Through Synod small groups, Archbishop Hebda wants to hear from everyone

When Archbishop Bernard Hebda launched the Archdiocesan Synod in 2019, he asked Catholics to reflect on the local Church’s strengths and challenges through 30 Prayer and Listening Events held across the 12-county area. More than 8,000 Catholics attended, providing more than 35,000 comments.

Last August, Archbishop Hebda shared three focus areas that emerged from that feedback. Now, starting next month, parishes are hosting a series of six events for Catholics to “dive deeper” into those focus areas through small group discussions. Ideas from the small groups will inform the Synod Assembly, scheduled for June 3-5, 2022. Recommendations from that Assembly will shape a pastoral letter Archbishop Hebda plans to release in November 2022, followed by a pastoral plan for the future of the archdiocese. The small groups (formally called “Parish Consultation with Small Groups”) — which begin as soon as Sept. 19 in some parishes — are crucial for the success of the Synod as it aims to strengthen the local Church, Archbishop Hebda said. He has asked every parish to participate, and he has invited all Catholics — no matter current Church involvement — to attend and share their ideas and experiences. The Catholic Spirit interviewed Archbishop Hebda Aug. 9 about his hopes and expectations for this next step of the Synod process.

Q) Next month, the Synod’s Parish Consultation with Small Groups begins. This is something that you’ve been promoting heavily for months. What is the goal? Why is this so important?

A) When we were planning the Synod, we wanted to get as much input as we possibly could from the faithful of the archdiocese. In my estimation, that’s the most important part of the Synod — is getting that kind of information from a broad segment of our archdiocese and giving all of the faithful an opportunity to participate.

So, when we were putting that together, we envisioned the first step, the Prayer and Listening Events, as gathering widely input from the faithful about possible topics. All we were doing was surfacing the issues at that point, and we were very pleased with the participation that we experienced with over 8,000 people and 35,000 comments.

It was pretty amazing and very helpful for me as I set forth three focus areas for the Synod. So, I think anybody that attended our Prayer and Listening Events would see reflected in our focus areas much of what they had heard, because there was some repetition there for sure. There were lots of issues that were great, but these three focus areas encompass a good bit of what it is that we had discussed.

I’m hopeful that people, having seen already the importance of their input, will want to continue. Obviously, it is challenging with COVID and the delays in moving forward with the parish consultation. But this next step allows us to go deeper into those three focus areas. So, the Prayer and Listening Events were broad. This, we’re hoping, is going to be deeper and not just identifying issues, but also beginning to propose some possible solutions or areas of action for this local Church in addressing those questions that were raised in the Prayer and Listening Events.

We’re hoping to get even more people participating in every one of our parishes and giving everybody that opportunity to have some input on the priorities for this archdiocese in the next three to five years, as we move forward. It’s a privileged opportunity. But for me, it’s also really significant — not only to be able to get those ideas, but also to make sure that we’re hearing from as many people as possible.

Even though our archdiocese is so big in terms of territory, we have many different kinds of parishes, many different kinds of environments. To hear from our small rural parishes as well as our large suburban parishes and our urban parishes will be a real blessing for this local Church.

Q) Why were small groups chosen to be the best vehicle for that?

A) Because we were hoping that as we’re trying to go deeper, that a small group allows for a real discussion, and the opportunity and also the expectation that people would be participating. You know, sometimes when you come to a larger group, people can be somewhat passive. But in the small group setting, while nobody will be forced to participate, we’re hoping that the situation is one that allows people that opportunity to really offer their input and to hear what others in their own parish are thinking.

Pope Francis, as he speaks about synods and synodality, has spoken about how important it is that we be listeners. So, we’re listening for the Holy Spirit, especially in what our brothers and sisters are saying. But we really have to have that opportunity to listen, and I’m pretty sure that a small group is the best means for doing that. It’s respectful of the input that people want to offer. At the same time, it also really gives people that chance not only to listen, but also to speak.

Q) These events include more than discussion. There’s going to be prayer and teaching as part of this. Tell me why.

A) We got very positive feedback at the time of the prayer and listening events from the opportunities that people had to pray. We also stressed that there is no real synodality without the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, a prayer for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit has to be a part of what it is that we’re doing.

We also wanted to be able to focus discussions somewhat to give a context for what it is that we’re doing. I’m really grateful to the Synod executive team for helping us to put together some short teaching segments for each one of our Small Group Consultations. They’re short. They’re insightful. They get right to the point. But they’re also intended to stimulate discussion. They should be reminders for us of what we believe as Catholics, and then give us the opportunity to respond.

