International Meeting of Parish Priests
Sacrofano (Rome), 29 April - 2 May 2024
Parish priests for the Synod
HOW TO BE A SYNODAL LOCAL CHURCH ON MISSION?
Meeting coordinator
H.E. Monsignor Luis MARÍN DE SAN MARTÍN, O.S.A.
Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod
Experts accompanying the work
H.E. Msgr. Pablo Virgilio DAVID (Philippines)
Rev. Benedict NDUBUEZE EJEH (Nigeria)
Most Rev. Mons. Tomáš HALÍK (Czech Republic)
Rev. Gilles ROUTHIER (Canada)
Dr María Lía ZERVINO (Argentina)
PROGRAM
Sunday 28 April
DAY OF ARRIVAL
Shuttle departures for Sacrofano
From Fiumicino airport (in front of the State Ceremonial, at the end of Terminal 3) at various times.
From the square in front of the Aula Nervi in the Vatican (Entrance of the Petriano - Sant'Uffizio) at 4.30 p.m.
6:30 p.m. Celebration of the Eucharist
Those who will have been unable to celebrate because of the journey will be able to celebrate the Eucharist together.
Priests are asked to bring an alb and stole.
7:30 p.m. Dinner
A buffet will be available from 7:30-10 p.m.
9.30 p.m. Short Welcome
Monday 29 April
THE FACE OF THE SYNODAL CHURCH
Experiences and understanding of synodality
in the life of the parish and diocese/eparchy
"Synodality can be understood as Christians walking in communion with Christ toward the Kingdom along with the whole of humanity. Its orientation is towards mission, and its practice involves gathering in assembly at each level of ecclesial life. It involves reciprocal listening, dialogue, community discernment, and creation of consensus as an expression that renders Christ present in the Holy Spirit, each taking decisions in accordance with their responsibilities." (Synthesis Report, hereafter SR, 1, h). "The many expressions of synodal life in cultural contexts where people are used to walking together as a community " (SR 1, l).
What experiences of a synodal Church have I had in my ministry as a parish priest? Which ones have been happy and which ones less so? What understanding of synodality have I been able to mature through them?
From 7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Opening prayer (in the hall)
8:15 a.m. Opening greetings
Moderator: Cardinal Mario GRECH, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod
· Cardinal Lazarus YOU HEUNG-SIK, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy
· Cardinal Luis Antonio TAGLE, Pro-Prefect of the Section for First Evangelisation and the New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelisation
· Cardinal Claudio GUGEROTTI, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches
8:30 a.m. Presentation of the meeting
H.E. Monsignor Luis MARÍN DE SAN MARTÍN, O.S.A., Under-Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod
Where are we on the synodal path?
P. Giacomo COSTA, S.I., Special Secretary of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
9:00 a.m. Introduction to the issue of the day: The face of a Synodal Church (RdS, Part 1)
Various expert-accompanists intervene with a spiritual or theological contribution.
Best-practices related to the theme of the day are presented.
9:45 a.m. Introduction to Conversation in the Spirit
Sr. Nathalie BECQUART, X.M.C.J., Under-Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod
10:15 a.m. Coffee Break
10:45 a.m. Synodal conversation in working groups
Participants will be divided into small working groups, each led by a facilitator.
1:00 p.m. Lunch
3:00 p.m. Plenary presentation of group work
Moderator: Rev. Riccardo BATTOCCHIO, Special Secretary of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
Some groups will share their work followed by a dialogue with the expert-accompanists.
4:30 p.m. Coffee Break
5:00 p.m. Plenary presentation of group work continues
6:00 p.m. Return to the small groups
6:45 p.m. Celebration of the Eucharist in Spanish
Priests are asked to bring with them an alb and stole.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
9:00 p.m. Recreation / community sharing: Each participant is invited to bring typical products from their own country to share with the group.
