Archdiocese is calling on parishioners’ input for next stage of Synod
Area Catholics are invited to participate in conversations on how the Church can engage all the baptized in full participation of the Church.
The Vatican and the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops have requested that dioceses around the world hold more listening sessions with clergy, religious individuals, and lay people. These sessions will provide input for the next stage of the Synod, which will occur in October 2024.
The Archdiocese of Newark will hold Synod listening sessions for parishioners on Friday, March 8, and Thursday, March 14, following a Feb. 16 session for staff of the Archdiocese. Sessions will also be held for the clergy on Monday, Feb. 26, and Tuesday, March 5. Sessions in Spanish will be held on Saturday, March 16, and Wednesday, March 20.
The archdiocese is seeking participants for the three-hour sessions, said Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Newark Sister Donna Ciangio.
The listening sessions will delve into the synthesis report released last year after the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October. It was the first time where women and lay people were included in the discernment and voting.
Attendees discussed: How can we be united, not divided, as missionary disciples? How can we effectively carry out the Church’s mission in today’s world? What do we need to do to engage all Christians fully and actively in the mission and ministry of Jesus?
The synthesis report concluded that the Church may need more welcoming pastoral approaches, especially to people who feel excluded while keeping true to traditional church teachings and practices.
The sessions in February and March will discuss portions of the synthesis report that cover the Church as a mission and the roles of clergy and lay people with a focus on women and how to work together to become a listening and accompanying Church.
Last year, when the focus of the synod discussions shifted to mission, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, said, the church knows it can and must rely on “the gifts of everyone.”
The listening sessions will cover the following questions:
- How do the Church structures/organizations, leadership, and life encourage mission and help you and others to encounter Christ?
- What Church structures and cultures cause distress or confusion and hinder the mission today?
- What specific Church structures/organizations, leadership, life welcome, invite, motivate, include, and equip all the baptized to be co-responsible in spreading the Good News of Jesus?
- How can these leadership groups help all the baptized in the community proclaim the Gospel and participate in the mission of the Church?
These discussions in local diocese communities worldwide are being held to prepare for the Synod’s final session in October 2024.
The sessions will result in a report that is due to the U.S. Catholic Conference by April 8. In May, The USCCB will send all of the diocesan reports from around the country to the Synod Committee in Rome.
In 2021, the Archdiocese of Newark entered a time of prayer, dialogue, and listening, called the Synod of Synodality, asking: “How is the Holy Spirit calling us as a Church in the 21st Century?” after Pope Francis invited Catholics — from bishops to the laity — to gather and share their feelings, listen in prayer, and discern a way forward. For the first time, all Catholics were invited into the Synod process, historically reserved for just Bishops.
For more information visit rcan.org/synod/.
Sessions in English:
Friday, March 8, Youth Center, Kearny
Thursday, March 14, St. Helen’s Church, Westfield
Sessions in Spanish:
Saturday, March 16, The Pastoral Center, Newark
Wednesday, March 20, Holy Trinity Parish, Hackensack
Sessions for Clergy:
Monday, Feb. 26, St. Rose of Lima, Short Hills
Tuesday, March 5, St. Anastasia, Teaneck
To register, click here.
