Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This year we will be celebrating the Melbourne Archdiocese Synod, which will take place in December. Archbishop Peter Comensoli has invited every parish and Catholic community to become part of this process of prayer, listening and discernment. The purpose of the Synod is to help shape the evangelical and missionary priorities of our Archdiocese for the years ahead.
The word synod simply means "walking together." It reminds us that the Church is not built by a few people making decisions on behalf of everyone else. Rather, we are all called, through our Baptism, to listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another as we seek God's will for our local Church.
The Synod will focus on three important themes: Young Discipleship, Missionary Leadership, and Formation and Participation. These themes have emerged from years of consultation across the Archdiocese and invite us to ask: How can we help young people encounter Christ? How can we develop leaders who serve with faith and humility? How can every baptised person grow as a disciple and participate more fully in the life and mission of the Church?
At St Bernadette's, we are blessed with a welcoming and multicultural parish community. The Synod offers us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our own parish life. What are we doing well? Where is God inviting us to grow? How can we become an even more vibrant community that reaches out to others with the love and hope of Christ?
This Saturday, Ms Tania Cuni and I will be attending a Regional Consultation meeting for the Western Region, held in Werribee. We both look forward to a grace-filled moment of listening, reflection and sharing on the above-mentioned themes.
The parish council would really love to provide opportunities for parishioners to pray, reflect and share their thoughts as part of the Synod consultation. I warmly encourage everyone to participate. Your experiences, hopes and insights are an important gift to our parish and to the wider Archdiocese.
Please keep the Synod in your daily prayers. May the Holy Spirit guide us with wisdom and courage, and may Mary, Help of Christians, accompany us as we walk together.
God bless you.
Fr Silvio