The Synod: Have you heard that we are listening?

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

I have not yet had the privilege to meet Pope Francis in person. I hope that I may have that opportunity sometime in the coming year (or years). Yet, without having met him in person, I feel that I have gotten to know him better, especially in the past year. I was somewhat surprised to learn, as I was preparing this column, that the first announcement of the Synod on Synodality was made on March 7, 2020, almost exactly two years ago. My first recollection of hearing about the Synod was in spring 2021. It turns out that the Synod, like so many other things, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The documents for the implementation of the Synod, including a “Vademecum” (guidebook), were issued by the Vatican in September 2021. I hope that most readers of this column and most of the faithful in our Diocese have at least some sense that the Synod is taking place.

I say that I have gotten to know Pope Francis better during this past year because I have learned how strongly he believes that “synodality” is at the heart of who we are and who we are called to be as the Church, as we (literally) journey together as missionary disciples. I hope that this synodal process will help many in the Church to feel closer to Pope Francis and, ultimately, closer to one another. As we have been implementing the diocesan phase of the Synod during these past few months, I have been very encouraged by the response. In many ways, we are just getting started. The next few months, through the end of May, will be a very important time, as many parishes and other communities throughout our Diocese will be engaging in encounters, listening sessions, and outreach to invite as many as possible to participate in the process.

This week marks a significant moment because we are announcing the opening of an online portal (see link at the end of this column) through which anyone in the Diocese or outside the Diocese can participate in the synodal process by clicking on the portal and responding to the questions about their experience of the Church, of the way in which the Church has accompanied them on their journey (of life and faith), and suggesting ways that the Church can do better, especially with regard to listening and accompaniment.

So, as you read this column, please consider this a “personal invitation,” to be part of the synod process, either through an opportunity in your parish or the online portal. Also, I ask all readers to consider inviting others to participate, especially those who have not yet heard about the synod or have not had an opportunity to participate though their parish. Your encounter with them and inviting them to participate, is, I believe, part of what Pope Francis has in mind as he encourages us to reflect on what it means to be a “Synodal Church.”

Personally, I have been doing my best to listen as much as possible as we have begun this process. In the past two months, I have visited nine of our 12 deaneries, which are groupings of parishes that are geographically close to one another and led by a priest who serves as the Dean. I will be visiting the other three in the coming weeks. One thing that I have heard and realized is that, in addition to making our Christmas and New Year celebrations very difficult, the “Omicron” variant and surge of COVID-19 that occurred in December and January also impacted our synodal efforts and planning. While we have certainly learned that conversation and meetings can take place virtually and by “Zoom,” we have learned that it is difficult to plan meetings, activities, and encounters, when we have to frequently cancel them because someone tested positive and/or has been exposed to the virus. While we remain careful and vigilant, we can also be optimistic and grateful that, with regard to COVID, we are in a much better place in recent weeks and going in a very good direction. For this reason, I am very optimistic that the coming weeks and months will be a very good time for the synod process.

Another theme I have heard in our deanery meetings involves the enthusiasm of the synod delegates, who have been asked by their pastors or have volunteered to attend the training session offered by our Diocese. So many of the delegates are now working with their pastor and other parish leaders to begin the listening process with groups already present within the parish, as well as with groups whose voices often go unheard. In addition to inviting each of you who read The Beacon to participate and to invite others, I also ask your prayers and patience with the process.

As I have gotten to know Pope Francis better because of his invitation to the whole Church and even the whole human family to be part of the Synod on Synodality, I feel he is also asking each of us to be patient with the process and with one another. I have also heard, through letters and emails, that some feel we are not doing enough to publicize and let people know about the synod. I feel badly that I am not able to reply to each email or letter personally, but, as I have previously mentioned, I do try to read each message I receive. Those who feel that we are not doing enough with the synod are motivating me and many in our diocesan leadership to do as much as we possibly can, not only to get the word out that we are indeed listening, but also to listen carefully and prayerfully. In so many ways, we are just getting started. As we move further along in this process together, I am convinced that the synod will be a wonderful and grace-filled journey for our Diocese and for the whole Church.

To share your experience and participate in the synod through the Diocese’s online portal, go to https://rcdop.org/synod-public-form