Mass Times at St. Mary's

Synod 2021-2024:

Walking Together as

Church

What is SYNODALITY?*

*DEFINITION of SYNODALITY: walking together, listening to one another, dialoguing, hearing the other, learning from the other. The three key pillars of Synodality are Communion, Participation, and Mission with no hierarchy between them. The Synod on Synodality is also known as the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops—but this time the Synod is historically very different.

NOTE: this page is chock-full of information, so to help you navigate its length, use the following "Contents" and click on the areas you wish to explore.

CONTENTS of this page: click a title to access its section

NEXT STEP?

Welcome to Journey of Encounter ! You’re invited!

Sunday June 15 to Wednesday June 18, 2025

Waterloo, Ontario

Whether you have been following the Synod on Synodality since it began in October 2021 or you are new to the conversation, you are welcome! We would like to invite you to accompany us on a journey of encounter to embrace synodality as pilgrims of hope at a time when hope is so desperately needed in our church and in our world.

“Synodality is the path that God expects from the Church of the Third Millennium.” — Pope Francis

In June 2025, at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario,

Catholics from across Canada will gather to experience first-hand

this idea of synodality.

Guided by Canadian Synod delegates who attended the meetings in Rome in 2023 and 2024, and supported by a Steering Committee of leaders from many Canadian Catholic organizations, we will gather, pray, listen, speak and celebrate! In this way, we will have a direct experience of the synodal method and learn how to apply it as we seek to discern what the Spirit is saying to the church in Canada.

But, what exactly is synodality? you ask.

Pope Francis has called us to remember that the core of our faith is the Good News that Jesus came to bring to ALL people – not just a privileged few. Todos! Todos! Todos! (Everyone! Everyone! Everyone!)

We are all members of God’s family, and God speaks through everyone. If we want to come closer to God, we must come closer to one another – in a spirit of genuine encounter.

How do we do this? By learning and practising the synodal process that was modelled at the Synod in Rome. And doing that right here in Canada.

“Now, the journey continues in the local Churches and their groupings, treasuring the Final Document that was voted on and approved by the Assembly in all its parts on 26 October ... The local Churches and groupings of Churches are now called upon to implement, in their different contexts, the authoritative proposals contained in the Document….”

— An accompanying note by the Holy Father Francis, Final Document from the Synod on Synodality, p. 3.

Synodality may be an unfamiliar word, but the idea behind it is not: It means to walk to together on a common path. The image of people walking together on a path is so human and so familiar. How many of us have gone for a long walk with friends and, as we walked, perhaps shared some deep thoughts or experiences? When we stop for a rest or arrive at our destination, we reflect on the journey together and discover key moments of insight. As we listen to one another’s experience of the journey, new perspectives come clear, our horizon is widened, our communion is deepened.

Here are some resources that explain synodality, if you wish to delve more deeply: https://www.schoolforsynodality.org.uk/synodality-explainers

Who is invited to the Synodal Gathering at St. Jerome’s in June?

This gathering is meant for anyone who is curious about the Synod on Synodality and what it might mean for the Canadian church.
It is for those who are sure and those who are not. It is for those who are already actively working in various parts of the church and for those who are still trying to find their place.
It is for those who are looking for opportunities to come together with fellow Catholics – lay, clergy, religious – to explore the challenges and the joys, the hopes and the fears that go with trying to follow Jesus in our place and time.

If you are aged 18 to 90+ and want to learn more about synodality, this gathering is for you.
If you are not sure what synodality might mean for your faith and how you express it, this gathering is for you.
If you are already very engaged in the synodal project and want to deepen your understanding and learn how to do it better, this gathering is for you.
If you are part of a community or parish that is exploring how to make synodality more of a reality where you are, this gathering is for you.
If you are feeling a bit isolated or alone in your desire for a more synodal experience of church, this gathering is for you.
If you are looking for ways to ground your parish’s or organization’s activities more deeply in listening and prayer, this gathering is for you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about "Journey of Encounter", see info@synodalchurch.ca

Topics on that website include: Home / Who Are We? / Register to Attend / Sponsors / Program / Resources / Getting Here / Make a Donation / Media Updates

**The SYNOD's Conclusion in Oct. 2024 - The NEWS:

**NOTE: As of October 26th, 2024 the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality concluded at least as far as the Vatican meetings are concerned.

Now comes the IMPLEMENTATION, the ACTION Stage of the Synod, which will unfold in each diocese and parish around the world. In the words of Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, we must ask ourselves, "What seems right to us as the next step for our local Church?" In other words, how shall we enact the guiding principles as outlined in the Final Document?
See article in the Vatican News entitled, "Pope: The Synod Document is a Gift to the People of God" HERE.
The English version/translation of the FINAL REPORT is available HERE.
OR for a shortened version/summary of the Final Report as compiled by Ken Hagel of St. Mary's, click HERE.

