A call to Synodality

Bishop Michael Mulvey has officially opened the diocesan phase of the Synod with Mass on Oct. 24 at Corpus Christi Cathedral. Parishes throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi will have begun their Synodal journey as well.

In his letter to the diocese, Bishop Mulvey said the Synodal process is an invitation to walk together and to journey together, as Jesus's disciples did at the beginning of the Church. “Communion, participation and mission are all essential elements of a Synodal Church – being the Body of Christ together. I invite you, brothers and sisters, to be a part of this journey of faith in order to experience being a family in Christ,” he said.

In his homily at the opening of the diocesan phase of the Synod, Bishop Mulvey wants the faithful to understand Synodality.  "Listening to the spirit is stopping to hear one another. It also prepares us not just internally in a parish or in the family, but also beyond,” Bishop Mulvey said. Listen to Bishop Mulvey’s entire homily on the homepage of the South Texas Catholic website at southtexascatholic.com.

Essential notes from the 
Preparatory Document and the Vademecum:

While recent Synods have examined themes such as the new evangelization, the family, young people, and the Amazon, the present Synod focuses on the topic of synodality itself.

The theme of the Synod is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” the vital pillars of a Synodal Church. In this listening phase we encourage people to gather, respond to stimulus questions/images/scenarios together, listen to each other, and provide individual and group feedback, ideas, reactions, and suggestions.

Stimulus questions are suggested in the Questionnaire (in Part 5 of the Vademecum) to initiate and facilitate this experience of sharing and listening. The aim is not to answer all of the questions, but to choose those that are most relevant in your local context.

You can also ask other questions, and we encourage you to do so. As a general guide, give more emphasis to the types of questions that evoke personal stories and real-life experiences rather than “doctrinal” statements. See Part 5 for some examples.

What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”? (PD, 26 – means Preparatory Document for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 07.09.2021.)

In responding to this question, we are invited to:

Recall our experiences: What experiences of our local Church does this question call to mind?

Re-read these experiences in greater depth: What joys did they bring? What difficulties and obstacles have they encountered? What wounds did they reveal? What insights have they elicited?

Gather the fruits to share: Where in these experiences does the voice of the Holy Spirit resound? What is the Spirit asking of us? What are the points to be confirmed, the prospects for change, the steps to be taken? Where do we register a consensus? What paths are opening up for our local Church?

Purpose

• Synodality will invite a fuller involvement of all its members
• It will create a "different Church"