Church Synod

Update May 2024
The following documents have been uploaded:

  • Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England & Wales submission for the Second Plenary Assembly of Bishops October 2024 – here
  • Synodality and Some Definite Service – May 2024 – here

Update April 2024
The following documents have been provided:

  • “Formation as Transformation” reflects on the key areas of formation we should be concentrating on as a Church – here
  • A summary document “Towards 2024” from The Archdiocese – here

Update November 2023
Having just returned from the month-long Synod on Synodality in Rome, Archbishop John Wilson has shared his reflections on the Synod and what it means for our Archdiocese. Sharing his reflections, Archbishop John provides background on the Synodal process, the work that took place prior to the Synod and the call it makes for us all.

  • Archbishop John’s short reflection of the Synod on Synodality – here
  • Archbishop John’s more detailed reflection on the Synod on Synodality – here
  • Full Synthesis Report published by The Vatican – here

Update September 2023
The Synod of Bishops (with other invited participants) will open with Mass on the Feast of St Francis, 4 October. The 363 voting participants, a quarter of whom are not bishops, are currently participating in a retreat before the start of their deliberations. Archbishop John Wilson is one of two episcopal representatives from the English and Welsh Bishops’ Conference along with Bishop Marcus Stock from Leeds. The process they will follow can be viewed here. Archbishop John wrote an article in The Times, ahead of his journey to Rome.

Update May 2022
In April 2021, Pope Francis asked the whole Catholic Church worldwide to engage in a process of discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This process is called a Synod. The key themes are Communion, Participation and Mission. In our Archdiocese, Archbishop John invited everyone to respond to the invitation of Pope Francis and take part in the initial Diocesan listening phase of the Synod. Each local parish was asked to host a meeting, or series of meetings, where conversations about the Church’s mission in the life of the parish and the diocese can be prayerfully examined. Within Our Lady Immaculate Parish two discussion meeting were held on 13th and 14th November. A summary of these discussions was submitted to the Archdiocese. Parish delegates then participated in online Archdiocese Listening sessions in February 2022. In April 2022 the Archdiocese submitted a Diocesan Synthesis to the Bishops Conference of England and Wales. 

DOCUMENTS:

The Diocesan synthesis can be accessed here

The National synthesis can be read here

The Bishop’s reflection on the National Synthesis here

The document of the Continental Phase here

The Working Document for the Synod this October here