"We are all part of the Body of Christ. Everyone has a Role to Play.
Everyone has a place" - Bishop Edward B. Sharfenberger
SYNTHESIS OF LISTENING SESSIONS
As invited by Pope Francis, the Diocese of Albany participated in his call for “Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” in the spring of 2022 after a period of prayerful reflection and discernment that began in the fall of 2021.
Appointed and invited members of the committee guiding the process committed to giving everyone the opportunity to speak from their hearts, whether Catholics who seek to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ or non-Catholics who were interested in synodality. We held seven formal listening sessions that welcomed the churched and unchurched, clergy, religious, and laity. We also offered parishes, parish networks, and any other groups who wanted to participate in a listening session a toolkit that we prepared. More than a thousand of our fellow Catholics and non-Catholics shared their hopes and fears, and joyful and sorrowful experiences, and we take seriously our responsibility to convey their statements as guided by the Holy Spirit. Methods Key Ideas Women in the Catholic Church Families & Young Adults Respect Life Clergy The Joys of Living Our Faith & Celebrating the Eucharist Life-long Faith Formation & Catechesis Diversity and Inclusion The Experience of Synodality Next Steps We hope that these listening sessions offer powerful insight into where people are on their life’s path and how we may best accompany them, supported by the love of Christ and the motivation to see His Word made real in our world.
More info on the Synod at: https://www.rcda.org/synod