I’ve been really impressed with the work that’s been done. And I think that having that opportunity for us to have videotaped teaching segments gives us some assurance that we’re all going to be on the same page, we’re all going to have the same foundation as we address the questions that will be placed before us.

Q) Let’s talk about the focus areas, which you announced last August. The first is “Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization.”

A) It really is a very, very direct response to what we heard in the Prayer and Listening Events. We had so many people that spoke about the pain that they experience as they see people drifting from the Church, as they see their own family members who no longer participate fully in the life of the Church, and as they recognize that so many of their neighbors have no affiliation at all — that they’re in that group called “nones.” Certainly, people have that sense that what we have as Catholics is something that we need to share — and that Jesus has asked us to share.

When we were listening at the Prayer and Listening Events, we heard that very strong emphasis on evangelization. Since the parish is where most people have an experience of the Church, it seemed natural that we would speak about that evangelization in terms of parish activity. We also were encouraged by a document that came out from the Congregation for the Clergy last year that spoke particularly about parishes and evangelization (“The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community in the Service of the Evangelizing Mission of the Church,” Sept. 20, 2020). That was after we had already done our consultation. For me, that was a bit of a confirmation that was a great topic for us. We know that people who have positive experiences of their parishes are more likely to have a positive view of the Church. So, to be able to strengthen our parishes in that work of evangelization is a real goal of this whole process.

Q) The second focus area is “Forming missionary disciples to respond to his call.”

A) Once again, at the Prayer and Listening Events, we heard so many people talk about their desire personally to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ. They spoke about how much they want the Church to offer them opportunities to learn how to pray and to go deeper in their prayer.

As I mentioned earlier, so many people commented even on the way in which they were able to pray at the Prayer and Listening Events, and that that opportunity for “lectio divina” — to pray with Scripture — was new for some of our faithful. That was something that was very positive, but it also reminded them of the hunger that they have for that personal relationship with Jesus Christ and recognizing that it’s when they know Jesus and they feel His presence, that they feel most impelled to go out and to serve.

It seemed like a flip side of the focus area on parish evangelization. It’s looking also at how it is that we can nourish individual parishioners so that they’re able to participate in that life of the Church at the parish level, so that they’re able to be the catalyst for evangelization. They certainly are very related, the one to the other.

Q) The third focus area is “Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.” Of the three topics, this seems the most specific.

A) As we’re planning for the future, it’s not surprising that we would look to the young. Once again, it’s a response to what we heard at the Prayer and Listening Events as people spoke in particular about the challenges that we have already had in really capturing or keeping our young people engaged in the Church. There was a desire to know the best thinking, the best practices, so that we’re able to really draw forth the gifts of our young people, whether it be a high school age or below that, or young adults.

At each one of our Prayer and Listening Events, there was a good bit of discussion about the importance of our Church doing a better job of reaching out to youth and to young adults.

Q) Sometimes “missionary discipleship” and “evangelization” can be reduced to Church buzzwords. Do you have concrete ideas about what achieving this would look like? Are these goals individual or corporate, of the full body of Christ?

A) It’s both. That’s really where those two focus areas come in. We want to have a better sense for where we stand in nourishing individuals. So that’s that missionary discipleship and how we give them opportunities to serve. The ideas aren’t coming from me at this point. The ideas need to come from the small groups. And I am confident that the Lord will be speaking through the people who come and giving us really concrete ideas for how we might be of greater service to individuals as they strive to be disciples of Jesus and look for opportunities to serve. I am confident that we’re going to get great ideas from those who come for the small group about that in particular.

Q) And so why are these focus areas key to the future of our local Church?

A) When we think about the future and look at the challenges that we’re facing at the moment, the question about youth and young adults has to be something that we’re discussing. Statistics tell us that nationally, and indeed, globally, that there is somewhat of a rupture, in that we’re losing young people. The average age at which a young person decides not to continue in the Church is 13. So, the importance of us being able to address that matter in particular is crucial.

We also know that even our young adults who are on fire with the faith often have a hard time plugging into a parish after they complete college, or after they’ve had a positive experience at a Catholic university or Newman Center at a public university. There’s still an obstacle for them going further. We’re losing too many of our young adults who have such great gifts to give to the Church. It’s always part of God’s plan that they would be involved and engaged, and we want to make sure that that happens. So just in terms for the future of the Church, we really have to be passing on the faith to our youth and our young adults.

