Parish, Pastoral Zone, or Group Pkg
It is time to move into the listening phase of the Synodal Process! Please begin your group sessions and other consultations if you have not already done so. The updated time frame for the listening phase is January – End of March 2022.
Diocesan Synod Letter
This letter provides an overview of the Diocesan Synod Process, the updated listening timeline. the list of documents being made available to support the parish listening journey (also available below), dates of the additional diocesan listening forms with topics, and contact information.
The listening journey that we are entering into is not simply a hearing of other people`s stories and experiences. It is a call to listening in such a way that we come to understand the other, begin to find the commonalities among us, and discover how the Holy Spirit is calling us forward together as community. Prayer is essential at all of our listening sessions as it will help us to have open minds, hearts, and open wills to the Spirit`s guidance.
Template for Synod Prayer Cards
in English, French, and Cree
There are a number of ways in which our listening can occur. At small group gatherings in our parishes, through a consulation form either handed out or mailed to parish households, through phone calls to those on our parish list asking them to share their stories with us, etc. The call of this Synod is to listen and to listen broadly to those who we are in regular contact with and those who are marginally connected whose voices will also offer insight into where the Holy Spirit is calling us.
A number of posters have been made to aid in the promotion of the Synod. The ones with the QR-Codes could be taken to different parish gatherings, for example sacramental preparation gatherings for marriage, baptism, and confirmation-first Eucharist, where those present can be invited to take 7-minutes to respond to the the survey. If you decide to use these posters in this way please allow for a time of prayer prior to inviting those present to bring out their phones and scan the QR-Code, which will bring them to the survey. Please be sure to also use the information from the bulletin announcement sheet sent out by the Diocese to update the parish bulletin hardcopy and virtual announcements about the Synod and when you are holding a gathering remember to announce the event at your Sunday Eucharistic Celebrations.
Diocesan Bulletin Announcements - Available under What's New on Diocesan Homepage
Sample Sunday Morning Announcement
for Parish Synod Group Gathering(s)
Once the parish has completed their listening it will be time to send a summary of all that has been heard into the Diocesan Office. This can be done either by filling in the reporting sheet or going online to complete the reporting survey. This will NOT be the conclusion of the listening journey.
Instead it will be a new beginning as the summary sheets from across the Diocese will be synthesized, first as the next step in the Synodal process to share with the Western Canadian Catholic region and to have as tool to aid in our diocesan journey to discern how we are called to journey. The parish summaries can also become a tool for the local parish to discern their own next steps.