At the close of the Vatican’s 2024 Synod on Synodality meeting, Pope Francis said, “Everyone, everyone, everyone! Nobody left outside: everyone … It is up to us to amplify the sound of this whispering, never getting in its way; to open the doors, never building walls… Everyone is welcome, everyone, everyone!”
LCWR and the Religious Formation Conference (RFC) are eager to promote and share materials that nourish and expand synodality skills and understanding among our religious communities, ministries, parishes, and beyond.
About the Synodal Leadership Formation Course
In 2023-2024, LCWR was one of four leadership organizations that worked together under a Porticus grant to create a curriculum that promotes synodality understanding and skills. The six-module curriculum was developed and refined by these leadership groups who collectively serve women religious, clergy, and lay leaders in parishes. RFC is one of several organizations who support religious life that participated in a LCWR pilot experience to sample and improve this curriculum while in its development phase.
Please click on the link below to receive the materials for each of the six modules.
Resources
Synodality Session 1: Introduction
Synodality Session 2: Active Listening for Synodal Leadership
Synodality Session 3: Communal Discernment and Participative Decision-Making
Synodality Session 4: Paths to Transformation
Synodality Session 5: Adaptive Leadership
Synodality Session 6: Building Bridges in the Church
Webinar Sessions:
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Video and Slide Deck from the information session that took place Tuesday, July 22, 2025, specifically for LCWR elected leaders and RFC member area liaisons.
This session provided helpful information about Pope Francis’ legacy of synodality, the finalized six-module curriculum, who it might benefit, how it will be accessible, and what to expect in Fall 2025. (Recording and slide deck found below) -
Video and Slide Deck from the "Train the Trainer" session that took place on September 17, 2025.
This session is intended for members of congregations, staff/members of organizations that serve religious life, ministry leaders, etc. The webinar allows participants to experience one of the modules together, illustrating how the curriculum might be implemented. -
Integration – Tuesday, January 13, 2026 , 2:00-3:00 PM ET. All are welcome to an open discussion regarding ways they have implemented some or all of the curriculum and/or ways they are furthering synodality in their life and mission.
Register here