By Jenny Girard Malley, MA - Assistant Dean, Student and Community Life
Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

On July 22, Catholic communities across the globe celebrated the feast day of Mary Magdalene, our first preacher of the resurrected Christ. Her vision, voice and message continue to be a profound witness and call to action, especially for Catholic women who seek “equal dignity as members of the People of God” with “a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation and place in all the various areas of the Church’s life”.

Emerging from last year’s Second Session of the General Assembly of Synod, the Church is entering into a responsive moment, an Implementation Phase, that calls forth local engagement in parish communities, theological schools, and episcopal centres. Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, the Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, describes this as the time for the Church to receive the Synod as it flows from the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council. She acknowledges that “for the first time, Pope Francis endorsed directly the final document of the synod (as) part of the ordinary Magisterium, and it is asked now to put it into practice, to implement those fruits with creativity, in the diversity of the context of the local churches”. As he begins his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has voiced his full support, acknowledging that “synodality is a style, an attitude that helps us to be Church, promoting authentic experiences of participation and communion”.

At the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (JST-SCU), we understand that the consultative and discernment work of the Synod on Synodality is now ripe for harvest and it is our mission to inspire the Church to welcome everyone as listeners, participants and protagonists of this vibrant synodal legacy. Our seminary, in collaboration with the entire SCU academic community, envisioned and implemented a one-day conference in April 2025 entitled “Together At The Table: Inspiring Synodal Action in Mission” where community members sat among one another, at round tables, in conversation and prayer. Entering into a way of being Church that is both new and deeply rooted in our Catholic story, participants were invited to share their voice and take up a role in the upcoming implementation process.

Throughout the day our guest, Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, shared theological insights to prompt deeper inquiry among the community. His words brought international context, offering rousing encouragement and inspiring a personal connection to a Vatican leader who loves our Catholic Church and who calls us to be part of Her ongoing renewal.

What I experienced that day was both happy and humbling. Many of the participants expressed surprise, often through tears, of finally, tangibly experiencing a listening Church. Round table Conversations in the Spirit were a novelty to almost everyone, but the depth of trust and dialogue that resulted was palatable. My joy as one of the designers and leaders of the day was grace-filled even as I found myself amazed, once again, by the simple desire of so many to just be heard. I was profoundly moved by the deep thirst for a Church that listens and then responds to the signs of the times. This hunger filled those who were present, but it was particularly alive for the women in attendance.

As I consider the impact of this Synod and the reverberations of implementation, I am reminded that “...a healthy spirituality requires a healing of the imagination, which will allow us not only to think differently about God but to experience God differently. The imagination is accessible not primarily to abstract ideas but to language, images, interpersonal experience, symbolism, art – all the integrated approaches which appeal simultaneously to intellect, will and feeling.” As Dr Sandra Schneider, JST-SCU Professor Emerita, so wisely states, our Catholic imagination will influence the Synod’s local reception. When welcomed and received, our response will be a loving proclamation of our Catholic spiritual context. We will be renewed in an imagination that flows from personal relationships with one another and with the Holy Spirit, our advocate – who missions us to go forth into the world.

In this work women are indispensable. Young people are crucial. Communities and parishes on the margins, vital. Our invitation is not to simply watch from the sidelines what is unfolding. Rather, we must stand proud, be present at the table, and claim our seat which flows from our baptism.

Our one-day conference was a small moment of convening, a pebble in the waters of our Catholic Church. Nevertheless, I felt the Spirit and saw the possibility that arises when Catholic faithful meet one another. As partners and prophets, all of us can encounter and magnify the Church. As witnesses in solidarity and synodality, let us spread the good news of Jesus Christ, just as Mary Magdalene did two millennia ago. I am excited for what may arise from the shared mission of listening, imagining and forming our Church together.