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synod Information
Synod Praying with Scripture Series
Beginning September 13 (5 Part Series)
Online Download
This 5-part vitual series on "Healing and Hope" praying with Scripture offers practical tools for growing in holiness, drawing upon the rich tradition of the Catholic Church. Archbishop Hebda and Bishop Cozzens will teach the fundamentals of praying with Scripture and explain how to use a Prayer Companion resource to enrich your prayer experience. Watch at your convenience with family, friends or on your own.
To participate and receive materials, download "MyParish" from your app store and search "Archdiocesan Synod" OR sign up to receive emails at eva.us/archspm-fall2020. More information at archspm.org/synod.
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Archbishop Bernard Hebda Wants to Hear From You!
Bishop Hebda will be using the Synod process to help him in shepherding the local Church. This process includes prayer and listening events that will be held throughout the Archdiocese. These events are open to all and will assist Bishop Hebda to discern and establish clear pastoral priorities in a way that will both promote greater unity and lead us to a more vigorous proclamation of Jesus’ good news.
The "Links" section has many great resources from the Archdiocese that provide an explanation of the Synod and videos from Archbishop Bernard Hebda.
In a Nutshell
Phase 1 - 2019-2020 Listening Sessions Held to Identify Specific Discussion Topics (completed)
Phase 2 - 2021 Home Parishes Hold Group Sessions to Discuss the Defined Topics
Phase 3 - 2022 (Delayed Due to Pandemic) Parish Feedback Provided to the Archbishop to Create a 5-10 Year Plan
Phase 1
2019 - 2020 Listening Sessions "The Listening Church"Sharing Your Ideas!
The Synod process was designed to gather and consolidate member feedback for 2 years, ensuring everyone had a chance to provide their input. Thirty-two pre-synod listening sessions were held with Archbishop Hebda and this phase is now complete. The written comments from these sessions along with the thousands of responses from the Disciple Makers Index survey will be processed. Main topics will then emerge and be determined for each parish to conduct internal pre-synod listening sessions beginning this Fall. Watch for your invite to these sessions later this year.
Impact of Sessions by Local Church
Phase 2
Listening Sessions Within St. Joseph Catholic CommunityListening sessions are planned for 2022 within St. Joseph, based on the main topics derived from the feedback received in Phase 1. All parishioners are encouraged to attend each session to provide their valuable feedback. These areas of discussion include:
1) Forming parishes that are at the service of evangelization
2) Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to His call
3) Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always youngArchdiocese Update
The first set of Pre-Synod Prayer and Listening Events has confirmed that this local Church is particularly blessed with a highly engaged laity. We have averaged more than 300 participants at each of our four parish events, and we were blessed with 150 college students at a targeted focus session and more than a 100 deacons and their wives at a second. On top of that, more than 1,200 individuals have already gone through the training for serving as parish synod ambassadors. And we are just at the beginning!
Disciple Maker Index SurveyIn November 2019, an enhancement was made to the Synod process: Archbishop Hebda has requested that all parishes engage their parishioners in the Catholic Leadership Institute's Disciple Maker Index survey (DMI) in February 2020. The results will be supplementary information for the Archbishop as he discerns what focus areas to select this spring. The DMI consists of 70 questions and asks parishioners to reflect on their own spiritual growth and identify the ways in which the parish effectively supports that growth. All responses are confidential and the parish will only receive information about the community as a whole. The information will be valuable for the parish as it seeks ways to best support everyone in their discipleship journey. St. Joseph parishioners completed 559 surveys to assist in this valuable information gathering process.
Pre-Synod Prayer for the Archdiocese of St. Paul & MplsCome Holy Spirit
Make our ears to hear
Make our eyes to see
Make our mouths to speak
Make our hearts to seek
Make our hands to reach out
And touch the world with your love.
AMEN.
Mary, Mother of the Church
Pray for us.