February 19, 2026<\/p>\n
St. John\u2019s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences<\/a> at St. John\u2019s University<\/a> is joining a network of 16 Catholic colleges and universities in a grant-funded effort to strengthen listening, dialogue, and decision making in the US Catholic Church.<\/p>\n The Lilly Endowment Inc.\u2019s<\/a> $10-million grant to Loyola University Chicago through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative creates the Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS). The effort is designed to help theology schools respond to the most pressing challenges in preparing pastoral leaders now and into the future.<\/p>\n The effort follows the late Pope Francis<\/a>\u2019 2021 call for a Church elevated by listening, dialogue, and shared discernment. CENTERS will help schools renew their internal operations, curricula, and partnerships to better prepare pastoral leaders for an evolving Church.<\/p>\n CENTERS, which will be anchored by Loyola\u2019s Institute for Pastoral Studies<\/a>, will support this work by funding projects at participating institutions, conducting retreats and training, convening national assemblies, and endowing a ministry leadership formation program for students.<\/p>\n St. John\u2019s College expects to be involved in all aspects of the network\u2019s work, with an emphasis on engaging the University community and Catholic communities in the area in ministry, leadership education, and formation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe CENTERS initiative allows St. John\u2019s\u00a0to contribute to the formation of Catholic leaders who build collaborative networks that protect human dignity and promote the common good,\u201d said Teresa Delgado, Ph.D.<\/a>, Dean, St. John\u2019s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cI am thrilled that this partnership will nurture what Pope Francis called \u2018a listening church\u2019 that animates us to encounter each other\u2019s humanity as a corrective to societal indifference, social injustice, and ecological devastation.\u201d<\/p>\n Grant funds will be divided among the 16 participating institutions over a five-year period from 2026 to 2030. In addition to St. John\u2019s and Loyola University Chicago, these include the Catholic Theological Union, Gonzaga University, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University New Orleans, Mexican American Catholic College, Xavier University, Xavier University of Louisiana, St. Joseph\u2019s University, Santa Clara University, the Southeast Pastoral Institute, University of Dallas, University of Dayton, University of San Francisco, and Villanova University.<\/p>\n CENTERS will be collaboratively governed by the participating institutions and will also offer growth opportunities for Catholics not affiliated with any participating institution.\u00a0<\/p>\n About Lilly Endowment Inc.<\/p>\n