Synod

Synod update

More than 8100 people attended the Synod Prayer and Listening Events in 2019-20, and more than 68,000 feedback forms were submitted as part of the Parish Consultation with small groups in autumn 2021.  And thanks to your prayers, we are continually amazed at how the Holy Spirit has been providing at each step of the process.

Your Mission Going Forward

While the Parish Consultation behind us, the need to pray is as great as ever. With that in mind, we ask that you continue to be actively involved by doing the following:

1) Pray a Novena to the Holy Spirit

Please pray the attached novena to the Holy Spirit between February 18-26 to support the next step in the process: the Synod Parish Leadership Team Consultation. To download the novena click here.

2) Attend a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit to pray for the Synod

Each month a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit is celebrated to pray for the Synod at a different parish in our Archdiocese. Following Mass is an hour of Eucharistic Adoration.  Click here for the complete schedule.

3) Pass along to your parish the monthly Synod Prayer Intentions

The monthly Synod prayer intentions can be found here. 

Updated information about the Synod can be found here, including an info-graphic that describes what is happening this year with the change in the Deanery Consultation due to COVID.

Here are the Three Focus Areas of the Synod

Focus area #1: Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call.

• Session 1--October 7, 6pm-8pm
  • Topic A: The Good News of Jesus Christ – the “Kerygma”
  • Topic B: Personally encountering Jesus
• Session 2--October 14, 6pm-8pm
  • Topic A: Life-long formation
  • Topic B: Universal call to holiness

Focus area #2: Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization.

• Session 3--October 21, 6pm-8pm
  • Topic A: Welcoming parishes
  • Topic B: Collaboration in parish ministry
• Session 4--October 28, 6pm-8pm
  • Topic A: Liturgy and the Sunday experience
  • Topic B: Sharing the Gospel in word and deed

Focus area #3: Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.

• Session 5--November 4, 6pm-8pm
  • Topic A: Parents as primary educators (birth – adult)
  • Topic B: Helping the young encounter Jesus (birth – grade 6)
• Session 6--November 11, 6pm-8pm
  • Topic A: Youth ministry (grades 6-12)
  • Topic B: Young adult ministry (ages 18-35)

For more information, go to https://www.archspm.org/synod/