Just a word, as we approach the synodal parish meetings (Our Lady`s and St. Joseph`s), about what the meetings are meant to be about. Ten questions are going to addressed in the meetings, and you can find these and the wider format of the meetings on the parish websites.
It might be helpful just to look very briefly at the first two questions: 1) As we journey together let us look around. Who are you on the journey with and what persons or groups are marginalised and why? 2)How might our local Church better listen to lay people (and especially young people and women) and minorities and those who are not respected?
In these questions there are words and phases like “marginalised”, “minorities” and “not respected” There are also words and phrases like “women” and “young people”. I think these give us a very clear signal about what the synodal process intends: the unheard need to be heard. How do you see yourself, are you heard or unheard? If you are heard are you prepared to change and listen? If you are unheard are you prepared to speak?