INTERNAL – Universal Synod Listening Session Resources
In September 2021, Pope Francis invited Catholics worldwide to take part in the Synod entitled: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission”, a two-year process of discussion and reflection in preparation for a meeting of the Synod of Bishops to take place in October 2023. This process includes a diocesan phase followed by a national phase, regional phase and concludes with the meeting in Rome. Bishop Oscar Cantú has appointed Sister Ellen Hess to lead the process in our diocese, supporting parishes, schools and communities to hold listening sessions.
The Holy Father seeks to hear every voice. Our prayer is that you will use these resources in order to gather and listen to the voices within your community to this Synod process. Then, we ask you to share those responses with our Diocesan Synod Team. Your community’s responses will be gathered with other responses from across the diocese to be synthesized and submitted to the episcopal conference. All local listening sessions should be completed by April.
Diocesan Consultative Timeline
Universal Synod Coordinator
Diocesan Taskforce for the Universal Synod
- Once the listening sessions are completed, each parish team should submit their Parish Synodal Report to the diocese summarizing their parish’s responses.
- Parishes may complete this report online, or download it in Word or PDF format and return it by mail or email
- After all the parish reports have been received, the diocese will review and compile them into one diocesan report that will be sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- The USCCB will then send a report to the Vatican for the synod’s general assembly in October 2023.