Synodal Process – Update 3 September 2022

‘Last month we sent off to Rome our summary of the synodality reflections from our two parishes. We tried to make it as easy to read as possible - organising the material into themes along with examples of comments that people actually made. We added hyperlinks so that the document is easier to navigate. The Synod office in Rome have confirmed receipt and have said that they will read everything that is sent in as they prepare for the gathering that Pope Francis will convene next year.

The summary document is also a resource for us in the life of our own parishes - highlighting questions and issues that emerged as important from the questionnaires and conversations back in the spring. The document is worth having a look at. Please let us know if you would like a paper copy by contacting Enrico in the Parish Office,

Do please also think and pray and share with others about how we move forward and about your own part in that. Some conversations have started to look in practical terms at different questions: the place of young people; offering more opportunities for adoration and contemplative prayer, and the role of women in our parishes. If you would like to contribute either thoughts or time on these or other issues, do please be in touch.’

or download it here:

http://stjohnsandstmarymagdalenes.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Synodality-Report-to-Rome.pdf

Synodal Process – Update

One of our Synodal Co-ordinators, Donald Scott, writes: ‘Thank you to everyone who has contributed in various ways to our synodality process so far. Between St John’s and St Mary Magdalene’s we have had 268 questionnaires completed, and over 80 people have attended the 11 synodality conversations in the Parish House. As a result, we have a rich and diverse set of insights and perspectives.

We submitted a summary report to the diocese by the 31 March deadline. This will be combined with the information from all the other parishes into a diocesan report to Rome. We will also be able to send our own report directly to Rome before the end of May. Those inputs will contribute to the gathering called by Pope Francis for 2023.

Perhaps most importantly, we need to make sense for ourselves of what this all means for us. It was agreed recently that we should use an Open Parishes’ Meeting – joint between the two sister parishes – to share all the material that has been recorded (as well as the two reports sent to the diocese and Rome).

This will give all of us as parishioners an opportunity to reflect, share and play a part in discerning what is most important for our next steps together in the faith. The date for that Open Parishes Meeting will be the evening of Sunday 15 May. It is an important event – do mark it in your diary!’