Name: Synodality in the Catholic Church: Learning to Listen
Start: 2025-11-13T16:00:00-07:00
Location: Canvas Stadium

Synodality in the Catholic Church: Learning to Listen

Smith Alumni Center of the Stadium
Wyatt Olivas (University of Wyoming)
The Synod on Synodality has been called the most important Catholic event since the Second Vatican Council and the “biggest consultation exercise in human history.” In 2023, Wyatt Olivas, an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming, became the youngest official delegate to Synod meetings at the Vatican. In this presentation he will tell what it was like to be the youngest voice at the table, and how delegates from extremely diverse backgrounds were able to listen to each other and find common ground. While “synodality” (from the Greek for “journeying together”) has become an essential concept for Catholics, the synodal process offers potential lessons for all people seeking fresh ways of listening and dialoguing across difference.