Tuesday 30 April
ALL DISCIPLES ALL MISSIONARIES
The participation of different charisms, vocations, ministries
in the life of the parish and diocese/eparchy
"Rather than saying that the Church has a mission, we affirm that Church ‘is’ mission. [...] The sacraments of Christian initiation confer on all the disciples of Jesus the responsibility for the mission of the Church. Laymen and laywomen, those in consecrated life, and ordained ministers have equal dignity. They have received different charisms and vocations and exercise different roles and functions, but all are called and nourished by the Holy Spirit to form one body in Christ (1 Cor. 4-31). They are all disciples, all missionaries, in the reciprocal vitality of local communities who experience the delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing. The exercise of co-responsibility is essential for synodality and is necessary at all levels of the Church. Each Christian is a mission on this earth." (RdS 8, a-b).
In my ministry as a parish priest, how have I experienced the participation of different charisms, vocations, ministries in the life of the parish and diocese/eparchy? What insights and questions have they occasioned in me? In my local context, what significant experiences have we had of parish communities contributing to the life and mission of the local Church (diocese or eparchy) to which they belong? What have we learned from these experiences?
From
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Prayer
8:30 a.m. Introduction to the issue of the day: All disciples all missionaries (RdS, Part 2)
Various expert-accompanists intervene with a spiritual or theological contribution.
Best-practices related to the theme of the day are presented.
9:30 a.m. Time for meditation and personal prayer
10:00 a.m. Synodal conversation in working groups
12:45 p.m. Lunch
3:00 p.m. Plenary presentation of group work
Moderator: Rev. Dario VITALI, Consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod
Some groups will share their work followed by a dialogue with the expert-accompanists.
4:30 p.m. Coffee Break
5:00 p.m. Plenary presentation of group work continues
6:00 p.m. Return to the small groups
6:45 p.m. Celebration of the Eucharist in the Armenian rite
Priests are asked to bring an alb and stole.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
9:00 p.m. Moment of dialogue on the Synod and Synodality
In this question/answer session, participants will be able to freely submit their questions and comments to Cardinal Mario GRECH, Secretary General of the Synod and the other collaborators of the General Secretariat.
Wednesday 1 May
TEACHING TiIES, BUILDING COMMUNITIES
Discernment dynamics for mission and participation bodies
in the life of the parish and diocese/eparchy
"As members of the faithful People of God, all the baptised are co-responsible for mission, each according to his or her vocation, competence and experience. Therefore, all contribute to imagining and discerning steps to reform Christian communities and the Church as a whole. In this way, the Church experiences "the sweet and comforting joy of evangelising." The purpose of synodality, in the composition and functioning of the bodies in which it takes shape, is mission. Co-responsibility is for mission: this attests that we are truly gathered in the name of Jesus, this frees the bodies of participation from bureaucratic limitations and worldly logics of power, and makes gathering fruitful." (RdS 18 a).
In my ministry as a parish priest, how have I experienced of the dynamics of ecclesial discernment? Which ones have been happy and which ones difficult? What lessons do I draw from them?
In my local context, how do participatory bodies function at the parish level? And at diocesan or eparchy level? What signs of hope do I recognise there?
From
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Prayer
8:30 a.m. Introduction to the issue of the day: Weaving ties, building community (RdS, part 3)
Various expert-accompanists intervene with a spiritual or theological contribution.
Best-practices related to the theme of the day are presented.
9:30 a.m. Time for meditation and personal prayer
10:00 a.m. Synodal conversation in working groups
12:45 p.m. Lunch
3:00 p.m. Plenary presentation of group work
Moderator: Rev. Giuseppe BONFRATE, Consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod
Some groups will share their work followed by a dialogue with the expert-accompanists.
4:30 p.m. Coffee Break
5:00 p.m. Plenary presentation of group work continues
6:00 p.m. Return to the small groups
6:45 p.m. Celebration of the Eucharist in English
Priests are asked to bring an alb and stole.
8:00 p.m. Dinner
9:00 p.m. Free evening
Thursday 2 May
DIALOGUE WITH POPE FRANCIS
"As an older brother and a father, I too would like in this letter to thank you in the name of the holy and faithful People of God for all that you do for them, and to encourage you never to forget the words that the Lord spoke with great love to us on the day of our ordination. Those words are the source of our joy: “I no longer call you servants… I call you friends” (Jn 15:15)." (Letter of Pope Francis to Priests on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the death of the holy Curé d'Ars).
In my ministry as a pastor for a missionary synodal Church, what do I wish to share and ask of the Holy Father?
