Synod 2021 - 2023 Your Invitation

Synod 2021 ~ 2023

Have your voice in our journey together

​You’ll be aware from various communications over the past few weeks that Pope Francis has asked the whole Church to be involved in and journey together towards, a meeting of the world’s Bishops in 2023. The focus of that General Assembly will be to discuss ways of improving the process by which the Church, on all levels, is open to hearing the voices of people from all walks of life.
  
As a parish we would like to gather as many views as possible from as wide a group as possible and so have planned a number of opportunities to take part. All views will then feed into our Archdiocese, and in due course, onwards towards the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. To give as many parishioners as possible the opportunity to encounter and listen to one another and to pray in order to discern the way forward, gatherings, expected to last around an hour, will be held on the following days and times:

• Saturday 19th February at 5:45 p.m.
• Sunday 20th February at 10:45 a.m.
• Sunday 20th February at 12:45 p.m.
• Thursday 24th February at 7:00 p.m.​

To allow reflection before the gatherings, the areas to be considered are shared below. To help us manage the evening, it would be useful if you could book a place using the Parish booking system at the end of this email. We very much hope you will be able to come along but if this is not possible, there will be other opportunities to express your views. 

Reflecting on journeying together

• Reflecting on your experience of the pandemic, in what way have you experienced a journeying together as a parish family?  What strengths did you draw from your faith and the faith community of the parish?
• In what ways does our parish family journey with and support others? In particular those Catholics who no longer participate in our community, those who are not Catholic, and those experiencing poverty, hardship and exclusion?
• Thinking of the good news of what the Catholic Church / parish does for others, in what ways can this good news be shared?
• What can we do to help people participate in the sacramental and prayer life of our parish, and reach out to all in and beyond our parish community?
• How can our parish be more evangelising in reaching out to all?

Reflecting on journeying in Mission

• How can we offer support to families whose children leave the faith after the celebration of the Sacraments?
• As a parish, in what way could we give more pastoral support to married couples?
• How can we support and encourage vocations to the priesthood, permanent diaconate and the religious life?
• All people are called to share in the work of evangelisation by their Baptism and Confirmation. Jesus sent out his first Apostles and disciples to share the Good News. How do I respond to that call using my God given gifts and talents?
• In what ways can I live out my faith and bear witness to Christ among those with whom I live, work and socialise?
• The Catholic school is a community of Faith and Learning. How can the Church or Parish help to promote the distinctive nature of the Catholic School to develop effectively the faith formation of our young people? 

​Everyone’s views are sought and there are no right or wrong answers – please come along and share this invitation with anyone you know, whether they attend church or not. 

"The Synod..... is intended to inspire people to dream about the church we are called to be, to make hope flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts, and restore strength to our hands for our common mission.”
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At Andrew's Synod Meetings' Sign Up Form