Our Mission
Synodality in Catholic Higher Education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (SCHEAP) is a faith formation collaboration among students, ministers, and educators in Catholic colleges, universities, and Newman Centers. We engage in synodal ministry with young adults in order to create pathways for their protagonism in building and leading a synodal Church.
Our Vision
We cultivate synodal ministry with young adults by…
BUILDING
communities of synodal practice: encounter, listening, discernment & participatory decision making
DESIGNING & FACILITATING
synodal gatherings for a variety of populations
PRIORITIZING
encounters that build relationships across difference
INTEGRATING
young adult leadership into programming and decision making
BRIDGING
campus and parish faith communities
Our Story
From listening to implementation
Listening / Diocesan Phase
- Trained 30 educators and ministers
- Facilitated over 500 Conversations in the Spirit
- Convened over 100 with Archbishop Perez
- Submitted an art-infused synthesis report
2021–2022
2022–2023
Discernment / Continental Phase
- Convened over 100 with Archbishop Perez to discern with our synthesis report
- Nominated and commissioned Julia Oseka (St. Joseph’s University ‘25) as delegate to North American Continental Assembly
- Pope Francis selected Oseka as Delegate to General Assembly of Bishops
Discernment / Universal Phase
- Commissioned 5 pilgrims to participate in convening and Mass for the General Assembly
- Convened over 100 students and parishioners to discern with Interim Report
- Designed and offered “The Church in Transformation” course that brought over 25 students to Rome
- Launched a “We Are The Now Of The Church” Lilly Endowment, Inc. funded project with inaugural cohort of 15 fellows
2023–2024
2025–2028
Implementation Phase
- Received Fr. Bob Beloin Award from the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA)
- 3 Fellows and 4 SCHEAP Ministers represented the Catholic Church of Philadelphia during the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies
Campus Collaborators
Our campuses
Each seal links to the school’s homepage.
Archdiocesan Partners
Our parishes
Philadelphia, PA
Bryn Mawr, PA
St. Katharine Drexel Parish Missionary Hub
Chester, PA
Conshohocken, PA
$1.25M
SCHEAP is supported by funding from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., a private foundation created in 1937 whose religion grantmaking seeks to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States.