Synod

The document will be the subject of prayer and discussion at continental assemblies, which are scheduled to be held between January and March 2023.

According to the recently released “national synthesis,” which brought together feedback from 178 dioceses and 112 organizations for a total of 22,000 individual reports, Catholics were motivated to sound off: the good, the bad, the concerning.

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“It’s the Holy Spirit who enables us to converse, to say the things we need to say and to hear the things we need to hear, to accompany one another in even the most difficult of circumstances,” Archbishop Hebda said.

Synodality is not a reorganization of church structures but rather a path of ecclesial communion that seeks to open minds and hearts to the will of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis said.

“Of the many words that Pope Francis has introduced or reintroduced to our lexicon, one of his frequently employed terms (often left untranslated) is ‘parrhesia,’ described as boldness or conviction, which the Holy Father insists is vital to the proclamation of the Gospel today.”

The synodal process calls us to step back and ask: Are we proclaiming the Gospel to the widest possible audience? Are we journeying together with the people of ordinary life, like Jesus did?

“‘Believe. Celebrate. Live.’ describes our response to this sacred mystery, the source and summit of our faith. The ministries supported by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal bring people closer to Christ and share his Good News.”