Synod 2021 - 2023

Pope Francis has called a Synod of Bishops which will come together in Rome in 2023. Synod means ’on the road together’.

The reason there is such a long lead in time is that the Pope wants the whole  Church to be involved in it. Over the next two years he wants us to practice being ‘Synodal’, walking together and praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we will hear what God is saying to us now in these days.

The Pope uses three words when he talks about this Synod and they are: Communion, Participation, Mission.

During the two year process as we talk to one another and listen to each other in every parish the Pope wants the Holy Spirit to call out the missionary in each one of us. It brings to mind our motto here at St. Joseph Parish over the past few years “Go make Disciples”.

The coming years presents us with the big challenge for the Church to create a new culture with opportunities for everyone to make their commitment and get involved in the Mission.

The Pope wants the Church to rediscover the treasure of communion in order to be a light for a world that is so lacking in communion. In a world beset with division and rancor the Church of Jesus Christ is called to be a sign of unity, a witness to what God wants for the world.

I look forward to all of us here at St. Joseph Parish participating in the process.

Fr. Noel

 

Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito invites all the faithful to pray for the Synod, watch his video message, and read his column to learn about the Synod process. 

https://www.diocesepb.org/synod.html

 

For more information on the Synodal Process from the Vatican, please go to:

https://www.synod.va/en.html

The Church of God is convoked in Synod. With this convocation, Pope Francis invites the whole Church to question itself on synodality: a decisive theme for the life and mission of the Church. This site will accompany the two-year journey (2021-2023) of reflection and sharing of the whole Church.