From
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Departure from Sacrofano
Participants vacate their rooms, taking their luggage with them.
10:00 a.m. Meeting-dialogue with the Holy Father (New Synod Hall, Vatican)
12:00 p.m. Celebration of the Eucharist at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica
Cardinal Mario GRECH presides. Cardinal Lazzaro YOU HEUNG-SIK, Cardinal Luis Antonio TAGLE and Cardinal Claudio GUGEROTTI concelebrate.
Priests are asked to bring an alb and stole.
1:30 p.m. Packed lunch
2:00 p.m. Visit (advance booking required) to St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Gardens
DEPARTURES
After the visit, some shuttles will leave from the square in front of Casa 'Santa Marta' bound for the airports in Rome.
Parish Priests for the Synod
International Meeting of Parish Priests
Sacrofano (Rome), 29 April - 2 May 2024
INFORMATIVE NOTE
From 29 April to 2 May 2024, the International Meeting of Parish Priests for the Synod will be held in Sacrofano (Rome), reflecting on the theme "How to be a synodal local Church in mission", in view of the second session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
With this note, H.E. Msgr. Luis Marín de San Martín, O.S.A., Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, and coordinator of the meeting, provides details to understand its importance.
What is this meeting about and who is promoting it?
It is a meeting for listening, for prayer and discernment promoted by the General Secretariat of the Synod and the Dicastery for the Clergy, together with the Dicastery for Evangelisation (Section for the First Evangelisation and the Particular New Churches) and the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches.
This initiative also responds to the indications of the participants in the first session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, who suggested listening more to the voice of parish priests.
What are the objectives?
· To listen to and enhance the synodal experience they are having in their respective parishes and dioceses.
· To enable dialogue and the exchange of experiences and ideas.
· To provide material to be used for the drafting of the Instrumentum laboris for the Second Session, together with the summaries of the consultation coordinated by the Bishops' Conferences and the results of the theological-canonical study carried out by five Working Groups activated by the General Secretariat of the Synod.
How many participants will attend the meeting?
The number of participants (around 200) was determined according to a criterion similar to that used for the election of the members of the Synodal Assembly by the Bishops' Conferences[1]. However, given the requests received from some Bishops' Conferences, the number of parish priests will be higher than 200.
What criteria were used for the selection of the parish priests?
For the selection of participants, the Bishops' Conferences and Eastern Catholic Churches were asked to take the following criteria into account as much as possible:
· Preference for parish priests who have significant experience in the perspective of a synodal Church.
· Promotion of a variety of pastoral backgrounds (rural, urban, specific socio-cultural contexts, etc.).
How is the meeting programme structured? (see attached programme)
The meeting will take place in two major moments.
First moment
In Sacrofano (29 April -1 May):
· General theme: How to be a local synodal Church in mission.
· A theme for each of the three days: The face of the synodal Church; All disciples, all missionaries; Weaving bonds, building community.
· Presentations will be accompanied by five experts: V. David (bishop, Philippines), B. Ndubueze Ejeh (canonist, Nigeria), T. Halík (theologian, Czech Republic), G. Routhier (theologian, Canada) and M.L. Zervino (sociologist, Argentina).
· Method: Conversation in the Spirit.
· Group and plenary work.
· Time for prayer (prayer at the beginning of the day, time for personal prayer, celebration of the Eucharist). In the morning, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the chapel.
Second moment
At the Vatican (2 May):
· Meeting-dialogue with the Holy Father (New Synod Hall).
· Eucharist in St. Peter's Basilica (Altar of the Cathedra).
[1] For the Latin Rite Church - according to the number of members of each Bishops' Conference: 1 representative for Bishops' Conferences with no more than 25 members; 2 representatives for Bishops' Conferences with 26-50 members; 3 for Bishops' Conferences with 51-100 members; 4 for Bishops' Conferences with more than 100 members. In addition, 1 parish priest per continent representing ecclesiastical circumscriptions without an Episcopal Conference. For the Eastern Catholic Churches: 1 representative for each Synod of Bishops or Council of Hierarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches with no more than 25 members; 2 representatives for each Synod or Council with 26-50 members; 3 representatives for each Synod or Council with more than 50 members.
