PANAJI
Fr Simião Fernandes, Convenor of the Coordinating Committee Synod 2023 for the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, has stressed that Catholics, as members of the local Church, have a major role to play in the First Phase of the Synodal Journey.
The Solemn Opening of the Synod of Bishops 2021-2023 took place in the Vatican on October 9-10 and will be undertaken in three phases: Focus on the Local Church (Phase 1), Focus on the Continents (Phase 2) and XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023 (Phase 3).
The Journey in the Archdiocese of Goa will begin with the Solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão at the See Cathedral, Old Goa at 9.30 am on October 17, with participation of chosen representatives from the archdiocese. The entire ceremony will be telecast live through the Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media (DCSCM) and CCR TV.
The theme of the Synod is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.”
Fr Fernandes said the Archdiocesan Team coordinating the various activities during this Synodal Journey has prepared some tools for awareness, which will be made available to the people this month.
As part of their various roles in the First Phase of the Synodal Journey, Fr Fernandes said Catholics can build awareness of the Synod with the aids made available through social media and other means and participate in the Solemn Opening of the Journey personally as representatives or through the use of social media.
Listening to one another, reflecting on the theme and participating in consultations by responding to a questionnaire with openness and truth at various levels as well as participating in the Pre-Synodal Meeting which will take place after the consultations are some other means, he stated.
Fr Fernandes further said the Synodal Journey will be undertaken in collaboration with the Christ’s faithful from all walks of life.
The consultation process with the help of a questionnaire will take place at various levels: Lay Faithful, Religious, Priests and Deacons, Youth, Institutions of Formation, those who are away from home (Migrants).
This process will begin in mid-October and go up till the end of November, and culminate in the Pre-Synodal Meeting in mid-December. The final Synthesis to the Episcopal Conference will be submitted by the end of December.
