The Synod on Synodality, 2021-2023: A Faith Community Discerning Communion, Participation & Mission

On Oct. 9 and 10, 2021, a solemn opening was held at the Vatican. A new synod has begun. Before we can understand this exact process of the Synod on Synodality occurring in the Catholic Church and why it is so important, we must have some basic knowledge of what a synod is and how they usually occur.

The word “synod” comes from two Greek words — “syn” means “together” and “hodos” meaning “road” or “way.” This conveys the meaning of journeying together. Synods have taken place within the Catholic Church since the early days of the Church, giving bishops a time to meet together to discuss important issues the Church is facing. Since the Second Vatican Council, synods have been held every two to three years to discuss various topics within the Church. Bishops gather for about one month to hold discussions on the topic for that particular synod. Some of these topics pertained to the Eucharist, the Word of God, the new evangelization, etc.

So what is so unique about this synod? Typically synods are a gathering of bishops. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), “The Synod on Synodality is a two-year process of listening and dialogue… This journey is both a gift and a task: by journeying together and reflecting together on the journey that has been made, the Church will be able to learn through Her experience which processes can help Her to live communion, to achieve participation, to open Herself to mission.”

What does this mean for Saint Michael Parish? This synodal process within the parish began in January 2022, as several listening sessions were held within the parish. This task was spearheaded by parishioners and Pastoral Council members Laurie Karjalahti and Jay Rudd.

“The fact that the Church is asking for this is such a blessing,” Jay says. “I think this is wonderful opportunity for our parish members to be heard and listened to.”

“I think it is a really unique opportunity for people to participate in this synod,” Laurie adds. “It is a worldwide event. Everyone has a voice that can be heard. Hearing each other and supporting each other is very important especially since the isolation caused by COVID.”

The parish has had four listening sessions along with leaders from the parish facilitating smaller sessions within their small groups. The council then puts together a report to send to the archdiocese, which will then be compiled into a report sent to the Vatican.

“Yes, these reports are all being sent in and compiled into a larger report, but I think that this is also an opportunity for our own parish to listen and address the concerns of the local church as well as the universal Church,” Jay says. “We are listening to the parishioners and we can use this information for our own pastoral planning. There are enough common themes for what we know others are saying around the world. These concerns will be heard. But it is a blessing to have this conversation within our own parish.”

Some of the common themes and areas of discussion include concerns about the sex abuse scandals and how they have been handled on a large scale, the number of young people leaving the Church, how everyone is handling the COVID pandemic, the role of women within the Church, and the inconsistencies between bishops.

“Among the discussion of these concerns for the Church, it was also beautiful to hear the many ways that people are being served within our own parish,” Jay says. “Under the leadership of Fr. Jim, we heard a lot about the joy that people have about our parish. We have a great stewardship program and it is really helping the parish thrive.”

Overall, participation in the listening sessions has helped the parish hear from about 300 of our parishioners. Jay and Laurie hope that this is the start of more frequent communication between the parishioners and the parish about concerns that they see and how the parish can further support our faith community.

“People appreciated that their concerns were heard and we hope to continue doing something along these lines as part of our pastoral care in the future,” Jay says.

If you would like more information, updates, and news on the continuing process of this Synod through the world, please visit the Vatican website at www.synod.va.