OCTOBER 13, 2023
mississippicatholic.com
Synod call to communion can help a fractured world, theologian says BY CINDY WOODEN
diversity of the church. Pope Francis had been expectVATICAN CITY (CNS) – The ed to attend the morning session, Catholic Church is called to be an but "unforeseen commitments" instrument of communion with arose, said Matteo Bruni, director God and unity among all people, of the Vatican press office. While but it requires grace and "learning not saying what those committo 'bear with' reality, gently, generments were, Bruni said Pope Franously, lovingly and courageously cis was not one of the four synod for the peace and salvation of the members who were absent that whole world," a theologian told the day because they were diagnosed assembly of the Synod of Bishops. with COVID. "Communion is the beauty of Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerdiversity in unity. In a modern ich, relator general of the synod, world that tends toward both hointroduced the module by telling mogenizing and fracturing, comparticipants that a key question munion is a language of beauty, a from the synod's preparatory proharmony of unity and plurality," cess – which included listening said Anna Rowlands, a professor sessions on the parish, diocesan, of Catholic social thought and national and continental levels – practice at Durham University in was, "How can we be more fully a England. sign and instrument of union with As synod participants began God and of the unity of all humanwork on the second section or ity?" module of the assembly's working God, who is Father, Son and document Oct. 9, their discussions Holy Spirit, is "the basis of all about promoting communion with communions," he said, and "this God and with others were precedGod, who is love, loves the whole ed by reflections offered by Rowof creation, every single creature lands and by Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, a theologian Participants pray in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall at the beginning of a working and every human being in a speand former master of the Domin- session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops Oct. 10, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) cial way." "All are invited to be part of ican order. the church," the cardinal said. "In While still seated at round tadeep communion with his father bles according to language, many of the 364 synod members were at different tables than the week before. The new through the Holy Spirit, Jesus extended this communion to all the sinners. Are we groupings were organized by the themes members indicated they wanted to work ready to do the same? Are we ready to do this with groups which might irritate us on; the topics including promoting unity through works of charity and justice; ec- because their way of being might seem to threaten our identity?" umenism; being more welcoming to people who feel excluded from the church, like – Continued on page 6 – members of the LGBTQ community; and valuing the cultural, linguistic and racial
Diocese enters second phase of “Pastoral Reimagining” process BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson began a yearlong pastoral reimaging process at Pentecost 2023 and will conclude on Pentecost 2024. This process was initiated as a result of the diocesan Synod on Synodality in 2021. During the Synod process three priorities were articulated across the diocese which included all demographics (age, gender, race, etc.). They were a call for healing and unity; greater catechesis at all levels; and a deeper understanding of scripture. “In evaluating how we developed these three themes across the diocese we discerned a pastoral plan for parishes and missions was in order,” says Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation for the diocese and member of the core team who are working on the pastoral reimagining process. “The current reality in our post-Covid world provided additional motivation to look at where we are as a church and how we are called to serve our communities.” The process is divided into five major phases. The first phase ran from Pentecost this year through early September, with each pastor or lay ecclesial minister (LEM) establishing a pastoral reimagining committee and having the committee view four ecclesiology vid-
eo sessions and answer a series of questions designed to guide conversation on who we are as a church, said Lavelle. The four video sessions, led by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, focus on the four marks of the church – one, holy, Catholic and apostolic; and are available for anyone to view on the diocese website. (https://jacksondiocese. org/pastoral-reimagining) Father Nick Adam, rector of the Cathedral of St.
Peter the Apostle in Jackson, felt great about the parish meetings for the pastoral reimagining process with the guidance of the video series. “A couple of high priority items came forth from the gatherings,” said Father Nick. “We need a much bigger social media presence; we are very good at being welcoming, but our evangelization can be even stronger; and we need to develop a
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