Delegates for the Final Session of the Synod gathered at the Vatican Oct. 2-27, 2024. The session began on Oct. 2 with an outdoor Mass.

Events that Concluded the Final Session:

October 27, 2024 —the Final Document of the Synod was first made available in Italian and German at the very end of the Session.
November 13, 2024 —a few weeks later, an English translation of the Final Document of the Synod was published. Access it HERE. If you wish to read an abbreviated SUMMARY of the Final Document as compiled by St. Mary's parishioner, Ken Hagel, click HERE.
November 2024 — Pope Francis writes that "the Synod Document is a Gift to the People of God"; read it HERE.
JANUARY 2025 — most notably, the Synod on Synodality is not considered "over." It will not be complete until the IMPLEMENTATION/ACTION Stage of the Synod is experienced in each and every parish and diocese. What will that look like?

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Fall 2023 to Fall 2024: The Synod's Progress

SESSION ONE of the Synod closed at the end of October 2023.

November 2023 — The final SYNTHESIS REPORT from the First Session 2023 (41 pages—access HERE) became the guide for local discussions through 2024 until May when the input from the People of God must be submitted to the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome in preparation for the October 2024 SECOND SESSION to be held in Rome.

December 2023 — What are we to do while we wait? STEPS were suggested by the Secretary General of the Synod for the People of God/the Church to take during the months between October 2023 and the SECOND SESSION of the SYNODAL ASSEMBLY in October 2024 in the document entitled, "Towards October 2024." Input could be sent to the General Secretariat of the Synod by May 15, 2024. See also this news article, "Pope Francis will choose the 'big questions' for further Synod study, but the local Church has a role too," from The BC Catholic online news, December 13, 2023.

February 2024 — Dates were set for the Second Session of the Synod: October 2 - 27, 2024. Read the news release HERE.

February 7, 2024 — the Pope along with his Cardinal Advisors concluded their meeting on the topics of synodality, evangelization, and women's role in the church. Read the BNN Online News report about that meeting HERE. Insights about these topics will guide further discussion after Easter.

IMPORTANT:

an omission and a necessary addition

Parish priests were notably missing at the Synod in 2023. To correct the oversight, 300 were invited to Rome at the end of April 2024 to "listen, pray, and discern" in preparation for meeting with Pope Francis on May 2 and to provide input for the Final Session of the Synod in October 2024. Read the news article HERE.

March 2024— Notably, TEN STUDY GROUPS were formed "to tackle different themes deemed 'matters of great relevance' by the first session in October 2023. These groups will continue to meet through June 2025 but will provide an update on their progress at the second session in OCTOBER 2024." An article about the TEN TOPICS OF STUDY can be found in Vatican News HERE.

MARCH 27th— three priests from Canada (including one from Calgary) were named to the group of Priests going to Rome; read the announcement HERE.

APRIL 28 to MAY 2 of 2024 — As mentioned above, 300 parish priests were invited to meet at the Vatican from Read the news article HERE or (or click on the picture above).

JULY 9, 2024—at a press conference by Cardinals Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich, and in preparation for the Second Session of the Synod in OCTOBER 2024, a NEW INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS (IL-2) —the working document/tool—was introduced.
- - - - Read a news report about the new guiding document in the Catholic News Agency Newsletter HERE.
        Read a report from the National Catholic Reporter, entitled, "How to be a synodal church: Vatican synod agenda focuses on participation and inclusion, not hot button issues," HERE.
        Find a separate overview of the INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS (IL-2) from Vatican News HERE.
        And to see/read the the ACTUAL DOCUMENT IL-2 (in PDF format), click HERE.

July 25, 2024—To see a report from the CCCB (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops) re. the upcoming Synod on Synodality in October, click HERE.

So we wait now till October 2024 for the Second Session to begin. In the meantime, there are some NEXT STEPS that we, the People of God — lay people (women and men), religious orders (women and men), priests, and bishops — can take. The People of God , the Church, are invited to provide input on issues for consideration as identified in the FINAL SYNTHESIS REPORT. Each Parish and/or Diocese around the world has been asked to organize for discernment. You can read an article suggesting "next steps" HERE.

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The SYNODAL PROCESS Diagram:

What has already transpired in the Synod on Synodality? Stages 1, 2, and most of Stage 3 as shown in the diagram above were completed up till October 2023. The Second Session of the XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (or the Synod on Synodality) begins in October 2024.

