In October 2021 Pope Francis officially launched a major event in the history of the church. He invited  1.3 billion Catholics worldwide  to participate in a process of listening and discernment that will culminate in a Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023. Lay representatives will also participate in the synodal gathering.   It is possibility the biggest consultative process in human history.  The purpose of the synod: Pope Francis wants to retrieve an ancient but much more fruitful way of being church together, a synodal way in order to better serve the mission. Synod literally means the path along which the people  walk together. Synodality denotes an image    of people as companions on the journey of faith/life and gathering together in assembly and putting into practice ways of fulfilling the fundamental mission.  Pope  Francis is insisting that Synodality is of the essence of Church.  Synodality represents a model of Church that is more participatory, more dialogical, more merciful.   Francis describes a synodal Church as a church, which listens,  which realises that listening is more important than simply hearing;  rather it is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn:- the people, the college of bishops, the bishop of Rome, all listening to one another  and all listening to the holy Spirit in order to hear  what  the Spirit is saying  to the Church, the People of God today.  It envisages a more decentralised Church, with greater involvement of people at the local level and at the periphery.

Over the next few weeks, every parish in the diocese will be asked by Bishop Phonsie to participate in the listening process. It  will be directed by  specially designated  diocesan team.  The findings from each parish will be forwarded to Bishop’s house where a report, based on the findings, will be collated and forwarded to the Episcopal Conference in Maynooth before May 29th.  Parishioners from St. Joseph & St. Benildus Parish are invited to participate in this Faith Conversation on Monday 9th May at 7.30pm in St. John’s Pastoral Centre.

For more information on the synod see: https://waterfordlismore.ie/pastoral/synod/