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8 November 2021
Dear friends,
Pope Francis has invited you to take part in this historic synod and I add my own invitation to be an active participant as we enter into the synodal process her at St. Pius V. This is something that involves all of the people of God.
I cannot tell you exactly how this is going to work. We pray for guidance of the Holy Spirit and follow where he leads us, perhaps along surprising paths.
What is important is that we offer our time to God for the good of his church and gather to listen to one another and discuss what we hear and share our stories and inspiration with the whole church through the synodal process which is described below.
I especially ask for your commitment to help with this process by becoming a facilitator, a scribe who will keep a record what we hear, or to help with the organization of these parish gatherings in some other way. This a commitment that may involve 2-3 hours a week at most. Like the widow in the gospel who had nothing to spare, yet gave the 2 small coins which was all she had, I know that none of you have time to spare, yet I ask you give these 2 short hours.
We will let you know about trainings to prepare for these roles as soon as possible, but we ask you to commit today.
May the Father bless as you follow Christ through the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Fr. Joe
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The Syndodal Process
The plan is that this synod will take place in three phases. During the first phase, the diocesan phase, we will gather to listen to those who wish to be heard about the Church. The goal of this listening phase is to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church through the people of the parish. The listening phase is not to answer questions you may have about the Church, nor to engage in arguments.
As Pope Francis said when he opened the diocesan phase for the Diocese of Rome of which he is the Bishop, the listening is “to provide an opportunity to tell one’s story and speak freely.”
A synod is not something new for our Church. Its origins are found in the early Church. The modern popes – Saint Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis – have conducted 15 synods on a variety of topics. Pope Francis has presided over five synods. What is new and unique about this synod is that before the meeting of the bishops in Rome in October 2023 there will be extensive worldwide listening to what people, both in and out of the Church, have to say about the Church.
The synodal process is arranged to follow these phases. The diocesan phase, the listening sessions, will begin now and conclude in April 2022. A summary of what people in our Diocese have said during the interviews will be submitted to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), where it will
synthesized into a national summary of the listening sessions conducted in all the dioceses of the United States.
That summary from the Church in the United States will be included with summaries from the worldwide listening consultations. From that worldwide consultation the first draft of the working document, called the Instrumentum Laboris, will be prepared. -
Synod Questions
We would like you to begin thinking about your answers to some questions that will help form our discussions. Share your answers with us (anonymously) - CLICK HERE.
1) How has the church in this diocese been important in your life?
2) How does your parish serve the needs of minorities, the poor, the sick, and those generally excluded from society?
3) How are members of our church invited to share their talents with the parish and surrounding community?
4) What tools or processes does your parish employ to promote transparency and accountability?
5) Why do you come or not come to mass?
6) What would you like to see change in your parish community?
7) What are some things you would like to change in the celebration of the mass?
8) How does your parish relate to the other Christian Churches or communities? Should more be done?
9) What is the best part of belonging to your parish community?
