Last week the Steering Committee for the Irish Synodal Pathway published the National Synthesis document for the Irish Church. This is the fruit of hundreds of meeting and thousands of submissions made over the past few months. It will shape the discussions at the Universal Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023, but is also intended to invite reflection and action in local parishes and dioceses. As the document itself says:
the Church in Ireland can explore ways in which the call of the Holy Spirit, as articulated in the Diocesan Phase, can be advanced. Co-responsible leadership needs to be embedded at every level through Parish Pastoral Councils, Diocesan Pastoral Councils and other structures that enable this.
As we enter into the Autumn we will have the opportunity as a Diocese to reflect on what emerged in during our own synodal consultation and the national process. To read the National Synthesis document, click here.