Sat, Nov 07
|St. Charles Lwanga Center (Old St. Rita)
The Umoja Circle: After A Merger
Celebrate Black Catholic History Month! The Umoja Circle…A Black Catholic Community Synodal Process for Parish Renewal After a Merger *RSVP/Registration is only for those staying for lunch
Time & Location
Nov 07, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
St. Charles Lwanga Center (Old St. Rita), 8240 Washington St, St. Louis, MO 63114, USA
Guests
About the event
Please Help Us Welcome Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns!
Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns is the Director of Adult Learning (formerly Adult Faith Formation) at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Community in Minneapolis, a parish that describes its vision as being a visible, progressive Catholic community that is compassionate and welcoming to all. She joined the parish in 2016, when its pastor asked her to serve as spiritual director, and in that role, she has come to hear the many ways people experience God working in their lives.
She holds a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction from the Graduate Theological Foundation in Florida and serves as adjunct faculty at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She is an experienced spiritual director, supervisor, and retreat leader, with a particular focus on human development, spiritual formation, soul care for lay and ordained leaders, and sacred activism.
In 2023, Dr. Bailey Manns made history as one of four laypeople from the United States chosen to serve as a voting member at the Synod on Synodality in Rome — the first synod to include lay men and women as voting delegates alongside cardinals, bishops, and priests. She returned as a voting delegate for the second general assembly in October 2024, and also represented the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in the Continental phase of pre-Synod preparations, as well as on a team that worked with the World Council of Churches and the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity to help draft materials for the 2023 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
She has also been active in Discerning Deacons, a group advocating for the inclusion of women in the diaconate, and served in her archdiocese's local synod process, which began in 2019. Archbishop Bernard Hebda has praised her as "a superb listener and articulate dialogue partner," citing her years of experience in parish ministry and spiritual direction.
Reflecting on her role, Dr. Bailey Manns has described her hope of "planting seeds and creating processes that may move things forward," trusting that others will continue that work after her. She lives with her family in Bloomington, Minnesota.
We look forward to having her!