Cathal BarryPreparations are well under way in Limerick as the diocese builds towards the first Synod held in Ireland since the 1950s and the first in the diocese in over 70 years.
The synod will take place over three days and will bring together 400 delegates who will set out a path to enable the Church in Limerick meet the many challenges it faces in the future.
In the lead up to the much anticipated synod in April next year, The Irish Catholic
will be keeping track of progress, speaking to delegates and bringing you updates as the Limerick diocese prepares for the major event.
To find out what has happened so far, Cathal Barry caught up with Fr Éamonn Fitzgibbon, the man Bishop Brendan Leahy has entrusted as director of the synod, who is responsible for co-ordinating the many strands of preparation for the assembly, as well as the main event itself.
Delegates
The primary focus at the beginning of the synod preparations, according to Fr Fitzgibbon, was to “identify and recruit” delegates who will attend the Synod event in 2016.
In an attempt to be “truly representative”, the leading priest said the delegates are drawn from:
Parishes, primary and secondary schools, third level colleges, health care communities, members of the Travelling Community and other minority and migrant communities, youth ministry groups and ecclesial communities, the Irish, Polish and other language speaking communities, representatives of the city of Limerick, regeneration areas, the worlds of business, the arts, sport and other areas of culture.
Fr Fitzgibbon insisted the delegates will be a “wonderful resource” for their own communities and the life of the diocese.
Formation
An initial gathering of delegates took place in November 2014 at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
Titled ‘Together in Mission’ the inaugural event heard from keynote speaker Fr Paul Philibert – a Dominican friar and expert in pastoral theology from the US.
He said the synod “could be an invitation to enter a new age of hope, of discovery, a new age of joy and investment, leading to new challenges but also to deeper peace”.
During this initial gathering a variety of workshops were also provided for the delegates.
Promotion
Fr Fitzgibbon said “much work has been carried out in promoting the work of the Synod to raise awareness of this important venture”.
Parish banners have been created with the Synod logo and will hang in churches within the diocese in the lead up to the synod.
A synod website (synod2016.com) has been created and is being constantly updated with useful information for those who are interested in finding out more about the synod.
A prayer card was produced for the success of the synod and widely distributed throughout the diocese.
Fr Fitzgibbon also said that a number of ‘Synod Sundays’ would be held in the parishes of the diocese in the lead up to the event.
“These days serve to raise awareness in our parishes around the synod and provide an opportunity for each parish to formally name their delegates and for parish delegates to speak at Masses,” he said.
Launch
The synod was officially launched by Bishop Brendan Leahy on December 7 last year at a Mass in St John’s Cathedral, Limerick.
In his homily, the bishop said there is now an opportunity to rebuild the Church and urged that it not be missed.
“All of us together, clergy and lay, are being offered this opportunity to regenerate and build up the Church of the future in our diocese. Let’s not miss this appointment with history,” he said.
“It’s undeniable that our Church has been rocked. It has stumbled badly but it has not fallen. We need to rebuild and repair, listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Church today.”
The Mass was followed by a time of reflection and prayer for delegates, led by Dr Jessie Rogers, Lecturer in Sacred Scripture at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
Delegate Training
In January, a training day for all delegates took place in the Radisson Hotel, Limerick, facilitated by Christopher Schoch, who provides consulting services to organisations in the public and private sectors.
In March 2015 a series of public lectures were provided, according to Fr Fitzgibbon, “to help us come to a deeper understanding of our Faith and the context in which the Limerick Diocesan Synod takes place”.
The lectures were:
‘Pope Francis: The Great Reformer’ by Dr Austen Ivereigh.
‘Understanding Limerick’ by Dr Niamh Hourigan.
‘Why we Need a Synod’ by Dr Gerry O’Hanlon SJ.
‘The History of Synods in Ireland’ by Dr Salvador Ryan.
Listening:
Fr Fitzgibbon said that spring 2015 “saw a phase on the journey that was marked by listening and discerning”.
“This research is aimed towards determining the themes which will be discussed at the synod event next year. As delegates conducted discernment and listening in their own communities a number of training sessions were provided on various methods of researching,” he said.
Members of the Preparatory Commission and the Synod Moderator provided this training.
A number workshops were also provided on social research and on conducting an informal listening survey.
Next steps
Once the material which the listening and discernment process has unearthed is gathered together, Fr Fitzgibbon said the Preparatory Commission will then “need to prioritise and group these into themes that will form the basis for the discussions” at the synod in 2016.
This month, workshops will be provided for those who will be assisting with the discernment and codifying of the data generated by the ‘listening’ phase of the process.
Clergy Days will also be held to identify the topics and issues of concern particular to clergy.
In the autumn, Fr Fitzgibbon said catechetical resources and teaching will be provided to delegates “to provide background study material on each
theme that will inform and enrich the discussion at the synod proper”.
“All of this work takes place under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and so prayer will be an integral aspect of all that we do,” he said.
Most importantly, Fr Fitzbibboin said, the gathering in Spring 2016 will bring the delegates together “to draw conclusions”.
“As a result of the Synod we will have work out a Pastoral Plan that will take us forward into the challenging years ahead,” he said.