Cairns Diocese has taken another significant step in its ongoing Synod process, with its Synod members meeting for the first time this month.
The Synod journey began with a diocesan-wide consultation event on June 14.
The gathering on August 2 at the Seville Mercy Conference Centre brought together Synod members, joined by Cairns Bishop Joe Caddy, who addressed the assembly.
The program included a presentation on the Synod journeys of other Australian archdioceses and dioceses, drawing insights from their strategic and pastoral plans.
Participants also explored the decrees of the Fifth Australian Plenary Council and the Final Document from the global Synod for a Synodal Church.
Small-group work and spiritual conversations centred on establishing processes of consultation, feedback and review across the diocese – an essential part of ensuring the Synod process is inclusive, transparent, and mission-focused.
A highlight of the day was a reflection by Anne Chellingworth, Pastoral Ministry Engagement Coordinator for the Cairns Diocese, on the meaning and lived experience of synodality. Drawing on Pope Francis’s use of the word “harmonia” – not as “peace and quiet” but the rich, layered harmony of an orchestra – unity, but not uniformity, as the essence of synodality.
“In a world marked by polarisation,” Ms Chellingworth said, “synodality can be the Church’s gift to the world, a way of valuing, trusting, and bearing with one another. It requires fraternal friendship, humility, and the willingness to listen deeply, even to those with whom we disagree.”
Her closing challenge to the members was clear: “Our task is to ensure no one in our churches remains anonymous. Synodality must shape everything we do. It’s not the why we do anything, it’s the how. The why will always be mission.”
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First Synod Members’ Meeting Marks Milestone in Cairns Diocese Journey (Cairns Diocese)
