Parish Synod Update
Pope Francis has asked the whole Catholic Church worldwide to engage in a process of discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This process is called a synod. It involves everyone in the Church - clergy, religious, and lay Catholics, each participating according to the gifts and charisms of their vocation.
There are three main phases – Parish, Diocesan, and then country-wide, before submissions by all the countries of the world are to be considered by the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023.
At Parish level, Our Lady of the Assumption held 3 meetings to consider each of the themes (Communion, Participation, and Mission) before Christmas 2021. The feedback from these sessions was collated by the parish representatives (Gerry Kerins and Andy Taylor) and sent to the Diocesan synod committee who collated all the parish inputs into an overall ‘synthesis’ document for the Archdiocese. In March 2022 there was an online meeting to feed back the overall synthesis and to discuss further in small groups. The results of this meeting were incorporated into the draft which was sent out for comment by parish representatives, and the Southwark Archdiocese synthesis was sent to the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales on 8th April 2022.
The Bishops Conference will consider all the Diocesan inputs, and these will be put before the Synod of Bishops next year (2023).
You can download the Archdiocese of Southwark’s synthesis document here. It’s only 16 pages, and worth reading. There are some identified ‘Next Steps’ which the Diocese have already identified as things which need to be worked on – this won’t wait until 2023.
For more information on the Diocesan synod you can look at this page: https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/get-involved/synod/ which has further links to the Catholic Bishops Conference and Vatican sites.
It is important to note that while this is the start of the Synodal process, which will run for 2 years - you can see a lot more at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/synodal-church/ and watch a video explaining the Synod process.
There are three main phases – Parish, Diocesan, and then country-wide, before submissions by all the countries of the world are to be considered by the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023.
At Parish level, Our Lady of the Assumption held 3 meetings to consider each of the themes (Communion, Participation, and Mission) before Christmas 2021. The feedback from these sessions was collated by the parish representatives (Gerry Kerins and Andy Taylor) and sent to the Diocesan synod committee who collated all the parish inputs into an overall ‘synthesis’ document for the Archdiocese. In March 2022 there was an online meeting to feed back the overall synthesis and to discuss further in small groups. The results of this meeting were incorporated into the draft which was sent out for comment by parish representatives, and the Southwark Archdiocese synthesis was sent to the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales on 8th April 2022.
The Bishops Conference will consider all the Diocesan inputs, and these will be put before the Synod of Bishops next year (2023).
You can download the Archdiocese of Southwark’s synthesis document here. It’s only 16 pages, and worth reading. There are some identified ‘Next Steps’ which the Diocese have already identified as things which need to be worked on – this won’t wait until 2023.
For more information on the Diocesan synod you can look at this page: https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/get-involved/synod/ which has further links to the Catholic Bishops Conference and Vatican sites.
It is important to note that while this is the start of the Synodal process, which will run for 2 years - you can see a lot more at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/synodal-church/ and watch a video explaining the Synod process.
Please continue to pray for the Church and for the Synod:
We stand before You, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.
With you along to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
And how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path
nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity
so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You
who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son,
forever and ever.
Amen.
We stand before You, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.
With you along to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
And how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path
nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity
so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You
who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son,
forever and ever.
Amen.
