You may have heard that the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is meeting all month long in Rome. This is just the latest stage of the years-long Synod on Synodality, which included listening sessions in parishes and other Catholic ministry settings all over the world. Participants will be discussing issues connected to communion, participation and the mission of the church.

One thing that makes this synod different from all the others that came before it is that this is the first time that laypeople – including women – are participating as voting members. And one of those laypeople is Julia Osęka, and she’s today’s guest. Julia is a physics and theology major at Saint Joseph’s University, the Jesuit college in Philadelphia.

Originally from a small town in Poland, the story of how Julia came to represent North America and young adults at the synod is an incredible one. Julia got involved in a synod initiative that united the Catholic universities and Newman centers from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a collaborative effort that was unique in the country. From there, thanks to her deep faith, thoughtful disposition and ability to listen intently and generously, Julia was selected to participate in the continental stage of the synod, and then finally chosen to participate in Rome. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked her what it was like to find out she was going to the synod, and how she’s navigating missing a month’s worth of classes. They also talked about her background and how she found herself at Saint Joe’s in the first place.

When you listen to the conversation, you’ll be able to tell how impressive and faith-filled Julia is. It’s so great that she’s representing young adults, Jesuit higher ed and all of us from North America at the synod.

Along with this episode, we are publishing an article by one of Julia’s campus ministers at St. Joe’s, Beth Ford McNamee. In the piece, Beth describes the synod process in Philadelphia that eventually led to Julia’s participation in Rome. You can read that piece at Jesuits.org.

Learn more about Julia: https://www.sju.edu/news/pope-francis-appoints-julia-oseka-25-delegate-universal-assembly-rome-marking-first-time

AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

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