Experiential Education PILGRIMAGE TO ROME

A journey of synodality and transformation

Sometimes, a journey that takes you far can also bring people closer together—and, in rare cases, bring you face-to-face with history in the making.

In October 2024, during fall break, Villanova University students and faculty traveled to Rome, joining peers from 14 Catholic colleges across the US to experience the global Synod on Communion, Participation and Mission.

Sitting in Mass at the Church of Caravita (officially known as the Oratorio of San Francesco Saverio ‘del Caravita’), Rechelle Febrer ’25 CLAS was deeply moved.

“I looked around the beautiful church, not to admire the architecture, but to take in the people gathered there,” Febrer recalls. “There were faces I recognized from previous events, both in person and on Zoom, and now, I saw them spread throughout the church in Rome. I sat there, a little teary-eyed from the sheer excitement and joy of being with this community, thinking, ‘Here I am, among a group of young people who are committed to growing the Church we so deeply love.’”

Febrer and her fellow Villanovans engaged with the concept of “synodality”—a model of shared leadership within the Church—by interacting with global thought leaders in Rome. This immersive experience was part of the interdisciplinary course in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, “The Church and Transformation,” with an embedded travel component designed to deepen classroom learning through a week abroad.

Taught by Kathryn Getek Soltis, STL, PhD, director of the Center for Peace and Justice Education, and Jaisy Joseph, PhD, assistant professor of Theology and Religious Studies, students in the course explore the balance between tradition and change in the Church’s history.

“While it is one thing to talk about the practices of deep listening and communal discernment at the local, regional and global levels of the Catholic Church, it is quite another to experience this spiritual practice at all three levels in one semester,” says Dr. Joseph. “As an educator, it was meaningful to see students take their protagonism seriously and engage with students from across the US and with synod delegates from around the world with a confidence that their voice matters in the life of church and society.”

The trip coincided with the month-long Synod of Bishops General Assembly, a central component of the late Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality initiative, which promotes inclusiveness, dialogue and participation within the Church. Attendees explored how prioritizing youth—a key theme of the Synod—can help answer the pivotal question posed to delegates: How can we become co-responsible for the mission of the Church?

Guinevere Keith ’26 MA, who traveled with the undergraduate class in her role as a Graduate Residence Minister at Villanova, found her position in the pilgrimage particularly meaningful.

“My experience was unique because my role involves serving undergraduate students through one-on-one ministry and community-building on campus,” Keith explains. “This pilgrimage allowed me to form deep, personal ministry connections with the students I chaperoned. Each of them was exploring the journey through the lens of their own faith, and I was there to walk alongside them, helping them process what they were learning at the Synod.”

While in Rome, the Villanovans participated in a variety of activities, including teach-ins, communal prayers, participatory art and guided tours. And among the many spiritual and educational milestones they encountered, one now stands out with striking historical significance, though they didn’t know it at the time.

The students met the next leader of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, then Cardinal Robert Prevost, OSA, ’77 CLAS, who presided over Mass in the Altar of St. Peter's Tomb in St. Peter's Basilica. It was attended by students in three Villanova courses who were in Rome at the time: Dr. Getek Soltis and Dr. Joseph’s class, a History course and a Business course.

“Even though it was not a personal conversation, just being in that space made a big impact on me. Looking back, I really treasure that moment, especially now, knowing the position he holds in the Church,” says Amos Colocho ’27 COE, an Engineering student who had enjoyed his introductory Theology course with Dr. Joseph so much that he opted to add this thought-provoking, discussion-based course to his roster. “It meant a lot to see someone in such a high role still take time out to be with students and share that experience with us last fall.”

In this historic moment for the global Church, these Villanova students continued to reflect on their participation in the pilgrimage and their position as youth of the Church. In meeting with Synod delegates and Church leaders, Keith found the Synod’s emphasis on youth empowerment especially inspiring.

Keith says she saw firsthand how the experience led to significant spiritual growth and transformation among the students she accompanied. She also visited the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, an experience that deepened her understanding of the Church’s efforts to heal political and socioeconomic wounds worldwide.

“I like that synodality encourages all participants in a conversation to approach it with humility by opening ourselves up to seeing how the Holy Spirit is flowing through everybody in their equal dignity,” Keith says.

“Synodality is a very effective way to make divisive issues feel significantly less divided,” she continues. “It gives us a common goal and reminds us of our inherent human dignity in Christ, two ingredients that take the edge off the polarity. It made me proud to be Catholic.”

Meanwhile, Febrer attended a women’s luncheon to discuss women’s growing roles within the Church.

“Modernity and tradition don’t have to clash,” Febrer says. “It just means we need more communal discernment to respond to the needs of modern society—and that takes time. This absolutely requires the involvement of young adults and the inclusivity of all people.”

Villanova students were among more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students from the participating US Catholic colleges, known as the Catholic Education Network to Encounter Rome and Synodality. Among this group of students was one of the two US college students to be a part of the 363 voting delegates offering recommendations to the late Pope Francis.