Pope Francis leads opening prayer during a meeting of cardinals in the synod hall at the Vatican in 2014. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Vatican City — To the list of members of the Synod of Bishops elected by national bishops' conferences, Pope Francis added cardinals from 14 countries, bishops from another 10 nations, as well as 10 priests who be full voting members of the gathering.

The pope's appointees to the synod were announced Sept. 15 and included Canadian Cardinal Gerald LaCroix of Quebec and U.S. Cardinals Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and Blase Cupich of Chicago.

The synod will meet Oct. 3-28 at the Vatican to focus on "young people, faith and vocational discernment."

Francis also named as full voting members of the synod Blessed Sacrament Fr. Robert Stark, director of the Office of Social Ministry of the Diocese of Honolulu, and Canadian Jesuit Fr. Michael Czerny, undersecretary of the Vatican Section for Migrants and Refugees.

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and U.S. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, will be synod members by virtue of their Vatican posts.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had elected as their delegates to the synod: Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, conference president; Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, conference vice president; Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles.

They also elected Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, but he is listed by the Vatican as an automatic member since he is part of the synod's permanent council.