Catholic Outlook Magazine Ordinary Time Winter Edition 2022

Diocese of Parramatta walks towards
Synod of Bishops 2023
STORY SR GRACE ROCLAWSKA CSFN
An historic event is taking place in our
Church as the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops
considers the responses by ordinary Catholics
to the Church today. Here in the Diocese of
Parramatta, Sr Grace Roclawska explains the
gifts of walking together and how we have
participated.
Imagine walking on your own through your
neighbourhood. You are enjoying your time of quiet
and solitude, maybe breathing, planning the rest
of your day, or simply looking around. Imagine,
that on your way you meet a friend who walks
with a couple of little children. The way you walk
changes as you need to follow the pace of the little
ones. You need to stop from time to time or help
your friend to run after the child who decides to
wander away.
Imagine you meet your old friend in a wheelchair
on your walk as he leaves the retirement village.
The way you converse with your friend requires
you to bend over at times and speak louder.
Walking with others changes your own experience,
sometimes it even changes the direction or the goal
you want to achieve.
The idea of ‘walking together’ is the core image
which Pope Francis presented to the faithful when
convoking the Synod on Synodality in 2021.
He called on us: “Let us have a good journey
together,” and asked that we be “pilgrims in love
with the Gospel and open to the surprises of
the Spirit.” At the opening Mass of the Synod in
October 2021 he urged us not to miss out “on
the grace-filled opportunities born of encounter,
listening, and discernment.”
This is the essence of what has been experienced
over the past nine months in the Diocese of
Parramatta. Following the call from Pope Francis,
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of
Parramatta invited all members of the Diocese to
participate in the Synod of Bishops by submitting
their thoughts on questions around communion,
participation and mission.
At the same time, a Diocesan Committee for the
Consultation on the Synod of Bishops and the
Diocesan Synod Writing Group worked together
on listening and discerning the voices of people in
Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
The Final Synthesis document resulting from this
consultation has now been published. After a period
of viewing and exhibition of the document in late
April 2022, the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes,
Seven Hills welcomed Bishop Vincent and members
of both committees who prepared the Diocese
of Parramatta submissions to celebrate the final
document in early May.
As Bishop Vincent stated in his homily, “Let us renew
our commitment to co-create with Pope Francis a
Church that is fit-for-purpose going forward, one that
is humble, transparent, accountable and faithful to
the command to evangelise the world.”
Imagine… if we continue walking and listening…
that truly would be the synodality in action as Pope
Francis wants us to live.
You can read the Synthesis document of
submissions by parishioners in the Diocese of
Parramatta at bit.ly/synod2023.
Sr Grace Roclawska csfn is Head of Formation for Mission in
the Diocese of Parramatta.
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