Welcome !

Whether you have been following the Synod on Synodality since it began in October 2021 or you are new to the conversation, you are welcome!
We would like to invite you to accompany us on a journey of encounter to embrace synodality as pilgrims of hope at a time when hope is so desperately needed in our church and in our world.

You’re invited!
Sunday June 15 to Wednesday June 18, 2025

In June 2025, at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario, Catholics from across Canada will gather to experience first-hand this idea of synodality. Guided by Canadian Synod delegates who attended the meetings in Rome in 2023 and 2024, and supported by a Steering Committee of leaders from many Canadian Catholic organizations, we will gather, pray, listen, speak and celebrate! In this way, we will have a direct experience of the synodal method and learn how to apply it as we seek to discern what the Spirit is saying to the church in Canada.

What is synodality?

Pope Francis has called us to remember that the core of our faith is the Good News that Jesus came to bring to ALL people – not just a privileged few. Todos! Todos! Todos!

We are all members of God’s family, and God speaks through everyone. If we want to come closer to God, we must come closer to one another – in a spirit of genuine encounter.

How do we do this? By learning and practising the synodal process that was modelled at the Synod in Rome. And doing that right here in Canada.

Synodality may be an unfamiliar word, but the idea behind it is not: It means to walk to together on a common path. The image of people walking together on a path is so human and so familiar. How many of us have gone for a long walk with friends and, as we walked, perhaps shared some deep thoughts or experiences? When we stop for a rest or arrive at our destination, we reflect on the journey together and discover key moments of insight. As we listen to one another’s experience of the journey, new perspectives come clear, our horizon is widened, our communion is deepened.

Here are some resources that explain synodality, if you wish to delve more deeply: https://www.schoolforsynodality.org.uk/synodality-explainers

Who is invited to the Synodal Gathering at St. Jerome’s in June?

This gathering is meant for anyone who is curious about the Synod on Synodality and what it might mean for the Canadian church.

It is for those who are sure and those who are not. It is for those who are already actively working in various parts of the church and for those who are still trying to find their place. It is for those who are looking for opportunities to come together with fellow Catholics – lay, clergy, religious – to explore the challenges and the joys, the hopes and the fears that go with trying to follow Jesus in our place and time.

• If you are aged 18 to 90+ and want to learn more about synodality, this gathering is for you.

• If you are not sure what synodality might mean for your faith and how you express it, this gathering is for you.

• If you are already very engaged in the synodal project and want to deepen your understanding and learn how to do it better, this gathering is for you.

• If you are part of a community or parish that is exploring how to make synodality more of a reality where you are, this gathering is for you.

• If you are feeling a bit isolated or alone in your desire for a more synodal experience of church, this gathering is for you.

• If you are looking for ways to ground your parish’s or organization’s activities more deeply in listening and prayer, this gathering is for you.