Synod on Synodality—Implementation phase, formation opportunities and parish pastoral council resources

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To: Priests, deacons, Chancery and parish staff
From: Jenny Miles, manager, Office of Planning and Research 

On March 14, the Synod Secretariat announced the implementation phase of the Synod that will culminate in 2028 with an ecclesial assembly in Rome. You can find the letter sent to the bishops here: Letter on the accompaniment process of the implementation phase of the Synod (Spanish). More information will be available in May.  

For reference, here are selected milestone documents from the consultation and discernment phases of the 2021-24 Synod on Synodality:   

• Synod Preparatory Document (Spanish), October 2021
• Atlanta Synod Report (Spanish, Vietnamese), June 2022
• National Synod Report (Spanish), March 2023
• Continental Stage Working Document (Spanish), October 2022
• North American Continental Stage Final Document (Spanish), March 2023
• Synod of Bishops First Session Synthesis Report (Spanish), October 2023
• Atlanta Interim Report (Spanish, Vietnamese), April 2024
• National Interim Report (Spanish), May 2024
• Synod of Bishops Second Session Final Document (Spanish), October 2024   

As we await instructions for the next phase of the Synod, there are many ways to continue journeying together. In addition to reviewing the synodal documents, please take advantage of the formation opportunities below to grow in synodality:   

• The School for Synodality resources:
  • Final Document Online Book Club starting in May—register here
  • Synodality 101 Workshops starting in July—register here 
  • Synodality explainers
  • Practicing Synodality webinars 

•   The Aquinas Center at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University hosted two Major Catholic Speakers on Synodality:
  • Dr. Anna Rowlands – Casting Our Nets: The Vision and Challenge of The Synod 
  • Card. Christophe Pierre – The Vision of Pope Francis for a Synodal Church (La visión del Papa Francisco para una Iglesia sinodal)
    
• Boston College provides three free courses: 
  • Toward a Constitutively Synodal Church
  • History, Theology and Practice of Synodality 
  • Common Discernment and Decision Making in a Synodal Church 

• USCCB synodality webinars:  
  • Pope Francis on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Synodality, and the Dignity of Being Human
  • “Conversation in the Spirit”
  • The Synod and the Eucharistic Revival 
  • Lumen Gentium and Synodality
  • Christ the Way: Reflections on John 14, St. Augustine, and Synodality (Session I, Session II, Session III)   

Finally, one of the findings in the first round of our archdiocesan consultations was “…offering suggestions and best practices for synodal bodies such as pastoral councils…” The Synod Team is happy to share several resources on pastoral councils and parish planning to implement at the local level:   

• Reimagining Pastoral Councils Starter Kit – a resource from the School of Synodality  
• Archdiocese of Atlanta resources on pastoral council structures
• Catholic Leadership Institute partnership
  • Next Generation Parish – free accompaniment program for parishes
  • Disciple Maker Index – survey tool to assess parish potential   

If you have any questions, please contact either of our Archdiocesan Synod Co-Coordinators: Jenny Miles (jmiles@archatl.com or 404-920-7852) and Ashley Morris (amorris@archatl.com or 404-920-7586).