A panel of lay leaders from parishes around the Northwest shared their experiences in the synodal process, and their aspirations for realizing the vision of Pope Francis to make our Church more synodal and more welcoming. Synodality embodies the ancient Christian tradition of "sensus fidei" or "sense of the faith," calling the entire body of baptized believers to contribute to the Church's teachings under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The panel considered how parishioners can be engaged and informed, as well as how they are called to take an active role breathing life into synodality in their community.
Date: September 18, 2023
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM (PST)
Recording of the event:
Corinna Laughlin has been a member of the St. James Cathedral staff since 1998. As Pastoral Assistant for Liturgy, she works with Father Ryan and the Cathedral staff and volunteers to plan hundreds of liturgies each year. Corinna is also Liturgy Consultant and Synod Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Seattle. Corinna's writing on liturgy has been featured in many publications, including Pastoral Liturgy, Ministry and Liturgy, Today's Liturgy, and AIM Magazine. Corinna has also written the Guide for Sacristans, Guide for Servers, and Guide for Celebrating Holy Week and Triduum for Liturgy Training Publications. With her sister, Maria Laughlin, she co-authored Journey of Faith: An Illustrated History of the Archdiocese of Seattle as well as histories of the Dioceses of Brownsville, Orange, Green Bay, La Crosse, and Wilmington through Editions du Signe. She holds a doctorate in English language and literature from the University of Washington, and a bachelor's degree in English from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts.
Valerie Chapman retired in June of 2017 after working for over 25 years as the Pastoral Administrator of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, an inner-city parish. She was an advocate and friend to people living on the street and struggling with issues related to poverty and addiction. During her years as a leader in an economically diverse community she was trained in community organizing, spent time on the leadership team of the Organizing Project- now MACG, attended advanced training on Race Relations, and studied Anti-Racism and conflict management. Beginning in 2010 she served as an Ambassador with the Catholic Climate Covenant offering faith based environmental education and speaking at a variety of venues. She was also the de facto pastor of Sr. Francis Parish responsible for everything except the Sacramental responsibilities that belong to a priest. Valerie is the mother of six children and grandmother of seven. With her spouse she keeps chickens, grows and preserves food from their organic garden, works at maintaining a low carbon footprint, snuggles grandchildren when permitted, and helps to keep the wood stove burning. She also holds a Doctorate in Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary, an M. Ed in Religious Studies from the University of Portland, M. Div equivalency through Marylhurst University, and completed several post graduate certificates. She enjoys facilitating classes with adult learners whether for credit in a college setting or for interest in community settings.
Shonna Bartlett has been involved in every aspect of liturgy and music since she started playing the organ for Requiem Masses sung in Latin when she was 13 years old. She earned her Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from Gonzaga University. She serves on the parish council of her church as the long-time representative of the liturgy committee and leads a weekly Taizé prayer service on Zoom, with many Protestant ministers participating. Shonna and her husband Bob will celebrate 50 years of marriage next year and they currently share their home with Bob’s 99-year-old mother. They have 4 adult children and 7 grandchildren. Shonna has had many jobs over the years but found her true calling as program director at The Ministry Institute at Gonzaga University where she worked with international students, primarily priests and nuns on sabbatical. It was a joy rather than a job.
Pat McCormick is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Portland. A retired public relations executive, Pat has served on the Oregon Catholic Conference Advisory Board, chaired the Archdiocesan Marriage and Family Life Board, and is currently a member of the Oregon Synod Committee.
Michael R. Prendergast has nearly 50 years’ experience as a musician and liturgist at the parish, cathedral, and diocesan levels. Michael is an adjunct instructor in the Departments of Theology and Music at the University of Portland. In his semi-retirement Michael still serves as an accompanist and cantor at St. Andrew and All Saints Catholic Churches in Portland. He is the founder of Sacred Liturgy Ministries, a liturgical consulting firm. He holds a master’s in theological studies from Mount Angel Seminary, St. Benedict, Oregon, and a master's in liturgical studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. To learn more about Michael visit www.sacredliturgyministries.org.
University of Portland
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