Last week-end there was a Pastoral Letter from the bishop about parish meetings which are going to take place to discuss questions sent to us from the Vatican. Here are the questions: The fundamental question: A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel “journeys together”; How is this journeying together happening today in your particular Church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our journeying together?
In order to respond you are invited to
- Ask yourselves what experiences in your Particular Church the fundamental question calls to mind;
- Reread these experiences in greater depths: what joys did they provoke? What difficulties and obstacles have they encountered? What wounds have they brought to light? What insights have they elicited?
- Gather the fruits to share Where, in these experiences, does the voice of the Spirit resound? What is he asking of us? What are the points to be confirmed, the prospects for change, the steps to be taken? Where do we register a consensus? What paths are opening up for our particular Church?
These are the questions the Church wants us to look at. If the word Church confuses you . it confuses me as well, for the time being think of parish and diocese and Church in England and Wales.
You can read the whole document (Preparatory Document) on the diocesan website.
Kind Regards.
Fr Maurice