Cathy Harmon-Christian’s SUV has been getting a lot of attention lately. Last year, after a nun and priest friend asked her to work full-time holding listening sessions for the global Synod on Synodality with people on the margins, or outside, of Catholic parish life—who the church might have a hard time reaching—she printed a massive decal of Pope Francis extending his hand in blessing. At the bottom, was a message, which included her email address: “Pope Francis wants to hear from you!” 

“It was bigger than my window, unfortunately,” Ms. Harmon-Christian said, “so I did have to do some maneuvering.” The sign covers the back window of her Subaru and extends onto the door below.

And it worked: Ms. Harmon-Christian received emails from people who saw her driving around Atlanta. She was stopped at the gas station and even had a listening session with her mechanic, who had left the Catholic Church to become Evangelical.

Ms. Harmon-Christian’s listening work was not limited to those she encountered on the road. She has held listening sessions on Zoom, in cafés, outdoors with people experiencing homelessness, and even received a long letter from a prison inmate in Texas. Although she has not received confirmation that the results of her listening sessions were accepted by either her diocese or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—her 600-page report far exceeds each diocese’s 10-page limit—she has received messages of support from Vatican officials, who have encouraged her to continue her work.

So, why is the Vatican gathering all of this feedback from people like Ms. Harmon-Christian and others around the world?

For a new deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell interviewed three officials in the Vatican’s synod office, along with Catholics like Ms. Harmon-Christian, who are holding listening sessions around the world. Colleen also spoke with someone who is more critical of the synod. All this to help explain the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality—what its puzzling name means and what it’s meant to accomplish.

Links from the show:

Gerard O’Connell | Exclusive: Cardinal Grech on drafting the first global synod synthesis—and what’s in store for phase 2

Gerard O’Connell | Cardinal Grech: The synod ‘needs time’ on the question of married priests

Colleen Dulle | Explainer: So, what exactly is a synod?

Colleen Dulle and Doug Girardot | We contacted every diocese in the U.S. about their synod plans. Here’s what we found.

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