The entire Catholic Church is invited to participate in the upcoming Synod of Bishops! The Synod is entitled: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The word “synod” means “journeying together.” Our gathering is part of a worldwide journey of the entire People of God – to train ourselves to listen more closely to the Holy Spirit by listening attentively to the experiences of our brothers and sisters. This entire process is in the service of the one great mission that Jesus gave us, to proclaim the Good News to every nation, and to invite all people into the life of the Kingdom of God. At this gathering, we will listen to each other, pray with one another, and discern together. Afterwards, a synthesis of our shared experience will be sent to the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The diocesan Synod Planning Team will synthesize all the experiences held throughout the diocese and send it to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Bishops’ Conference will, in turn, send to Rome a synthesis of all the diocesan reports. In October 2023, bishops from around the world will gather in Rome to discern the spiritual fruits that have grown out of this global process.
The goal of this journeying together is not to create a new vision or pastoral plan with objectives. This synod is not a legislative assembly or a doctrinal council. It can’t pass new policies or declare any dogmas. Rather, the goal of our journeying together is to be present with one another, to listen and learn with each other, and to grow closer to the Lord and His Church. We will pray together, talk about the faith together, and strive to understand one another better, reminding ourselves that the Church is called to be a real, personal, and authentic communion of its baptized members.
The Synod will be held on Tuesday, March 8, from 6:30pm - 9:00pm, at St. Columbkille Hall (103 Church Road, Imperial, PA 15126).
The bulk of these gatherings will be spent on small group discussions. There will also be time for communal prayer, as well as a short presentation on Christlife, a faith enrichment program we would like to start in the near future.
In order to participate in the Synod, please do the following:
If you do not have a computer or a printer, please call the parish office at 724-695-7325, and we will sign you up and print out the participant guide for you.