From the Vatican to a parish hall in the Canberra suburb of Manuka, the concept of “synodality” is reshaping how Catholics understand their Church. Source: Catholic Voice.
An engaged group assembled at the Haydon Hall in Manuka for the first of a three-part formation series hosted by the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocesan Synodality Evangelisation Team. The session explored the question, “What is synodality?”
Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse delivered the main address, followed by a panel of parishioners sharing examples of synodality in their parishes, workplaces, and ministries. The evening concluded with “Conversations in the Spirit,” where small groups engaged in prayerful listening and discernment.
Speaking from Rome days earlier, Pope Leo XIV described synodality as “an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand,” emphasising its role in strengthening communion by ensuring every member has “a voice and a role to play through prayer [and] reflection.”
“Synodality simply means walking together,” Archbishop Prowse explained. “It’s not about adopting the latest pastoral strategy or resource. It’s about listening to the Holy Spirit and one another, grounded in our baptism.”
Both Archbishop Prowse and Pope Leo XIV stressed that synodality is not a management style but a spiritual disposition.
Quoting the Pope, Archbishop Prowse said, “Synodality is not a method, but a style of Church, of listening and of common search for the mission to which we are called. The entry gate for synodality is the sacrament of Baptism, not a program.”
He cautioned against treating synodality as a form of corporate planning.
“If we’re starting with our own plan and asking the Holy Spirit to back us up, that’s not Catholic,” he said. “We must ask first: ‘Lord, what do you want of us?’”
Parishioners and clergy joined Archbishop Prowse at the Haydon Hall for prayer, reflection, and Conversations in the Spirit during the first synodality formation session.
After the address, parishioners on the panel shared how synodality is already alive in parish councils, ministry teams, workplaces, and families. Their stories highlighted synodality’s presence in many areas of the Church.
The Archdiocesan Synodality Evangelisation Team will host two more formation sessions – Evangelisation and Charisms – in the coming weeks.
FULL STORY
From Vatican to Canberra: Synodality unites the global and local Church (By Jeanine Doyle, Catholic Voice)
