WHY A SYNOD?
The Passionists’ mission has been to accompany and support the ‘crucified’ of each era of their 300-year history. More recently, those ‘crucified’ have included not just the marginalized of society but also the planet itself. During their jubilee year, Passionists around the world will discern how they can renew their mission to best serve the crucified of today. As the Passionists began to focus on that mission renewal for the region stretching from the Caribbean through the eastern United States and into Canada, a committee was formed at St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish to help in that discernment process. The committee, with the support of the Provincial and Fr. Brando, decided to hold a synod that would listen to the voices of the marginalized and propose a vision for the work of the Passionists in Canada, keeping in mind how the next generation of leadership would help to deliver that mission, given the declining number of Passionists.
WHAT IS A SYNOD?
As the Provincial’s letter says, a synod is a time for people to gather to explore a serious issue, to listen to and learn from one another, to imagine how to address the issue in order to move into a better future, and to report these findings – all with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The report is more likely to provide valuable and lasting insights when many people with different perspectives listen and discern during the synod.
WHO WILL PARTICIPATE?
The Passionist Jubilee Synod in Toronto will gather people from St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish and from the Passionists’ mission in Canada, (as well as those who experience marginalization within our Church or society). Everyone is welcome to participate in the synod, including those who have experienced any form of marginalization.
WHAT WILL WE DO?
The synod will unfold in three phases which will follow the theme for the Passionists’ Jubilee celebration: gratitude, prophecy, and hope.
Phase One: Gratitude (Launched February 2022)
Phase one will look to the past with a focus on gratitude. Through a blog that will be linked to the St. Gabe’s website, you will be able to describe your gratitude for the good work that has been done via the Passionists’ mission in Canada, for how the needs of Earth have been included in the parish plans, for the ways you were supported when you felt marginalized, or for other gifts that have sparked a sense of gratitude. Phase one will last about 4 to 6 weeks
How to access the blog:
How to submit a blog post:
- Send your post to: stgabrielsynod@gmail.com
- Please include your full name. Your blog post will be posted shortly after you send the email. Photos are welcome!
How to comment on blog posts:
- Click “Post a Comment” under the desired post.
- Click the box that says “Enter your comment…”
- Beside “Comment as”, click the dropdown arrow. Select “Name/URL”.
- Enter your Name in the field. URL is not required.
- Hit “Continue”.
- Draft your comment in the box below. Hit “Publish.”
Phase Two: Prophecy
Phase two will focus on the present as we listen to the prophecy spoken by the voices from the margins calling for change, now. Circles of listening will form to explore particular types of marginalization as they may relate to Indigenous issues, feminism, immigration and migrants, LGBTQ2S+, poverty, climate change or ecological issues, racism, forms of inequality, or other forms of marginalization. While the potential list of circles is long, the experiences and interests of the synod participants will determine the topics at the centre of the discussions as people with shared concerns gather into circles. Synod participants may choose to join more than one circle. Phase two is expected to last for several months.
March 26th – Horizons of Prophecy
10 am-12 pm, 2 pm-4 pm
Phase Three: Hope
The focus in Phase three is for the future not yet realized. Hope will start to grow through the respectful listening and dialoguing within the circles. It will further develop as the participants within each of the circles share their dreams for healing the suffering of today’s crucified by reducing forms of marginalization. Then, when the participants from the circles gather together in one group to share their insights and dreams, a map for putting these dreams into action can be drawn. This vision of hope, recorded in a report, will be given to the Provincial as a proposal for mission renewal of the Passionists’ work in Canada.
April 9th – Visions of Hope and Report
10 am-12 pm, 2 pm-4 pm
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.
