Bishop Michael F. Burbidge announced that Father Donald J. Planty Jr., pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington, was selected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as one of five parish priests from the U.S. to attend the spring preparatory gathering of priests in Rome, before this fall’s session of the synod of bishops.
“It is truly an honor for the Diocese of Arlington that Father Planty has been selected as part of the Synod on Synodality. Based on his priestly experience and assignments, I am confident Father Planty will offer insights, wisdom, and ideas that will contribute greatly to the synodal process, especially as related to parish life,” said Bishop Burbidge. “With all in the diocese, I convey to Father Planty our congratulations and prayerful support.”
Father Planty has served as a diocesan priest for more than 30 years. Bishop Burbidge appointed Father Planty as the diocesan liaison for the synod in 2021. Father Planty helped coordinate 148 sessions throughout the diocese. He attended 12 sessions with Bishop Burbidge during the initial phase, and three more in recent months when Pope Francis asked all dioceses for additional information.
“It has been very inspiring to see the people of our diocesan church come together to live synodality through prayer and reflection on the church’s communion, participation, and mission. It is an added honor to have worked on the process locally and now to be chosen to represent the priests of our country at the World Meeting of Parish Priests in Rome in preparation for the fall session of the Synod of Bishops. I look forward to meeting and joining with hundreds of my brother priests for fraternal prayer and discussion of the synodal themes,” said Father Planty.
Father Planty is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish, as well as proficient in Ecclesiastical Latin. Before becoming pastor at St. Charles in 2014, Father Planty served as head chaplain at Christendom College in Front Royal, and as pastor at Holy Family Church in Dale City, a mostly Hispanic parish.
The 300 international priests who will attend the spring gathering have all been identified by their respective bishops’ conferences to take part in what is formally known as “Parish Priests for the Synod. An international meeting.” The meeting will take place in Rome between April 28 and May 2 and will include roundtable discussions, workshops, and liturgical experiences. The goal of the session is to listen to the experiences of parish priests, who are on the frontlines of evangelization, and to offer the chance to experience the synod on the international level. On the final day participants will have a private audience with Pope Francis.
Find out more
Go to www.synod.va/en/news/parish-priests-for-the-synod.html.
