While the term “synodality” is not found in any of the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council, the council’s vision and definition of the church is at the heart of what synodality is, said Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops.
The synod process has only recently been completed at churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn, but it’s already bearing fruit at St. Andrew of Avellino Church in Flushing, as the parish administrator is taking action to show parishioners that he is taking their ideas seriously.
A moment that stands out to Father Joseph Gibino from the Diocese of Brooklyn Synod on Synodality listening sessions came Jan. 6, when Msgr. David Cassato reminded priests of the need to embed themselves — become “street priests” — in their parish communities.
When 40 members of the diocese’s Hispanic community split into small groups Tuesday night at the St. Benedict Joseph Labre Church rectory to discuss their experiences and needs from the church, the conversations seemed to flow naturally.
The Diocese of Brooklyn opened its synod on Saturday with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio amid promises that the diocese will listen to all Catholics’ feedback, including those who are not active participants in church life.
We come together today to initiate the Synodal process in the Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens. The concept of Synod is nothing new to the Church. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see the first council, the Council of Jerusalem, where the people came together to discern the question of how new non-Jewish Christians should be initiated into the Church.
Pope Francis has called on the world’s bishops to gather in Rome for a synod, but long before the clergymen board their flights to the Eternal City, a great deal of preparation will take place — right down to the diocesan level.
