The Roman Catholic Church is engaged in a three-year process of listening and dialogue, “The Synod on the Synodality,” which will conclude in October 2024.

This historic time for Catholicism raises important questions about the future direction of the church. Synodality implies a commitment to dialogue and an openness to voices that have been marginalized. Where is the Church now in the Synod process? What is the impact so far? Where does the Church seem to be moving in preparing for October 2024? What may be the implications for the future of the church if a model of synodality takes root in the leadership and day to day life of the church?

Please join us at the Center at Mariandale, in person or online, for a discussion with a leading church historian, Massimo Faggioli, and an expert on Vatican II, Maureen Sullivan, OP. This 90-minute session will provide opportunity to learn from key scholars, dialogue with people of the faith, and to ask questions important to you.

Saturday, March 23, 2 to 3:30pm Online or in Person.

Fee: $20 (in-person or virtual donation)

Presenters:

Massimo Faggioli is full professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University (Philadelphia), contributing writer to Commonweal magazine (New York), columnist for La Croix International and Jesus (Italy) and staff writer for Il Regno (Italy). He worked in the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Studies in Bologna between 1996 and 2008 and received his Ph.D. from the University of Turin in 2002. He moved to the United States in 2008, and was visiting fellow at the Jesuit Institute at Boston College between 2008 and 2009 and on the faculty at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) from 2009 to 2016. The author of ten books and many articles, he writes regularly for newspapers and journals on the Church, religion and politics, and he was founding co-chair of the “Vatican II Studies” group at the American Academy of Religion between 2012 and 2017.

Dr. Maureen Sullivan is a Dominican Sister of Hope from New York and Professor Emerita of Theology at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. She received her Master of Arts in Theology from Manhattan College in the Bronx and her PhD in Theology from Fordham University, also in the Bronx. She also taught at Mount Saint Mary College. Dr. Sullivan’s expertise centers around the second Vatican Council. She has written two books on this topic: 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II (2002) and The Road to Vatican II: Key Changes in Theology (2007), both published by Paulist Press. She has been honored by Future Church and is the 2021 recipient of the F. Sadlier Dinger Award.