I’m honored to accept an invitation to serve the global Catholic Church as consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod.

The Synod on Synodality (2021-2024) was initiated by Pope Francis as an intentional period of local and global listening, sharing, reflecting, and discerning intended to help the Catholic Church learn from its past and present to move forward positively into the future.

I approach my participation as a sociologist equipped to listen, amplify, and synthesize diverse voices speaking on important matters. I’ll bring lessons learned from leading major sociological studies on lay Catholic movements; Catholic parishes (including personal parishes); abortion attitudes; U.S. priests; women’s roles and the diaconate; polarization; Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics in the U.S.; immigration and refugee services; church real estate transitions / adaptive reuse and community impacts; religiosity among young people; generational change; and more.

As with all dimensions to my scholarly vocation, I enter this new appointment with curiosity and questions rather than an agenda and certainty. I look ahead with optimism and excitement to serve, learn, and share.