Dear Friends
We are hearing more and more these days, especially in Church circles, about Synodality. The word comes from Greek, meaning “common road” or “journeying together.” The Synod process is Pope Francis’ way of inviting us to listen to all people, especially those on the outer edges or periphery. He has expressed repeatedly that no person is outside of God’s love and mercy. The Synod is a way for every Catholic to have a voice, to have their thoughts and input heard and valued.
In preparation for the 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome, Pope Francis has asked every local Church to undertake their own synodal phase of prayerful listening, dialogue, and discernment, on how the Church is journeying together and fulfilling our mission in the world. Bishop Burbidge has asked all our parishes and other local institutions to host synodal Listening Sessions, and every person is encouraged to participate. St. John Neumann hopes to have several listening sessions. There will be a parish-wide one that will take place on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 7:00pm. In addition, we are planning to have other ones that will target specific populations, for example, our Spanish Community following one of their Sunday Masses. We plan to hold another
one that will reach out to our seniors at a time and place conducive to them.
We have developed a brief survey to complement these sessions. This will be available in the near future. Please keep on the look-out for it in our bulletin and on our social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) in the near future. When it is released, we encourage you to invite family members, friends, and neighbors to participate in the survey, regardless of their status in the Catholic Church. While anyone can complete the survey, we hope that it will reach the hands of those who have left the Church or who are inactive for a variety of reasons.
We will share additional Synod information in the coming weeks.
We invite individuals, families, any group, or liturgical assembly to use the Prayer for the Synod on Synodality.
Live Jesus,
Fr. Joe
Prayer for the Synod on Synodality
We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone 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
