As the synodal consultation process gets underway, I’ve heard from several diocesan lay leaders throughout the country about how concerned they are that this process will not be inclusive. Many fear that only a single group of people, primarily from leadership councils in parishes and dioceses, will be asked for input during this initial stage. Others share how parishes continue to serve only the dominant group in the community and are not inclusive of all cultural communities. What is painfully obvious is the lack of diversity in areas of leadership and the lack of centering the experiences of those parishioners at the margins.

This lack of representation speaks to an unwillingness on behalf of the U.S. Catholic Church to come to terms with a multicultural understanding of Catholicism in parish life, an understanding that celebrates diversity and inclusion of all cultural families present in the United States. Isn’t that a goal of the global synodal process: to include all diverse voices and perspectives in this journeying together?