Villanova University Earns Grant Funding to Foster Synodality, Shape Catholic Leaders

VILLANOVA, Pa. (April 20, 2026) - Villanova University is joining 15 other Catholic colleges and universities in a collaborative effort to strengthen listening, dialogue and discernment within the Church. The endeavor, called the Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS), is overseen by Loyola University Chicago and supported by a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative.

Inspired by the Vatican's call for the Church to expand its efforts in fostering engagement, participation and communion, CENTERS will empower member institutions like Villanova to lift a multitude of voices within the Catholic faith. Projects supported by the network's grant funding will include regional seminars and retreats, national convening assemblies and a cohort-based ministry leadership program for students.

Alongside Loyola, the University of Dallas and the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, Villanova will serve as one of four core partners at the heart of CENTERS. In this capacity, the University will take a leadership role in coordinating regional relationships, learning and joint initiatives. It will also host one of the network's annual, national theological and pastoral symposia.

For Villanova, participation in CENTERS entails the next phase in the University's efforts to cultivate and enact synodality, a process rooted in Christian tradition that emphasizes communal discernment and involvement in the Church's mission. Since 2021, members of the campus community have studied this concept in academic coursework, visited Rome to bear witness to the 2024 Synodal Assembly and participated in local listening sessions attended by Archbishop of Philadelphia Nelson Perez.