Synodal listening sessions offer glimpse of what parishes need
Last October, the Archdiocese of Newark joined dioceses worldwide in celebrating the launch of “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church,” a two-year re-examination of the way the Catholic Church is listening to and walking with its parishioners. Since then, the Archdiocese has hosted 28 listening sessions, mostly in person, culminating in more than 3,000 pages of reports from its parishes.
The Synodal process, which Pope Francis has called “walking on the same road together,” invites us to work with priests, lay ministers, parish leaders, parents, youth, and other Catholics. Individuals from almost all 212 archdiocesan parishes across four counties (Bergen, Union, Essex, and Hudson) participated in the listening sessions. In the last few months, local parish priests have hosted Synod sessions at times to accommodate as many participants as possible.
“Many of the respondents brought up several positive aspects of the Catholic Church and their local parishes, including how welcoming they are to all, as well as the need to better welcome immigrants and marginalized people,” said Sister Donna Ciangio, O.P., Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Newark, who is leading the Synodal process locally. “Some improvement needs include engaging young Catholics in all aspects of parish life, including councils, liturgical ministry and more. Additionally, respondents from almost every parish listed ‘adult faith formation’ as a need, calling for ways to provide the environment for a deeper encounter with Christ.”
The Archdiocese of Newark received input from its Catholic schools, campus ministers, people with disabilities, and other participants, including marginalized people through Catholic Charities, Mercy House, and incarcerated persons. Additionally, to reach as many faithful as possible, the Archdiocese has provided resources on its website in different languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, French, Polish, and Korean.
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark, has also been fully involved throughout the local Synodal process. “He has visited parishes to explain synodality, produced videos to engage youth, and engaged and taught the faithful about this process through his homilies,” said Sister Donna.
During Black History Month in February, the Archdiocese conducted significant outreach to its African American and Caribbean apostolate, where the Archdiocese hosted Synod sessions following Masses. Additionally, Cardinal Tobin hosted an Encuentro Synodal to engage Hispanic leaders and youth.
Another common theme in parish feedback is that Catholics seek guidance and a way forward. Many local churches are looking for direction on how to reach out to the faithful, especially those who have not returned to church since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
“As a result of what we learned from the synodal listening sessions, our goal is that, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we will all work together to create a shared vision for our whole archdiocesan community,” said Sister Donna.
The Archdiocese gathered and synthesized all the information and shared it with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at the end of June. Ultimately, the work of all dioceses, religious communities, and others worldwide will inform the global Synod on Synodality that will take place in Rome in October 2023.
“By looking outward and engaging with the Catholic faithful, we will glean what the Holy Spirit is asking of the Church in the 21st century,” said Sister Donna.
Visit the Archdiocese of Newark’s Synod webpage to access materials related to the synodal process in different languages. For other news stories about the local synod process, visit JerseyCatholic.org.
