Linda Staudt to be voting participant at XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

Congratulations to Linda Staudt, a former member of the King’s Board of Directors, who has been selected by Pope Francis as a voting lay participant at the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome this October.

Staudt was a member of the King’s Board of Directors from 2015 to 2021.

Staudt is one of seven lay people from North America to receive this appointment. She was nominated by Bishop Ronald P. Fabbro, Bishop of London, to be a participant based on her extensive knowledge of the Synod, her service to the diocese and track record as a leader in Catholic education.  

“When the announcement was made in late April by the Holy Father that lay people would be participating as voting members, my first reaction was ‘the tent has truly expanded.’ At the time, I never imaged that I would be one of those lay persons. I am deeply honoured and humbled on first being nominated by Bishop Fabbro and then selected by Pope Francis To experience firsthand ‘up close and personal’ this synodal journey of the Church, is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s not the October I had planned,” says Staudt.

Staudt is the Co-Chair of the Diocesan Synod Committee and our Director of Safe Environment Services. She was also the Chair and Lead Writer of the Synod Synthesis Team for the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario and presented the Ontario synthesis to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022. From 2013 to 2021 she was the Director of Education for the London District Catholic School Board.

For more details, read the press release from the Diocese of London.