Synod Questionnaire
Synod 2021 – 2023 Pope Francis wants to hear from Catholics around the world, and the LISTENING process is underway!
Pope Francis invites the Universal Church (ordained, religious, and all laity) to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission. He calls for a “Synodal church”. What does this mean? Synodality is when all members of the church “journey together, gather in assembly and take an active part in her evangelization”. It is the Church’s ordinary way of living and working. It is a way of being in which the Church lives out her mission in the world. During Christ’s public ministry, there were three “actors” on “stage”, Jesus, his apostles, and the crowd. The crowd is we, the baptized members of the Universal Church. Through our refection, we can seek the Holy Spirit and see what It may be asking of us and what pathways for the Church they may inspire.
Throughout the month of February, opportunities will be available for you to share your reflections and engage the heart and mind in seeking God and His Will for us. You will be asked to reflect on your own experiences with the Church and on the joys and challenges they reveal. This exercise will, in no way, lead to changes in Church precepts or theology but will help the Church discern its mission and pathway in the new millennium. Included in this “listening” process is a gathering of anonymous information that will be summarized and sent to Bishop Schlert. All U.S. bishops will summarize the information collected from their respective dioceses and forward the results to the Synod of Bishops being held in Washington, D.C. in 2023. Finally, this will all be placed in the hands of our Holy Father in Rome. Every diocese in the world is participating in this event!
Two listening sessions are scheduled for Sundays, February 13 and 20 after the 10:45 Mass in the church conference room. If you can’t attend a session you can click HERE to fill out a survey online OR fill out a paper survey, available in the church lobby and mail it to the Allentown Diocese. Please help us by encouraging others to fill out the survey: family members (including middle school and high school students), neighbors, and especially non-practicing Catholics. The deadline for surveys is March 1. Questions? Please ask a Synod Ambassador: Tom Kleckner (610-756-6209), Linda Luckenbill (610-406-7486), Daneka Cairnie (484-709-5954).
Let us “journey together”!
Information from the Diocese
Synod: Communion, Participation, Mission
Synod Survey
Pope Francis has called on each of the world’s bishops to listen to members of their flock – including those who are marginalized or who have fallen away from the Church – and get their feedback on issues important to the Catholic Church today.