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A synthesis of the discussions 

of the synodal questions 

By 

The Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador 

May 2022

“The Church of God is convoked in Synod”. With these opening words, Pope Francis informed Roman Catholics around the world that the path entitled “For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission” would solemnly open in Rome on October 9-10, 2021 and on October 17 in each particular Church.  In the preparatory document, we read ”the purpose of the Synod is “to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another, create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.”” (32)

The Diocesan pathway to this Synod began on October 17, 2021 with a Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Redeemer and of the Immaculate Conception by Bishop Bart van Roijen. The first order of business was the creation of a Diocesan Synod Advisory Committee, who met and charted a pathway forward for the Diocese. Of the ten thematic nuclei composing the facets of “lived synodality”, four were chosen which were deemed to be of particular interest and potential service to the Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador, and to the parishes themselves. These four questions were reformatted so as to facilitate comprehension and inspire discussion. A plan was implemented to promote awareness of and knowledge about the consultative process in our Diocese: an introductory letter from the Bishop explaining the Synod in general and the process our Diocese would follow, which was read and distributed in parishes; a series of bulletin announcements explaining and outlining the process was sent to all parishes; a video was made of the Bishop explaining the Synod in general as well as the consultative process and was posted to the Diocesan web page and YouTube page; links to the Synodal documents were placed on the Diocesan web page; and, a facilitator’s guide was developed to assist parishes in their consultation sessions. It was requested that each parish pastoral council dedicate a meeting to the discussion of the synodal questions and submit a synthesis of that discussion to the Diocese. 

And so, in the midst of a Covid-19 shutdown with a push on to deliver vaccination booster shots as quickly and as widely as possible and in the midst of a harsh Newfoundland winter, the synodal questions were sent off to the parishes – many of them small, many of them remote, and most of them, like their communities, struggling for survival. The response was heartening.

Approximately 70% of parishes responded, as did organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women’s League, the Presentation Associates and the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee. The priests of the Diocese dedicated a portion of their pastoral study days to consideration of the questions. Several individuals preferred to submit written responses to the questions. It was clear that many parishioners were willing to participate in this process, despite some misgivings about the outcome, because of their faith, their love for their Church and the hope that some change could be affected which would, like the Second Vatican Council, allow a breath of fresh air to blow through the Church and rejuvenate her.

Companions on the Journey

For many parishes in the Diocese, companionship is easily visible as it is lived out on a daily basis. In small parishes, parishioners feel a sense of ownership and they work diligently to maintain parish buildings and keep the parish viable and active. Parishioners come together to meet a need and they come together to share the joys, the troubles and the grief of others in their community. They work together to ensure that Masses are organized, devotions are encouraged, and sacramental programs are in place. Parish outreach efforts may vary from community to community, but they invariably include bereavement supports, visitation of the sick (although much reduced due to Covid) and assistance to the needy.  

Despite this busyness of parish life, there is a deep longing to reach out even more – to those who have not returned to Church following the pandemic, to those who have long since stopped attending Mass, to youth and to young families. Most parishes experience low attendance numbers and an aging population, which results in a lack of volunteers to take on leadership roles in the parish which in turn leads to an almost universal fear of what will happen in the parishes when this generation has passed away. The conversations about the future of parishes are tinged with sadness and resignation, as people see no one to fill the void. 

In their discussions and the subsequent submissions, parishes offer some suggestions on what hinders the journeying together. One major hindrance is the negative image of the Church in the sexual abuse scandal, the residential schools and the treatment of indigenous peoples, which many feel has caused a loss of trust and a loss of faith in the organized Church. Many parishes suggest that prayer and healing services should be offered by the church to address these challenges. Victims and their families feel anger and resentment towards the Church because of her lack of acknowledgement or apology for these abuses, and communities feel that companionship is not possible as long as these feelings exist.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in people being less connected to and less involved in their parishes. The sense of the sacred and the sense of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist have been lost, not able to be transmitted or experienced via TV or the Internet.

The secularization of society has led to the loss of faith practices in the home. Additionally, many people do not see the relevance of church in their lives; they believe it possible to do good and to be good without belonging to an organized church. 

How are we called to grow as companions? Parishioners can continue praying beyond themselves – for First Nations, for war-torn countries, for refugees and for the Pope’s monthly prayer intention, for example. This helps to connect the local church to the Universal Church, creating the feeling of belonging to something bigger.

Parishes can attempt to find out why young people and young families do not participate in the Eucharist. Parishes can provide opportunities for people to gather, to meet friends and to rebuild a sense of community. Parishes could become more technologically inclined, which might make it easier to reach and to connect with youth. Post-pandemic, we need to find new and creative ways to intermingle.

Listening

Most parishes expressed their belief that everyone has a voice but that many choose not to use it – some for fear of speaking out in public, some for fear of not being heard, and some for reluctance to question or challenge the hierarchy.

However, most parishes also expressed the belief that many groups have no voice. The marginalized have no voice. Young people are seldom asked their opinion and their message is rarely heard. In the words of one parish, “Church groups, Parish Council and leaders in the Church are heard, but gays, lesbians and transgender do not feel there is a place for them. Divorced and single parents do not feel there is a place for them. Indigenous people do not feel there is a place for their cultural celebrations in the church and need to celebrate special feast days and events in halls, legions or outside in nature. They do not feel they are being heard.”

Parishes see the handling of the sexual abuse scandal and the residential schools issue as being an impediment to listening – the lack of acknowledgement by the hierarchy, the costly court actions initiated by the Church, the lack of apologies and the lack of space and opportunity for discussion have all contributed to creating a deep mistrust of the hierarchy of the Church. 

