Synod on Synodality: Diocesan Continental Stage prep. (From Page 1)

to participate. The faithful in our diocese participated in our Diocesan consultation phase and a synthesis of these consultations was prepared and sent to the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC). The fruits of all Dioceses within the AEC form part of the DCS which has now been returned to all the people of God and local churches for further listening, encounter and discernment.

The Diocesan Synod team (which consists of Father Paul Martin S.J., Father Joel Thompson S.J., Sister Elizabeth Small RSM, Ms. Roxanne Douglas, Ms. Michella Abraham-Ali, Mr. Rocky Hanoman, Ms. Leah Casimero and Ms. Angie Sukhai) along with other collaborators participated in a day of prayer with the DCS on January 5th 2023 which was facilitated by Fr. Peter Mc Isaac, Superior of the Jesuits in Guyana and Jamaica). A synthesis of this day of prayer was submitted to the AEC.

All dioceses within the AEC have been encouraged to organized similar days of prayer with the document and will also submit their syntheses to the AEC which will form part of the discussion at a meeting organized by CELAM (Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Latin America) of which the Bishops of the AEC are members. The CELAM meeting will be held in Santo Domingo from February 20th-24th.

Leah Casimero, who hails from Aishalton and is a member of our synod team, has been selected by the AEC Bishops to attend this meeting. Leah is one of the team of seven who forms the AEC contingent. Other members of this AEC contingent are: Bishop Clyde Harvey- Diocese of Grenada, Fr. Don Chambers- AEC General Secretary, Sr. Maxine Mc Intosh- Diocese of Kingston, Ruby Alleyne- Arch diocese of Port of Spain, Christianne Paul- Diocese of Roseau and Deacon David Popo- Diocese of Castries.

Leah Casimero has been serving as a Parish Lay Assistant in her parish and is the academic coordinator for the Quality Bilingual Education Program for Wapichan children since 2017. She was an active participant in the process for the Synod on the Amazon, helping to organize the presynodal assembly held at St. Ignatius in 2018. She was one of a small number of women invited by Pope Francis to attend the full Synod meeting in Rome in 2019.

Meanwhile, at the diocesan level, the Synod team, together with Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB and our Pastoral leaders will be organizing similar gatherings in parishes/communities to pray with the DCS during Lent and beyond. The intent of this Continental stage is to deepen the discernment on what has emerged from the previous diocesan stage with the aim of formulating open questions more accurately, and to better substantiate and flesh out the insights and overall vision, especially from a Continental perspective. It is also an opportunity to listen to those realities which may not have emerged or integrated in the previous stage and allow for personal conversion which will prepare us to enlarge the space of our tent to accommodate others on the journey. More details will be forthcoming with regard to parish/community days of prayer in the diocese.❖