Beloved Members of Saint Patrick Church,
While we live in this time of unprecedented challenge and uncertainty, facing an unfair threat to our future parish existence, the Synod offers us an opportunity to listen deeply to each other about the aspirations we each have about being, together, disciples of Jesus. Coordinating with Saint Patrick’s advocates, the Synodal process offers an opportunity to help us discern by listening to the Holy Spirit and dialoging with Pope Francis, through the Archdiocese of Seattle.
The Synodal process envisioned by Pope Francis is unprecedented; we ask thus for your timely consideration of these two preparatory resources:
1. Personal Reflection Process (provided by Leadership Conference of Women Religious)
2. Nine-Minute video on Synodality by Sister Barbara Reid (courtesy of Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters)
We’ll endeavor in parish-wide Synodal Listening to address these questions from Pope Francis:
· How is our Journeying Together happening in Saint Patrick Church?
· How is the Holy Spirit inviting us to Grow in our Journeying Together?
Jackie McWalter-Huff and Ann Mescher are proposing in the attached timeline a Synodal Process which is planned to launch this Sunday January 9. Synodal Listening dates and times in January, February, March and April can still be changed with your recommended revisions on both the timeline and process by next Sunday January 16. Our formalized response to Pope Francis, through the Archdiocese of Seattle, is to be gathered from both in-person and Zoom Listening sessions. Upon our parish-wide review and approval, a final document would be submitted to the chancery no later than May 6, 2022.
The timeline and Synodal Process are proposed with flexibility and fluidity in mind. What a Labor of Love is Listening! Shall we whole-heartedly adopt as our goal to listen attentively to each other, every one, in turn? After hearing a Response, a designated Listener would offer to share in their own words another’s Response, asking, then pausing, in order to ensure our mutual understanding. Listener’s confirmations in understanding individual Responses will facilitate accurate documentation of each and every Voice of the Holy Spirit by parish Scribes.
Please discern if you are called as a Listener and/or a Scribe at some stage(s) of the Synodal Process. Every single Voice is equally needed and All will be heard, as no one can be excluded. Contact Jackie (jamcwalter@aol.com) or Ann (mescher6@yahoo.com) for links to additional training resources as Synodal Listeners and Scribes. Please include throughout these coming months your prayers as well for our 2022 Saint Patrick Church Synodal Listening.
Per requests, consider this attempt to shed new light on how Synodal Listening might interplay with our advocate's role to develop potential pathways, in greater depth, for the future of Saint Patrick's Church, our very survival as a faith community together.
Most would agree that the work of the advocates, together with the parish, is what we must do for ourselves, and for the many before us who through some extremely difficult times prevailed in keeping Saint Patrick's parish alive and intact.
The Synod might be viewed as an effort to resuscitate the hierarchy, and the entire Catholic Church herself. Our parish participation in the 2021-2023 Synod is not an absolute requirement for our survival as a faith community together; yet the process of listening to each other, as Pope Francis requests of us, is precisely necessary for our survival as a faith community together (Catholic or not).
To keep the church alive, the hierarchy has no choice but to engage in dialog. Two questions posed by Pope Francis begin a conversation. In real dialog, statements are only a first part of responding; countering queries are no less important in continuing meaningful dialog. While questions posed mightn't garner direct response(s) in the near term, it is possible that in a process of formulating questions a future pathway for our faith community might become clear. We humbly request constructive criticism of the attached draft timeline and the proposed process itself; your opinions and input are needed and greatly appreciated.
Thank you Ann and Jackie! Just a comment or two on the excellent preparatory materials you provided:
Wow, there are a lot of questions posed in the "Personal Reflection Process"! It is almost overwhelming. I wouldn't welcome the homework assignment of answering them all!
In this document there are two apparent references or citations: "(PD, 26)" and "(PD, 30)". What are these?
Nice to expand my vocabulary to include "parrhesia", but I can't imagine myself using it in practice.
Sr. Barbara Reid's video summary of synodality was very good and helpful. It strikes me as truly revolutionary in contrast to the pyramidal (hierarchical) structure of our church.
Thanks again, and see you soon.