We stand before You, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.

With You alone to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
and how we are to pursue it.

We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance
lead us down the wrong path
nor partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity
so that we may journey
together to eternal life
and not stray from the way
of truth and what is right.

All this we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time,
n the communion of the Father
and the Son, forever and ever. Amen

• “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission Vademecum for the Synod on Synodality, 07.09.2021”
• Archdiocesan Synod Website
• Vatican Synod Website
• Prayer for the Synod
• Official Synod Handbook
• Preparatory Document

A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together:” How is this “journeying together” happening today in your local Church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”?

Pope Francis has called for a Synod in the church. He (Pope Francis) has called the entire People of God to journey together. This Synod is not just another meeting with oral presentations and written reports. This Synod is a process of journeying together by listening, dialoguing, praying, discerning, and making decisions together for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The theme of this Synod is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The solemn opening of the Synod took place in Rome on October 9-10, and an Opening Mass for the Archdiocese of Washington was celebrated by Cardinal Gregory on October 17 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. The Synod will conclude in the Vatican in October of 2023 with the assembly of bishops from around the world.

Pope Francis wants to hear from the whole Church about what is happening in local parishes. He and the bishops would like to know what individuals think we should all be doing to help make our parishes better. The way he has proposed doing this is a synodal process. Synod means “journeying together” and it involves listening to the Holy Spirit and to each other in order to discern the path we are called to walk together.

The Roman Catholic Church's synod is a two-year journey of reflection and sharing of the whole Church. By walking together, and together reflecting on the journey made, the Church will be able to learn from what it will experience which processes can help it to live communion, to achieve participation, to open itself to mission.

For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission

This Synod is a process of journeying together by listening, dialoguing, praying, discerning, and making decisions together for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together:”

This Synod will ask the fundamental questions:

How is this “journeying together” happening today in your local Church?
What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”?

You are also invited to share your thoughts for the 2021-2023 Synod by completing an online survey using the button below.

Take the Survey

Saint John Paul II said “the secret of the success of the Synod, as of every other ecclesial event and initiative, is in fact prayer.” We ask that you pray for the Synod here and around the world, “so that it might become an authentic event of grace.”

. . . we will pray, listen, and share through the online survey and Archdiocesan listening sessions.

“This Synod offers us the opportunity
to be with each other,
to invite our family and friends back to the faith,
to listen to each other’s joys and sorrows,
and to share our hopes and dreams for our parishes.”

~ Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory

CLICK HERE to read Archbishop Gregory’s letter to the faithful on Synod 2021-2023