The letter “to all consecrated men and women” on June 24, 2021, Card. João Braz de Aviz, the Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, encouraged all religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life, members of the ordo virginum, hermits and new forms of consecrated life to take part in the new synodal journey. This journey will begin on 9 and 10 October 2021 and will conclude in October 2023, with the next Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the theme: “For the Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission”.
The synodal process will have several stages and will require the participation of the various bodies of the Church. Responding to the call addressed to us, we have taken the first steps to prepare for the journey, which during the next two years will have to involve several of our confreres and our congregation as such.
A working team is created, composed of confreres from different geo-cultural contexts: Fr. Joseph Famerée (EUF), Fr. Gustave N’dotoni Lulendo (CAN), Fr. Marcial Maçaneiro (BSP), Fr. Lorenzo Prezzi (ITS), Fr. Eugenio Tarua (MOZ) and Fr. Antonius Purwono (Procurator General). On July 6, 2021, the team for the synodal path had its first Online meeting and begins its service. The next stage is important to work and scheduled for early autumn when a Preparatory Document and a Vadamecum will be published in September.
In the introductory letter to the new synodal path of the Church, we are invited to feel challenged by the three words…: “communion, participation and mission”. We are asked to pray and to reflect, to confront and to share. As we begin the synodal journey, we can hope that along the way it will bear new fruits for the Church and also for this small part of it, which is our Congregation.
