“FROM HIS FULLNESS WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED GRACE UPON GRACE” (John 1 :16)
We have just celebrated our Second Archdiocesan Assembly.
In 8 different multi-media hubs, about 500 of our people and a small army of leaders gathered to discern further the presence of the Holy Spirit in our Archdiocese.
Throughout the entire Assembly Week there have been multiple manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit among us.
We are so grateful to the Lord for opening further our hearts to activate our Baptisms. Truly, we have received “from his fullness grace upon grace.” (John 1: 16)
“The harvest is plentiful” (Matthew 9:37). It is time now to bring in this plentiful harvest. Let us gather in our parishes and community groups to share the convergences and divergences of these days. Give testimonies of your experiences, especially to those who were not able to participate in the Assembly. Where do we go from here locally, and as an Archdiocese?
In this time of reception of the Lord’s many blessings, may I offer three areas (there are so many more) where I feel the Holy Spirit is alive amongst us?
1. EMBEDDING A SYNODAL WAY OF THINKING AND ACTING
It seems that we are becoming more accustomed to synodality (walking together) and all this means in the Catholic world. Over this Assembly I observed many more participants than at our First Assembly (2024) who were more comfortable in using the terminology and processes of synodality. This is a great joy to observe!
Many steps are still to be encountered. We were given some challenging statistics of our Archdiocese indicating areas for our pastoral attention.
Many of us have now experienced firsthand the Conversation of the Spirit synodal method. It does take some time to become comfortable in this new way of attentive listening to each other. It is time now to share our “experience”, especially to those who are completely new to this approach. It is, however, only a method.
Methods and processes are helpful, but they are to lead us to a more contemplative approach to the way we balance relationships and structures.
We truly need to deepen the formation of us all in the Baptismal or synodal way of being Church in our times. There is so much information about this exciting deepening of Trinitarian or relational dimension of all the baptised since the Vatican II Council. A key priority from our 22 August Assembly is the need for a thorough formation in our faith, in our capacity to participate in Eucharist and Liturgy more generally. Many resources we already have functioning in these areas were showcased.
This formation will lead us to move synodally in attending to practical/structural issues arising sincerely from communal discernment.
2.AN IMPORTANT STEPPING STONE ON OUR SYNODAL JOURNEY
The title of our Assembly, “Sanctuaries for the Thirsty”, and the stepping stones used in the literature graphics was significant too. It offers a dynamic image of the journey of faith we are all on with the entire the People of God. We are truly “walking together” in faith, in the company of all the communion of Saints, especially Mary.
Many steps are still to be encountered. However, the experience in our Second Assembly is that we are together on this Emmaus/Eucharistic journey. It is the Holy Spirit leading us. Some of us seem rather slow in the walk! Others perhaps even faster than the Holy Spirit! But we are trying to walk together. We want to “Get up! Listen! Go!”
We are joined by the Catholic Church universal. The Vatican has given us a number of time benchmarks for national, regional and global Assemblies in the near future. The International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028 is also an opportunity to be embraced. These too will be important stepping stones.
I observed a growing awareness in our Assembly that we feel all part of something bigger than we had thought or imagined.
I also observed, especially in the Reports from the Parish Assemblies, that our communities sense they must be more than simply going to Mass and sitting in the same place week after week!
We are to become welcoming communities that invited people to something more …. An invitation to encounter Jesus, become disciples in a fresh and deeper formation of our faith, and to become missionary disciples to the nations. This is what evangelisation is all about.
3. BECOMING A MISSIONARY SYNODAL ARCHDIOCESE
During the Assembly there was strong support to “get out there!” We have moved from the simply being welcoming places to wanting to be invitational communities. Remaining “inside the Church/tent” is not enough. Missionaries are to be inviting the troubled world from outside the Church/tent.
Accompanying the poor and gaining confidence in missionary evangelisation alongside the vulnerable was stressed. Proper formation to do this was requested.
Issues such as the working poor, homelessness, mental illness and struggling families were highlighted. Much is being done. Much more ought to be done as synodal missionaries in our wounded world.
Let us share locally such issues and communally discern further missionary ways of responding to Jesus in the poor.
We give thanks to the Lord for the many blessings of our Second Assembly. I thank the small army who organised all the practicalities.
We move forward together, with the abiding help of the Holy Spirit who “makes all things new” (Revelations 21 :5).
God’s blessings on you always.
In thanksgiving for all your efforts in the name of the Lord,
Most Reverend Christopher Prowse DD STD
Archbishop of Canberra & Goulburn