Gonzaga Selected for Major Grant to Advance Listening and ...

Gonzaga University is one of 15 Catholic colleges and universities nationwide selected to participate in a new, multi-institution initiative designed to strengthen leadership formation, dialogue and shared decision-making within the Catholic Church. The program, known as the Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS), is led by Loyola University Chicago and supported by a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

CENTERS aims to help Catholic institutions respond to Pope Francis' 2021 call for a more synodal Church - one rooted in active listening and communal discernment. Through the network, participating schools will develop new models of ministry leadership formation and build partnerships that support a more mission-focused Church in the United States.

Gonzaga is part of the network's Western regional group, led by Santa Clara University, and will collaborate both regionally and nationally with the other partner institutions. Locally, the University's efforts will focus on creating opportunities for students and community members to learn about synodality and the Catholic Church through campus-based and diocesan programming.

"We are excited to bring these conversations into our community in ways that are practical, inclusive and deeply rooted in listening," says Ellen Maccarone, vice president of Mission Integration and associate professor of philosophy.

Synodality, Maccarone explains, emphasizes the importance of listening to one another with openness and respect - a skill that has broad applications beyond ministry.

"We will have opportunities to work with students on how to listen better in ways that can help them in their faith, in leadership roles in and out of the Church, and to better appreciate the humanity of people they are listening to," she says. Some students will also be able to engage directly with the initiative through fellowships or assistantships, with particular emphasis on graduate students in Gonzaga's theology and leadership program.

Maccarone notes that Gonzaga's participation in CENTERS reflects the University's Jesuit Mission and commitment to meaningful partnerships.

She adds that the initiative aligns with several ongoing efforts at Gonzaga, including the Mission Priority Examen (a process of evaluation by the Jesuits for their sponsored ministries) and the future work of GU's new Woodley Institute for Civil Engagement and Humanistic Dialogue, both of which emphasize discernment as a community.

The CENTERS network will also host national assemblies, regional trainings and symposia, and support a new fellowship program for ministry leadership formation. In addition to institutional partnerships, the initiative will offer opportunities for Catholics not affiliated with participating universities to engage with its programs.

Maccarone says Gonzaga's portion of the grant will be transformative for advancing mission-driven work.

"This project allows us to create an atmosphere of listening that serves as a foundation for decision-making and discernment," she says. "It strengthens the way we support the Catholic Church and offers a collaborative space for learning, listening and cultural exchange."

CENTERS is expected to begin rolling out programming later this year, with additional details to be announced.

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