The Arlington diocese has begun holding listening sessions at parishes and schools to hear the views of Catholics — both active and inactive — on how the church is journeying together to fulfill its mission in the world.
The sessions are part of preparations for the October 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome, dubbed the “Synod on Synodality.” The term refers to an examination of how the church is listening to its many constituents and engaging in dialogue. Pope Francis has asked every diocese to be involved.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge last year asked every pastor to hold listening sessions between February and April and to send him notes on what they hear. The sessions will pose questions such as, “What experiences of ‘journeying together’ in your diocese and parish bring you joy and hope?” and “What difficulties and obstacles to ‘journeying together’ have you encountered?”
Those who have begun “are reporting the inspired feedback of the faithful,” said Father Donald J. Planty, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington, who is coordinating synod preparations. “Following Bishop Burbidge’s leadership and example, our pastors are enthusiastically embracing the synodal listening sessions,” he said. Several parishes, including his own, already have held sessions, but “the vast majority have yet to take place. We anticipate a lot more engagement and feedback in the next couple of months.”
As part of the process, the diocese aims to “reach out to include those who are no longer active in the faith, and those on the margins of the church and society,” to better understand “what distances them from the church and how we might accompany them,” according to a diocesan website with information on the synod.
“The experience of the universal church was made very present,” and was a reminder of “the reality that we are always journeying toward holiness and haven’t hit the mark yet.”
Sister Ann Dominic Mahowald, O.P.
Pastors are taking differing approaches. While some are planning one large event for the entire parish, others are opting for a more intimate small-group approach, so more people get a chance to share their views.
Missionhurst Father Ramel O. Portula, pastor of St. Ann Church in Arlington, said his parish offered eight listening sessions in February and plans nine more in March, both in person and online. “The quality of the sharing and exchange has been deep and respectful, in the spirit of discernment,” he said.
In addition to sessions at parishes, separate gatherings are being held for specific groups: Catholic campus ministries, high schools, priests, permanent deacons, women religious and several Catholic Charities institutions, Father Planty said. Bishop Burbidge is presiding at a number of these sessions, as well as several at parishes with varying demographics: urban, suburban, rural, African American and predominantly Hispanic. Parishes with Hispanic communities also are hosting sessions in Spanish.
Sister Ann Dominic Mahowald, a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Potomac Shores, organized the listening session attended by about 50 women religious who work in areas from education to hospitals, end-of-life care, diocesan offices, parish life and ministries for the poor.
“It was a really powerful and humbling experience,” she said. “The process made it very evident we’re all part of something greater than ourselves. The experience of the universal church was made very present,” and was a reminder of “the reality that we are always journeying toward holiness and haven’t hit the mark yet.”
She said sisters widely expressed “gratitude for all the priests and religious sisters serving in our diocese and reflected on the blessing that the diocese has cultivated a safe place for vocations to flourish. You don’t see that in every diocese, and there was a sense of not wanting to take that for granted.”
Father Planty said two regular themes he’s heard at the sessions he’s attended so far are “that many people are happy with a lot of the work the church is doing in the diocese of Arlington — the liturgies and the pastoral and charitable works. At the same time, people think the church is seen by the world as a dogmatic, heavy-handed and outdated institution.” He said he’s heard similar feedback from other sessions as well. “We really need to do a better job of sharing the good news of what we are doing.”
In May and June, Father Planty said the synodal team will gather and summarize notes from sessions at all the parishes, and support Bishop Burbidge in drafting his summary of the sessions, due to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by the end of June.
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