Synod 2021-2024: Walking Together as Church
At the moment, the Synod on Synodality is in the Continental Stage.
Over the next several months, the seven continents (North America; Europe; Asia; Middle East; Latin America and Caribbean; Africa and Madagascar; and Oceania) will be meeting in their respective ecclesial assemblies to survey the Working Document for the Continental Stage, "Enlarge the Space of Your Tent" (access that document HERE). Each continental assembly will put together a synthesis document to be submitted to the Secretariat of the Synod in Rome by March 31, 2023.
See the FAQ document regarding the North American (Canada and US) Continental Stage and its process HERE.
BACKGROUND: As you know, the Synod began last year during February and March in our own Diocese of Calgary. The information gathered during the Listening Sessions in each of our parishes was then submitted to the office of the Bishop and synthesized into the report below (dated June 17, 2022), which was sent to the Western Conference of Catholic Bishops as our diocese's contribution to the synodal journey of the universal Church requested by Pope Francis.
Next, our Diocesan Report was synthesized together with those from the other regions in Canada in a National Report (read HERE) and sent (August 15, 2022) to the Holy See for synthesis into Continental Reports.
YET TO COME: Following the Continental Stage, the seven synthesis documents gleaned from the seven continental meetings will become the material to be discussed at the first general Synod of Bishops scheduled in Rome during October 2023 followed by a second general Synod of Bishops in October 2024.
A note from Bishop McGrattan, "THANK YOU for your participation . . . during the synodal process. The fruits of our communal discernment remain with us . . . we consider the many emerging themes and realities relating to the Church’s pastoral life presented in the document as the Spirit’s call to further discernment and ultimately conversion in each of our parishes and communities."
See what the Listening Sessions our own Diocese said in the synthesized document BELOW.
Synod Synthesis_Diocese of Calgary_UPDJune17.pdfSt. Mary's Parish (Cochrane) Synodal
Listening Sessions, 2022
Thanks to St. Mary's Synod Committee and Fr. Dennis, our parish hosted two listening sessions (March 27 in-person and March 29 on Zoom). About sixty participants met and collaborated through reflection and prayer to answer Pope Francis' call to Catholics world-wide about their personal experiences journeying together as Church. Participants then discerned what steps the Holy Spirit is inviting all of us to take—as Church—to grow in "synodality". The Synodal Theme Song, "Listen, Let Us Listen" (presented in the video on the left) was part of our listening sessions.