AUDIO of Gerry O’Hanlon’s presentation on the ‘Synod on Synods’
Last evening 212 people tuned in to hear Gerry O’Hanlon’s excellent presentation on the ‘Synod on Synods’ due to take place in Rome in October 2022. It was a wonderful evening full of vibrancy and enthusiasm with people tuned in across the world from Jerusalem to Mayo!
It was a classic example of synodality in action with a strong ‘People of God’ presence of highly articulate women and men whose contributions were augmented by priests and bishops.
It was a most enjoyable, challenging and comforting evening.
Opening and closing Prayers added below under Comment *4.
Click on the link to listen to proceedings…
https://soundcloud.com/user-211747038/gerry-ohanlon-250221-audio
Thanks for a marvellous presentation on Synodality from Gerry O’Hanlon SJ and for the ensuing inspiring conversation.
Ar aghaidh linn!
Also
Thanks to Gerry O’Connor for excellent facilitation.
Could you please send me a copy of the Prayer about the Seed which was said at the start.
I think our parish/faith community would appreciate it – esp at this time of the year.
Pádraigín Clancy, Parish Pastoral Worker, St Michael’s, Inchicore, Dublin 8.
The ACP Leadership have adapted well to the new world. Those webinars are excellent. It is a great achievement to gather some 200 participants. It is indeed much easier to gather people online than to call/invite people to a venue anywhere! Most of us are too old for travelling. And sometimes, we don’t expect much to happen if we do or did!
Last evening: Thanks Gerry. The background atmosphere/music was provided by Chris Lamb. All the speakers last evening, provided much comment and deep experience. It is most encouraging too that some bishops have joined us. We deeply appreciate their presence. We are working together and learning together and that is what matters. The ‘us’ and ‘them’ approach is nonsense. We shouldn’t even draw attention to their presence or place more demands on them. The cliche is true: We are in this together.
I do have a problem. It is a form of impatience. Synod is not for talking about, but for doing. We don’t have to wait for Cardinal Grech or Pope Francis. Synod is a challenge for everyone of us. It can happen and should be happening for years in our Parishes. That is our core business. It should be our way of working. There is nothing difficult about it. In fact it is a most delightful way of living. It is humbling too, because we can and do learn, so much from everyone.
It should happen also between bishops and priests. It should happen between bishops and bishops. It should happen in the Religious Orders and between the bosses and their Councils and between members and their leaders. It is a very normal way of living and working. It is FATIH-FUL. (I know. It hasn’t been happening generally and has allowed cynicism to flourish and despondency to take over which can become an excuse for doing nothing).
It is about respect. It is about a belief in each other. It is about accepting that God is speaking through every person and even doing so, in surprising ways. It is about making space for everyone to breathe their godliness. It does work by the way. It works in the governance of a parish. It works in how we celebrate Liturgy. It works in how we participate. It works in how the Word of God is given space to speak in real Communion. It is communication, communion and community. We use the language all the time but often live a very different version. This is only our daily Creed: A listening to God and a sharing in our daily living together. How can we celebrate Eucharist if we don’t believe this? What happens then on that Table?
I conclude: None of us can blame others or expect the rest to live Synod. It begins with me. It begin in the local church. It continues throughout the whole body. It is simple and exciting. It is refreshing and demanding.
Seamus Ahearne osa
Amen to responses from Seamus A and Pádraigín. Wonderful, stimulating evening.
Well done Gerry and ACP.
Keep going!
Please send me copy of opening prayer re seeds.
Many thanks. Blessings.
Maura Clerkin
St Joseph’s Parish
Monaghan
OPENING PRAYER:
Seed for a Synod.
Little seed, you are seemingly inert and lifeless, but appearances are false, for you hold an immense surprise. You hold life! Within you are whiskered roots, thick green greens stems and dancing leaves. All you need is a gentle hand to place you in the soil, the dazzling sun to smile on you with warmth, and the moist fingers of spring clouds to awaken you with raindrops.
O seeds, blessed seeds, you will soon be dwelling in the soil.
Grow, grow deep, grow strong!
Send your life forth into the sunlight.
We celebrate the secret of spring within you.
Fruitful God, may our gathering tonight, be like a gentle hand, placing a seed for a synod, in the soil. May your moist spirit awaken, the synod seed to life. May the hidden potential of the Irish Church, spring forth, as winter is past and Spring has come. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Closing Prayer
Recalling the image of Synod as Seed, we pray:
O dormant seed within us,
We believe in your potential.
We will open the soil of our hearts for you.
We will warm you with our patience and trust.
We will water you with droplets of faith, hope and love. Amen.
Sarah Mac Donald reports in the Irish Independent:
THE Catholic bishops are planning a major synod which will bring all sections of the Irish Church together to look at the crisis of faith, address the need for reform and renewal, and respond to the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bishop Paul Dempsey of Achonry and Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross announced the move at an online address ‘The Synod on Synods’ by Jesuit theologian Fr Gerry O’Hanlon, hosted by the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP).
https://www.independent.ie/news/catholic-bishops-plan-synod-to-discuss-reform-and-address-crisis-of-faith-in-ireland-40136095.html
Congratulations to ACP, Gerry O’Hanlon for a stimulating address and to Gerry O’Connor for his chairing the evening. I was delighted to be in attendance and to be allowed make a short contribution to the discussion.
It strikes me that we now need an over-arching or co-ordinating body comprising ACP, ACI, We Are Church, etc to push for reform from the bottom up. I don’t think we should wait until the Bishops decide, or otherwise, to convene a Synod. We are now in crisis. The Church (official and hierarchical) is dying. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We need to re-claim the church and return to our roots. There is an imperative to renew and to re-launch the Church based on respect for the equality of all the baptised.
Great to hear audio as I could not be present. Gina Menzies point very important “who will be there”. Interest is great. Let us be led by the Spirit in line with Vatican 2. Education in theology important with ecological input and inclusive understanding of gender theory, two areas separating the young from the church but a gateway to meet.