Next year is a Jubilee year, with the theme, Pilgrims of Hope. But what is this Jubilee about? This is how Pope Francis explains things:
‘We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.’
In July last year, there was a Diocesan Assembly gathering together clergy, groups and parishioners from across the Diocese. This assembly was the culmination of many months of talking and listening but, in fact, it was just the beginning of an exciting journey for our Parish and Diocese.
The key words were Communion, Participation and Mission. The aim of the synod was to do “big things with limited resources” and it needs to involve the active participation of every parish community and member of the Church, including those who have left or no longer feel welcome in our churches.
With this in mind, there will be opportunities in the weeks and months ahead for us all to be involved as we all must have a voice and a role to play in how we shape our Church of tomorrow as we join as Pilgrims of Hope.
The discussion begins with 4 questions:
- What does being a Catholic today mean?
- What is the Church doing well?
- What is the Church not doing well?
- What are your dreams for the Church?
Pope Francis and through him, Bishop David have asked us to walk together as Pilgrims of Hope, with the power of the scripture and prayer as central, listening to each other and by that, the will of the Holy Spirit.
The Synod is an opportunity for us all to step back and reflect that the mission of the Church is to evangelise, and to ask what does that mean in practice? What does it look like? And how are we doing that in 2024, or are there things we could do differently to improve?
The Synodal report for Northampton Diocese and the National Synodal report for England and Wales can be viewed on the Northampton Diocese website.
Earlier this year, Canon Seamus encouraged everyone to participate in this exciting and important project by completing the Parish Questionnaire. We have now processed the responses and produced a concise summary, which is available in a collated reply document. Please download the Questionnaire Feedback and Moving Forward Plan to see the insights gathered, which will help guide us in moving our parish and diocese forward, as Bishop David encourages us to do.