Last October, Pope Francis called for a Synod on Synodality. The Pope wants to hear from the whole Church about what is happening in local parishes and what we think needs to be done to help make our parishes better.
Synod means “journeying together” and in doing so, listening to the Holy Spirit and to one another as brothers and sisters in the Sonship of Jesus Christ. The word Synodality means “the specific way of living and operating of the Church, the People of God, which reveals and gives substance to her being as communion when all her members journey together, gather in assembly and take an active part in her evangelizing mission” – International Theological Commission.
This current Synod creates opportunities and encourages participation to encounter one another in the Holy Spirit as to be re-energized and re-committed to taking active part in the mission of evangelizing the whole world starting with our neighbors. It is an exercise in mutual listening to the Holy Spirit and to one another.
Here in our parish, on Wednesday, February 23rd, at 2:00pm and Thursday, March 3rd, at 6:00pm, we will localize the Synodal process by having consultations, listening to each other and discerning what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, the People of God in the Forest Park area. I invite you to please plan to come to either or both dates and give voice to your thoughts and inspiration on what and how our parish could do better. The structure for the consultation is as follows:
Opening prayer; short opening remark by the facilitator; explanation of the purpose of the evening, roles and process; focus on the consultation with questions; group discussions (if needed); brief evaluation and closing prayer. We would be using the Church space and would not go beyond two hours. If you cannot attend on either of these dates, you could still send in your thoughts via email to synod@diospringfield.org
I am looking forward to seeing you then!
God bless you always!
Fr. Stan