“Synodality is not about winning an argument, it is about planting a tree,” said Dominican Father Timothy Radcliff who, before the Assembly of Bishops in October, led a three-day retreat for the participants.

The first session of the Synodal Assembly of Bishops took place from Oct. 4 to 29 in Rome on the theme “For a Synodal Church. Communion, Participation, Mission.” It was historic in many ways.

For the first time, lay people, those in consecrated life, deacons and priests joined with bishops and the pope to reflect upon the characteristic signs of a synodal Church and the dynamics of communion, mission, and participation that it contains. They discussed issues and themes that arose from churches throughout the world that engaged in the synodal process at diocesan, national, and continental stages beginning in October 2021. They reflected upon the merits of issues, identified themes in need of in-depth study, and voted on a preliminary set of proposals laid out in the synthesis report “XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops” (find the full report at vermontcatholic.org/universalsynod).

While various issues, some controversial, have risen to the top during this process, the synod is not about changing Church doctrine, but rather about inviting more voices to the conversation and decision-making process.

“The synodal process is not primarily about content, issues of concern to people throughout the Church,” said Joseph Ganzia, a parishioner and synod delegate from St. Augustine Church in Montpelier. “While some issues were discussed and will be addressed further next October, synodality is about how we do Church together, about how we listen and discuss, about who sits at the table for making decisions, about inclusion in the life of the Church of those now marginalized, about the active participation of every baptized person in the mission of the Church, about co-responsibility of all the faithful for the administration of the Church from the local to the universal levels.”

The synthesis report is structured in three parts. The first outlines “the face of the synodal Church,” presenting the practice and understanding of synodality and its theological underpinning. The second part, “All disciples, all missionaries,” deals with all those involved in the life and mission of the Church and their relationships with one another. And the third part bears the title “Weaving bonds, building community.”

Following the Synod Assembly of Bishops in October 2023, each diocese around the world has been asked to continue the conversation by reflecting upon the synthesis report. The U.S. Synod Team is asking that each diocese have two or three listening sessions during Lent to reflect upon two guiding questions (below). A 3-5-page document synthesizing what was heard at the diocesan listening sessions will be incorporated into a summary from the USCCB to the Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops due in April 2024.

Synod Zoom meetings for parish delegates and parishioners have been scheduled bi-monthly on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. with an additional meeting added on February 6 at 10 a.m. The Tuesday meetings are planned for Feb 6 (10am), March 12, May 14, July 16, Sept. 10, and Nov. 12. There will also be several in-person synod listening sessions with more information to come.

Registration is required. Go to vermontcatholic.org/about/who-we-are/universalsynod.

The following are the guiding questions we will be discussing at our upcoming listening sessions.

  • Where have I seen or experienced successes — and distresses — within the Church’s structure(s)/organization/leadership/life that encourage or hinder the mission?
  • How can the structures and organization of the Church help all the baptized to respond to the call to proclaim the Gospel and to live as a community of love and mercy in Christ?

We look forward to listening to your responses.