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The SYNODAL SONG:

Thanks to St. Mary's Synod Committee and Fr. Dennis, our parish hosted two listening sessions in 2022 —March 27 in-person and March 29 on Zoom.

St. Mary's Parish (Cochrane) Synodal Listening Sessions Spring of 2022

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.

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Fall 2021 to Fall 2023: The Synod's Background

As you know, the Synod was announced by Pope Francis in the Fall of 2021 and the work of "synodality" began around the world in Spring 2022. In our own Diocese of Calgary during February through April 2022, the information gathered from the parishes during their Listening Sessions was submitted to the Office of Bishop McGrattan in May 2022.

On June 17, 2022, after synthesizing the results of the parish Listening Sessions, the Calgary Diocesan Report (to the right) was published. In appreciation of the participation and results of the Diocese of Calgary's many parish Listening Sessions, Bishop McGrattan, stated the following: "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."

Also on June 17, 2022 all the Diocesan Reports from across Western Canada were sent to the Western Conference of Catholic Bishops. These were synthesized together with those from the other regions in Canada into the National/Canadian Report (read it HERE).

On August 15, 2022, the Canadian Report joined other reports from around the world being sent to the Holy See in Rome.

Between August 2022 and January 2023 the Secretariat of the Synod in Rome produced a working document, the CONTINENTAL STAGE of the SYNOD, the basis of study and discernment for the next stage. The document was called "Enlarge the Space of Your Tent" (access HERE).

January through March 2023, witnessed the Continental Stage of the Synod where the seven continents — North America; Europe; Asia; Middle East; Latin America and Caribbean; Africa and Madagascar; and Oceania—met in their respective assemblies to discuss/process the working document ("Enlarge the Space of Your Tent") and gather their findings to return to the Secretariat in Rome by March 31, 2023. See FAQ regarding the North American Continental Stage (involving Canada and US) and the process followed HERE.

By June 2023, the seven documents produced in the seven continental assemblies were synthesized to become Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the Universal Synod FIRST SESSION slated for October 2023. You can access Instrumentum Laboris HERE.

In July 2023, DELEGATES representing Canada and the United States for the October Synod at the Vatican were announced. Click HERE for that announcement in the news. Lay delegates (including lay women and men) were added to the list of bishop, priests, and those religious who would attend and vote at the Synod on Synodality.

September 21, 2023, excitement was building as the opening of the Synod on Synodality approached. For instance, see this news article: "The Biggest Thing in the Catholic Church since Vatican II," HERE.

September 30, 2023 began a three-day ECUMENICAL PRAYER VIGIL (see HERE) prior to the opening of the Synod on October 4th.

OCTOBER 4th to 29th, 2023: the FIRST STAGE/SESSION of the UNIVERSAL SYNOD took place at the Vatican in Rome. Assemblies were held in the Paul VI Hall (instead of the Vatican’s Synod Hall that had been used for previous synods) with delegates sitting at round tables of about 10 people each. The document discussed was the synthesized Intrumentum Laboris.

A view of the Synod on Synodality held in Rome in October 2023 in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican.

Through the four weeks of October 2023 during round table discussions, the delegates listened and discussed the various modules of the working document, Instrumentum Laboris.

Below is a view of the seating at past Synods of the Bishops held at the Vatican.

October 4 - 29, 2023: for a good overview (in pictures) of the proceedings of the 2023 Session of the Synod on Synodality, check out the report on the Vatican News site HERE.

October 26th, 2023, as the FIRST SESSION of the Synod was drawing to a close, the assembly of delegates produced a Letter to the People of God from the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops — read it HERE. This letter was the first of two documents expected to emerge from the synod gathering. The second—”the synthesis report [which] will specify the points of agreement we have reached, highlight the open questions, and indicate how our work will proceed”—was expected to be released upon completion on October 28-29, 2023.

October 27, 2023— Press briefings were being held every day of the Synod. HERE is the video of the Friday, Oct. 27th briefing.

October 29, 2023—Finally, at the close of the FIRST SESSION of the Synod, the FINAL SYNTHESIS REPORT (41-pages) was revealed— click HERE to read it. This report would provide the guide for discussions and decisions in the SECOND SESSION of the SYNOD in Rome in October 2024 .

On October 29, 2023, at the end of the FIRST SESSION of the SYNOD ON SYNODALITY in Rome, the participants compiled "reflections and proposals on topics such as the role of women and the laity, the ministry of bishops, priesthood and the diaconate, the importance of the poor and migrants, digital mission, ecumenism, and abuse"— a quote from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) website found HERE. These topics and others will be considered for October 2024 at the SECOND SESSION of the UNIVERSAL SYNOD.

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