Like many dioceses, the Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador is faced with declining numbers of priests in active ministry, and have undertaken the recruitment of priests from other countries. The cultural differences and the language differences experienced by both clergy and laity create obstacles to listening and accompaniment which must be navigated with kindness and patience. 

Several parishes expressed skepticism about the synodal process itself. There is a division between progressives and conservatives. There is doubt that the process won’t lead to any meaningful change. There is a belief among many that Rome is totally divorced from reality. Some fear the promotion of a globalist agenda, some feel that too much heed will be paid to fringe groups, some fear that the agenda is already set and decisions are already made, and others fear what we might hear. 

On a more positive note, many feel that it is an integral part of our journey to listen to the joy, hurt or despair of others, and to offer them comfort and encouragement. We need to be welcoming, accepting and accommodating in our listening, not close-minded or judgemental. We need to remember that the purpose of listening is more to hear, to empathize and to enter into communion with others than to solve a problem or make a decision. 

Things are better with good leadership, and good leadership comes from well-trained priests. Training programs for priests should include training in skills which will assist them in working collaboratively with parishioners to create active and vibrant faith communities - administrative skills, communication skills and people skills. 

Many parishes offered suggestions on outreach communication, including bulletins, sharing Diocesan correspondence, contacting/visiting the sick, creating a face book page, using social media, Mass cards and intentions, prayers for the sick, and comment or suggestion boxes.

Sharing in Christ’s Mission

Most people do not know what Christ’s mission is, and even those who do are unaware that they share in it. They do not see that the “good deeds of their secular life” (contributing to food banks, donating gently used clothing to outreach groups, visiting the sick, reaching out to the housebound, among many others) and their primary vocation as spouses, parents and Christians living out their calls in the world, is actually a living out of their calling to join in the mission of Christ. 

What happens in parishes to assist in carrying out the mission of Christ? First of all, there are many volunteers who work together to maintain parish viability, from buildings and finances to liturgy, faith development and sacramental preparation. Affiliate organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women’s League, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Development & Peace, among others, assist parishes in outreach initiatives to the poor, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and all those who live on the peripheries. By participating in special collections for national and global issues and by praying for war-torn countries, for immigrants and refugees, and for the Pope’s monthly intentions, parishes connect themselves to the Universal Church and live out the loving of others, as Jesus taught. 

What hinders the carrying out of the mission of Christ? The secularization of society and its many distractions have led to a general disinterest in the Church and the loss of faith practices in the home. Many people don’t feel that they need the Church in order to do acts of mercy; they do not connect this to their faith or to Christ’s mission. The loss of Catholic schools in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has led to a loss of education in the Catholic faith. People do not see a need to belong to the Church – they can pray at home, watch Mass on TV or the Internet and do good deeds simply as a human being. The proliferation of social media has created a loss of personal contact among people. The combination of an aging population, a decline in the size of families and a decreasing number of young people in church has made it increasingly difficult for parishes to thrive or survive. The Church itself seems to focus on sacraments and devotions instead of on the mission of Christ. The declining number of priests in the Diocese means that most priests bear responsibility for multiple parishes, which leaves them little time for listening and communication, to determine needs or to establish relationships with youth or families. There is little or no promotion of mystagogy attached to catechetical programs or sacramental preparations.      

In order to more fully participate in the mission of Christ, parishes need to be intentional in their actions. They need to develop a vision for the parish and action plans to achieve it. 

Authority and Participation

Most parishes believe that the Church uses a top-down decision-making model, with decisions flowing from the Bishop to the priest to the Parish Council, with little or no input from parishioners.

The parish pastoral council and the finance committee, in consultation with the priest and with input from parishioners, are seen as the main decision-makers of the parish. Non-members of committees or councils are often unaware of how they are formed, how decisions are made, and how one becomes a member. Many committee members are perceived as long-serving, set in their ways and unwilling to change. 

In most parishes, there is reluctance by parishioners, committees and councils to challenge the priest or the Bishop. Most decisions are reactive instead of proactive. Much effort goes to keeping bills paid and buildings maintained. Little time or energy is left for spiritual matters. The synodal process is affording people the opportunity to speak and to feel heard. There is hope that this process might be good for the Church. 

Conclusion 

In convoking this Synod, Pope Francis invited all Roman Catholics to reflect on the Synod’s theme and to offer their thoughts, ideas, dreams, hopes and fears so that, together, we might refresh and renew our faith and create a truly Synodal Church. The Roman Catholics of the Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador, like many around the world, responded to the invitation – despite their reluctance, despite their concerns that the process might ultimately lead nowhere, despite their fear that their voice might not be heard, despite their feeling of being a very small cog in a very big wheel – because ultimately they love their church and are very worried about Her survival and they dare to hope that this process might give Her new breath and new life. 

The reports submitted to the committee by parishes, groups and individuals almost unanimously shared certain commonalities. Each identified problems facing the Church today – such as declining vocations, declining participation in the life of the Church (local or universal), aging and declining populations, among others. Each mentioned the need to acknowledge and apologize for the mistakes of the past, a pathway upon which Pope Francis has recently embarked. Each mentioned marginalized groups such as women, the LGBTQ population, separated Catholics, and divorced and remarried Catholics. 

Each also mentioned that the Church needs to change. She needs to focus on her mission and her sharing in the mission of Christ. She needs to have a clear vision of what the Church should look like in the future and clear ideas about how to grow that Church of the future. 

And finally, each believes that the Holy Spirit is still with us; each hopes and prays that the Spirit is active through this process and, that because of the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can have hope – the hope to which we are called. 

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 Please read and reflect on the Working Document for the Continental Stage issued by Rome that summarizes all the diocesan reports around the world.  

(Please see PDF below)