With so much discussion about the role of women in the Church, especially in today's synodal considerations, how could Mary be missing? Mary listened to the Holy Spirit and pondered the meaning of her incredibly significant role in that crucial moment of salvation history.

Marian Approaches to Synodality is a welcome guide for the process of discernment which is essential for the Church's witness to God’s salvific work in our time, too. This book aims to show how women in leadership roles are an extension of Mary’s presence in meeting the needs of people within and outside the Church. It shows how a Marian style of synodality includes walking with women and other vulnerable persons, listening to their stories, and addressing their needs for pastoral care.

The call to synodality is a call for the Church to listen, understand, and act in a way that embraces people in the spirit and style of Mary, eagerly following her example. Marian Approaches to Synodality is an inspiration and support to walk this path forward with confidence.

One of Canada’s up-and-coming theologians, Josephine Lombardi holds a doctorate in theology and teaches at St. Augustine Seminary in Toronto. She sits on numerous Catholic advisory boards, is married and raising young children.

Josephine Lombardi's profile page