Diocesan Synod

In 2021, Pope Francis called for a World Synod of Bishops – the 16th General Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops – a “Synod on Synodality” with the theme of “Communion, Participation, Mission.”  In response to that call, dioceses around the world engaged the People of God in Listening Sessions to share their hopes, dreams, and concerns for the Church.  Subsequently, the preparations for the Synod continued through Regional, National, and Continental phases, and the First Session of the 16th General Assembly met in October of 2023.  During that lead-up to the October 2023 session of the General Assembly, Pope Francis announced that there would be an additional session in October 2024.

Now we are in the “Interim Phase” of the Synod – the time between the two sessions of the 16th General Assembly.

Through all of this, Bishop Lucia has stated his desire that we hold a Diocesan Synod once the World Synod completes its work.  Originally, that was tentatively planned for Spring 2024; now, of course, it will be sometime after October 2024 – perhaps in the Spring or Fall of 2025.

The word “synod” can be defined as a “process of journeying together to seek the will of the Holy Spirit for the Church.”  More simply, it is a way of being Church in which all the baptized have a role to play in the life, mission, and governance of the Church in response to Jesus’ call.

During Lent 2024, in the "interim" between the first and second sessions of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Bishops of the world were asked to hold two to three additional listening sessions. Bishop Lucia held four sessions in March of 2024. The synthesis report from these sessions can be found under "Resources" below.

In the words of Pope Francis:  “The purpose of the Synod…is not to produce documents, but to ‘plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.’”