ON SYNOD AND ON PARISH LISTENING SESSIONS
 
Dear Parishioners,
 
As a parish community, I invite and urge you to be part for the Universal Synod by participating in the listening sessions. The word ‘Synod’ comes from Greek ‘sunodos’; sun or syn meaning together and ‘hodos’ meaning way. Therefore, it is about journeying together.
 
Pope Francis said, “the purpose of this 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.”
 
We have scheduled the listening sessions on Sunday, March 13th, after the 8.30 Mass and 11.30 Mass at St. Martin of Tours in the gym. The Listening Session is the gathering of our people, including small communities within and around our parish, wherein they participate in the essence of the SYNOD: To encounter, listen, and discern to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit that involves honest, humble, and respectful sharing of their experience of Church, and of their hopes and dreams for the Catholic Church.
 
If you are participating in the Listening Session, the questions below are our guide to prayerfully listen to and discern with the Holy Spirit and be able to share humbly, honestly, and respectfully to one another our experience of Church and our hopes and dreams for the Catholic Church. I invite you to engage the questions and begin to explore your thoughts and opinions (in prayer) that you will bring with you when you participate at the Listening Session:
 
1. Where and how do you personally experience Church today? (Describe your personal experience)
2. What joys do you experience?
3. What difficulties and obstacles have you encountered?
4. What insights do you have?
5. What is your dream or vision for the church in the future?
6. Are there any aspects of the Church’s evangelizing mission that you would like to see?
7. How do you value the Church’s social mission to care for the poor and the marginalized, as well as its efforts to address poverty and social change?
 
Thank you very much and I am looking forward to journeying with each other on this magnificent opportunity to participate and contribute as One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church!
 
Our parish will hold the Training Session for volunteer Facilitators and Note Takers. on Saturday, March 5th, at 11.00 AM. I ask you to volunteer to be facilitators and note takers. You can sign up by sending an email to Maria Moore or by signing up on the parish webpage.
 
Looking forward to journeying together,
 
Fr. Saju and Fr. Gener