Paluch Lecture – Fall 2026

Models of Pastoral Leadership for a Synodal Church

On October 19, Dr. Harold D. Horell, the Margaret and Chester Paluch Chair of Theology at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML) and the School of Parish Leadership and Evangelization, delivered the Paluch Lecture on Models of Pastoral Leadership for a Synodal Church at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago.

During the lecture, Horell discussed three main topics before opening the floor for questions and discussion: making sense of what synodality is and what it is not; understanding the concept of synodal leadership; and focusing on education and faith formation for synodality.

Dr. Horell discussed how we can embrace synodal models of leadership in the Church and how doing so can enable the Church to meet the pressing pastoral issues of our time. He examined how synodality can work as a viable pastoral guide and how we can take confusions, questions, and critiques of synodality seriously while also seeing it as positive, essential, and even constitutive of who we are as Church.

“As I was about to move to the podium to begin a presentation on synodality, the pastor with whom I had been talking leaned in and whispered, ‘I have heard people discussing synodality for the past few years, but I still don’t understand what it is. Yet, there is one thing I know for sure: synodality doesn’t work in my parish,’” Horell said. “That remark motivated me to reflect on people’s perceptions of synodality—why some are confused by, reject, or abhor synodality while others talk about it with joy and hope.”

Dr. Horell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy and a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Dayton. He earned a Master of Theological Studies in ethics and society from Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate in theology and education from Boston College.

About the Paluch Lecture
Established in 1990, the Paluch Lecture is a prestigious event that fosters theological studies at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. It brings together scholars, theologians, and the faithful to explore the depths of Catholic theology. The Paluch Lecture remains a significant event in the Catholic intellectual landscape, fostering dialogue, scholarly exchange, and a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.

About USML
USML educates and forms lay leaders and priests to serve the Church and its people. It has over 1,000 lay students and 100 seminarians from 30 dioceses. USML’s faculty are recognized as leaders in their fields, sought-after speakers, and members of pontifical academies, councils, and the International Theological Commission.