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What a blessed journey we have begun together!
Thank you for your participation in the Diocesan Phase of the Synod on Synodality, and for the renewed commitment to grow together as a family of faith, hope and charity in the vocation and mission of Christian holiness through the Church and within the world. Come, Holy Spirit! Similar to the experience of the first disciples who did not know how their journey with Jesus would unfold, many of us had never even heard of the word “synod” or “synodality” when our Bishop called us to join him and the People of God across the Diocese to engage in a process of encounter, listening, and discernment that is both ancient in its origin but also new in practice for many. With complete trust and obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we began the synodal journey together, meeting in small groups in parishes, communities, schools, listening to the Word of God, sharing with one another that which was most intimate in our hearts – the longing to grow closer to Christ and His Church. |
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Watch highlights of our Synodal Journey in this 4-minute video:
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Synod Experience Testimonies
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Shelley Kehrig
St. Bonaventure Parish |
Gayleen Hamilton
Catholic Women's League |
Heather Irvine
Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education |
What the Holy Spirit inspired
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“The synod experience was one that allowed our parishioners to move from a period of isolation to gathering once more and in doing so discovering each other’s stories of faith. This was just the beginning of a renewal for our parish and Church in listening to the hurts of the past and to forge forward with hope to grow stronger together.” |
- A SYNOD PARTICIPANT
What is a Synod?
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The word “synod” has its roots in Greek means “journeying together.” A Synod is thus an ecclesial event that involves the laity, religious and clergy listening and speaking, praying and discerning together, and placing the hopes and concerns of the People of God at the foot of the Bishops, who, united with the Pope, decide matters of faith, morals and disciplines in order to preserve the faith and strengthen the mission of the Church in the world.
At the centre of the Synod is Jesus Christ, not the Church. A Synod, therefore, is not a parliament, a game of parties, or an opinion poll where one who has more strength subjects the other. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, there will be no Synod. |
The heart of the synodal experience is listening. Listening requires us to empty our minds of pre-conceived notions or opinions which may not be of God. It requires faith – do we truly believe that God wishes to speak to us in the depth of our being? It requires resilience – the Holy Spirit will reveal things to us in God’s time and as the Spirit wishes. It requires obedience – our entering into this exercise will demonstrate our humility and our desire to be true disciples of Jesus.
The first phase of the Synod on Synodality (October 2021 to April 2022) involves an extensive consultation and listening phase at all levels in each Diocesan Church. This will be followed by consultations on the continental level, leading up to the Synod of Bishops in October 2023 in Rome. Vertical Divider
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The Church exists to evangelize
During the synodal consultations, we gather around the Word of God, rooted in prayer, to listen to one another as we respond to the Synod Fundamental Question, and to provide the Bishop with individual or group feedback, our discerned ideas, reactions and suggestions on how we can help foster communion, renewal, and grow a missionary heart within the Church, to better witness to the Gospel, especially with those who live on the spiritual, social, economic, political, geographical, and existential peripheries of our community. |
The Fundamental Questions of the SynodThe Gospels frequently show us Jesus “on a journey”; he walks alongside people and listens to the questions and concerns in their hearts. Jesus shows us that God is not distant but he walks at our side and meets us wherever we are, often on the rocky roads of life. This is the “style” of God who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity.
A synodal Church, faithful to Jesus in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together”:
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Pastoral Discernment Advisory Committee (PDAC)
The Committee has been established by the Bishop to facilitate and sustain the pathways for consulting the People of God during the Diocesan Phase of the Synod and for the continuing renewal of the Diocese.
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