Last Sunday afternoon I had the honor of participating in the opening Mass for the Diocesan Synod as part of the worldwide Church’s response to Pope Francis’ call for the next meeting for the 2021-2023 Synod of Bishops: For a Synodial Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. Although on the surface it may sound redundant – calling a Synod on Synodality (in effect, calling a “meeting on meetings”) – I think that Bishop O’Connell’s reflection on the hopes for this important event is worth pondering. 

From its beginning, the Church has relied on the promptings of the Holy Spirit to determine direction for teachings and on how to respond to the crises that have transpired during its two millennium history – and this Synod continues on that tradition. To paraphrase Pope Francis on the function of this Synod, “meeting in common is the specific way of living and operating of the Church, the People of God.” Of course, this does not set aside the role of the Pope or the bishops, but it does work in their response to the sensus fidelium – the action of the Holy Spirit working through the faithful when “they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 92). While not yet having a concrete, final plan of the two-year Synod, it has a three part overall structure: 

Bishop O’Connell has expressed great interest in participating using the opening guidelines provided for the Synod, which can be found at https://www.synod.va/en/news/preparatory-document.html and his pastoral discourse may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhEqGPORjbg. He has also encouraged that parishes regularly turn to prayer, particularly in using the Holy See Prayer for the Success of the Synod, which Visitation Parish will use before the beginning of weekend Masses during the Synod:

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.