Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Sister of Mercy Elizabeth Davis of Newfoundland, Canada, views the latest Synod of Bishops as a pivotal moment for the church, potentially as significant as the Second Vatican Council. She is among 54 women chosen to be voting members in the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and visited Kentucky in early June to share her experiences with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.

“I felt quite privileged to be chosen to attend,” Sister Davis said in a recent interview. “It’s an amazing experience. It was nothing that I could have anticipated.”

This synod, known as the Synod on Synodality, marks the first time women are voting delegates. Women constitute 15% of the total number of delegates; most are bishops and cardinals. The 54 female delegates were selected by bishops’ conferences worldwide, except for five, including Sister Davis, who were chosen by the Union of International Superiors General.

Sister Davis began her career in secondary education before transitioning into health care administration in Canada. She holds multiple degrees, including a doctoral degree in theology with an emphasis on biblical studies from the University of Toronto.

The Synod on Synodality convened its first session in October 2023 at Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Sister Davis described this session as bearing the “fruits of all the assemblies,” incorporating resources gathered at diocesan and continental stages.

“Pope Francis encouraged us not to focus too much on singular issues,” she said. “But rather to focus on ways of making our church a synodal church.”

The 2023 gathering focused on three themes: communion, mission, and participation. These themes emerged from documents produced during the diocesan phase.

Delegates were trained in roundtable discussions using a synodal method of communication. Each delegate would speak to a theme, share insights from other delegates, discuss major agreements or disagreements as a group, and then create a document.

The roundtable discussions resulted in two final documents: a two-page "Letter to the People of God" and a 41-page synthesis report titled "A Synodal Church in Mission." Both documents are available on the synod’s official website: www.synod.va.

Sister Davis spoke about comparing this synod's importance to that of the Second Vatican Council due to its potential for creating a “new way of being church.” Having entered religious life in 1966, she witnessed firsthand how religious life changed post-council.

“We (religious) changed totally after the (Second Vatican) council — we saw wisdom in doing so,” she said.

Reflecting on her time at this assembly thus far, she pondered what it means “to be a church in the 21st century.”

Sister Davis expressed hope that this synod will produce three “new ways of being church.”

“The time has come when we see how women, members of LGBT communities, and Earth herself have to be understood differently,” she said. “So if the synod is going to do anything, it has to transform our church wherever our church is.”

“It’s not just walking together but listening to whom you are walking with,” she added.

Since attending this first session, Sister Davis has met both online and offline with various groups about their aspirations for this synod. These meetings have given her hope and comfort because many agree that “we have to be a different church.”

“Continue following up with developments regarding this synod," Sister Davis urged. "Remain engaged."

She concluded by asking people to pray for those involved: “Pray for Pope Francis."

The assembly will reconvene for its second session in October 2024.