What is it?
The synod is in response to Pope Francis’ call for us to become a “synodal Church”; in other words, a Church which journeys together. A synod is a council of the Church normally convened for us to think and pray together on an issue of doctrine, administration or application. According to the synod handbook, this particular synod is “an opportunity for the entire people of God to discern together how to move forward on the path towards being a more synodal church in the long-term”. In the first stage, we are called to reflect together as a parish on how to renew our sense of mission in the light of eighteen months’ experience of pandemic.
For more information on the synod, visit our Synod 2023 web page.
How do I participate?
Everyone is encouraged to participate, whether you are a regular church-goer nor not, a Christian or of no faith at all. There are two ways of participating:
1. Attend our Listening Meetings. These are sessions lasting 50-60 minutes, to be held in the Parish Centre. A list of Listening Meetings will be published on the main synod page and on the Events page. You need to book to attend any of the sessions, either online on the Events page or by calling the Parish Office. A leaflet outlining the questions you might want to think about in preparation for the meetings is available in church from this weekend, and you can also download it.
2. Complete the questionnaire. If you are not able to attend the Listening Events, you are invited to complete a short questionnaire, Share Your Thoughts. You can download it and it can also be filled in online. Hard copies can be found at the back of the church. Please ensure you return/submit the completed questionnaire by 30 November.
Your feedback, both from the Listening Meetings and the questionnaire, will be submitted to the diocese. They, in turn, will collect feedback from all parishes which will be put together in a document and sent to Rome for the synod taking place in October 2023.