,
and financial experts? Do they engage ordained clergy as firstly fellow
baptized Christians, or do they risk supporting a clericalized church by
handing over all ecclesial authority to the ordained? Baptized
superintendents as faith leaders have real power in educational circles, but
what this means exactly as ecclesial leaders is not defined. Faggioli
complains that because synodality is promoted as a way of being in the

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Church and has unclear implications for Church governance, there is

uncertainty over how synodality affects lay leadership in Church
organizations (Faggioli 2020a, pp. 366–68). What practical implications
will it have on authority structures at the local level?
Further, if a leader—whether a superintendent, trustee, or bishop—
cannot be authentic in and knowledgeable about faith, relationships with
other leaders will most likely falter. Or, at the very least, inauthenticity will
bring up feelings of uneasiness and untrustworthiness in others. Francis is
not asking for people to simply respect one another, but to encounter one
another and exercise an authentic authority that enables subsidiarity and
local decision- making while reaching out to the most in need.

5. Conclusions
In Pope Francis’s vision of leadership, synodality can enable reform in
Catholic educa- tion: “to educate is to take a risk and to hold out to the
present a hope that can shatter the determinism and fatalism” of our age
(Congregation for Catholic Education 2022, para. 7). It is our belief that
this spirit is what synodality is trying to awaken. It is not a Christian
form of bureaucracy or parliament. Instead, it is an attempt to embed
the divine inspira- tion and organic discernment of the Holy Spirit in
the work of the Church and Catholic education.
Catholic chief superintendents in Western Canada have become the
advocates of what is or is not deemed Catholic in their schools. This
reality is a large responsibility, especially when the Church and State
collaborate together to provide an education to children. Francis’s call
to synodality is not a move to democratize the Church. Rather it is a
challenge to enable the Holy Spirit to upend the predominant patterns
within schooling that do not serve the needs of everyone, especially
those of the weakest in society. Top levels of leadership tend not to
rock the boat: if synodality is not courageously embraced and pushed
toward its practical implications, it will likely make little difference.
The pope acknowledges how pastoral freedom gives rise to enculturated
solutions (Faggioli 2020b, p. 94). Will Catholic schools in Western
Canada adventure together to embody a synodal church? What will this
shift inevitably look like?

24

Note
Religions 2024, 25 of 55
15, 491
Au .; methodology, M.H.; formal analysis, M.H. and E.P.-K.; investigation, M.H.; resources, M.H.;
th writing—original draft preparation,
or M.H. and E.P.-K.; writing—review and editing, M.H., E.P.-K., and D.S.; project administration,
Co M.H.; funding acquisition, M.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the
ntr manuscript.
ib
uti Funding: This research was funded by St. Joseph’s College through a Strategic Initiatives in Research
on (STIR) grant.
s: Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted according to the guidelines
Con and approval process of the University of Alberta Research Ethics Office (Pro00118537). It was approved
cept on 18 March 2022.
uali
zati Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in
on, the study.
M. Data Availability Statement: The data is unavailable due to privacy and ethical restrictions.
H.,
E.P. Acknowledgments: We wish to express our appreciation to the chief superintendents for their
-K. willingness to participate in this study. Also, in memory of Richard Gaillardetz, we give thanks for his
and academic contribution and collegial support on past projects.
D.S
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
1
In Saskatchewan, chief superintendents use the title of “Director of Education”.

25
Religions 2024, 26 of 55
15, 491

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