Synod – The Way Forward Together
Two weekends ago we heard a letter from our Archbishop John Wilson about the forthcoming Synod that will be taking place in Rome 2023. To help prepare for the Synod, the church throughout the whole world has been invited to take part in a process of listening to the Holy Spirit and discerning how we are being called to bring the Mission of the church further in to our world and be more fruitful. This means that the people of the church, every one of us, must have their opportunity to listen and share what we believe is the best way forward.
As a result, there shall be three meetings in the parish to ask parishioners to express their views on this subject. The meetings will be on the themes Communion, Participation and Mission. To help with our responses we are asked to look at a few questions which will help to guide us. Meetings will last 1 hour and 15 minutes. There will be a short period of Adoration before each meeting which will start at 6:30pm with the meeting starting at 7:00pm. The meetings will be held on:
Friday 12th November 2021: Communion
Focus questions will be:
- What are the ways in which your parish most successfully brings people together?
- In which areas of parish life are you able to discern the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit?
- Christ is present as the Head of the Church. How is this shown in our parish and Community?
- How is the Holy Eucharist the main focal point in our parish life?
Friday 19th November: Participation
- Reflecting on the past 16 months of the pandemic, how has participation in your parish been affected?
- How do you participate currently in the life of the parish?
- Which groups or individuals are least included in your parish and what might be the best way to reach them?
Friday 26th November: Mission
- Are we looking inwards on ourselves in parish life and do we need to look more outwards to the wider community?
- What do you think are the challenges of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ?
- Where is the Holy Spirit calling to mission and service today?
More information can be found on our new Diocesan website: https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/get-involved/synod/
Key documents from the Synod Office in Rome can be found here: https://www.synod.va/en.html
Also a number of resources prepared by our own Diocesan Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis
The Bishops’ Conference Synod 2021-2023 information & frequently asked questions: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/synodal-church/