Mindful of the Church as the People of God journeying together in faith and hope, Pope Francis invites us to participate in the Sixteenth Ordinary Synod of Bishops to be held in Rome in 2023. Journeying together means that we all— laity, pastors, the Bishop of Rome, those on the margins— need to listen to one another and to the Holy Spirit. "Synodality," he says, "is the way of being the Church today according to the will of God, in a dynamic of discerning and listening together to the voice of the Holy Spirit."

Pope Francis envisions the synod as a transformative experience— a time of conversion, a time of becoming more fully who we are called to be as Church. "The purpose of the synod," Pope Francis reminds us, is not to produce documents, but "to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another, and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands."

The first phase of the synod calls us to come together, listen to each other, and open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are asked to reflect on the following:
Our parish will gather for Listening Sessions, in person and online, between January 24th and March 5th. The Diocese will synthesize input from parishes and forward a report to the USCCB, which, in turn, will forward a report to the Vatican. The Vatican will then create a working document for the meeting of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023 in Rome.

All are invited to participate in a Listening Session, whether in existing groups, such as Pastoral and Finance Coouncils, Young Adult Group, Bible Study, Book Club, Catechetical leaders, etc., or in general parish gatherings.


For additional information and
helpful resources go to: www.dor/synod