Certainly, the question of evangelization more broadly responds to the need in our society for an encounter with Jesus Christ. Helping people to come to know the “joy of the Gospel,” as Pope Francis calls it, is part of our imperative. Really, what we’re doing engaging in the work of evangelization is just being faithful to what Jesus has asked us to do. So, in every age, we have to figure out the ways in which we do that.

The faith, sadly, isn’t passed on through the genes. It’s only when each generation takes it seriously to pass on the faith to the next, and not only to young people, but to peers, that we have the opportunity to see the Church grow. We know what a great gift the faith has been for us individually. We want other people to have that experience as well.

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Q) There are Catholics who think the Synod should be addressing hot-button issues, such as same-sex marriage or ordaining women as priests. Could you speak to why these and similar topics aren’t part of the Parish Consultation with Small Groups?

A) From the beginning, we were trying to figure out what things we can do to strengthen the local Church: What are the things within our purview where we’re able to make a difference? So, it’s not pie-in-the-sky hopes, but rather it’s something that’s much more concrete. We also have a basic trust level that the Lord continues to provide for his Church, and so we want to be completely consistent with the Magisterium, and certainly with the teachings of our Holy Father and his predecessors. We want to be in communion. That’s one of the goals for synodality — that we’re in communion with the Church universal. We want to be able to really make sure that we’re consistent with what the Church teaches, and that we’re addressing things over which we have some control.

Certainly, we never want to impede discussion, and there are a lot of opportunities for discussion in the Church. But what makes a synod different than general discussions is that we want an action plan that emerges from what we’re discussing. That really requires that the matter that’s discussed is something that’s within our sphere of influence, and that we’re going to be able to take concrete steps to strengthen the Church based on what comes out of our Synod.

Q) You’ve asked all parishes in the archdiocese to clear their schedules to host these Synod small groups this fall, which is a big ask of pastors and their staffs. Meanwhile, you’re asking Catholics to attend their parish’s small groups, six 2-hour sessions over six weeks. That means adjusting schedules, sacrificing work and leisure, getting childcare and overcoming whatever other personal hurdles there might be to attend. Is this an extraordinary request?

A) It really is a huge ask of pastors, staffs and parishioners. We realize that. We also think it’s a golden opportunity that people are going to want to participate in. So, we want to make sure that every pastor is giving his parishioners the opportunity to engage in this.

It’s also not the first time that the Church has done something like this. Some of our older members could speak about RENEW, for example, as well as a program that would take place throughout the archdiocese, or in many parishes of the diocese, that ask people to make an exceptional gift of their time and their energy for a limited period of time — maybe for all of Lent. Many parishes already do a Lenten program where they ask people to make a commitment for that duration. This is not that different than that.

And the amazing part is, many people still speak favorably about the experience they had when they were asked to be that generous with their time. Our parishes have small groups that came out of those experiences decades ago that are still operating, because it’s been so helpful for those people. We’re hoping to provide that same kind of opportunity.

It is a huge commitment on the part of each parish and certainly a commitment on the part of our faithful. But there seems to be enough energy that people are going to want to carry this forward, and we’re trying to make it as easy as we can. Our Synod Executive Team has done a phenomenal job in trying to help pastors in this area, training laypeople in each parish to carry the ball forward. I found that to be very helpful, very consistent with our model of collaboration between clergy and the laity, and allowing our laypeople to really use those skills that God has given to them. We’re hoping that that’s going to be the case. We want the pastor to be present to really have that same experience because we want his input as well. But we’re hoping that the bulk of the work actually is something that lay leaders will be willing to accept.

Q) What will indicate to you that these small groups are successful?

A) I think there’ll be two things. One, it would be that we’re able to get broad input that goes deep. We’ll be looking both at the number of people that participate, and at the number of parishes that are able to do this successfully.

And then the proof will be in the pudding. It will be in the quality of what comes forward from these discussions. We’re training scribes and have really spent some time preparing the forms for feedback. We’re hoping that the information that we get back is something that’s very helpful in going forward, in preparing the topics that will be presented at the Synod Assembly next Pentecost.

Q) And that’s key — the Synod is designed to take the discussion and discernment from the small groups into deanery gatherings and then to a three-day Synod Assembly next June 3-5, Pentecost weekend. How can people feel confident that their ideas are going to make this contribution in time and energy matter when it comes to the Assembly — and the pastoral letter and plan after that?

A) We already saw how valuable was the input that came from the Prayer and Listening Events — at least I did, and those who were working with me. To be able to see areas of commonality in discussions in parishes around the archdiocese was extremely enlightening. My suspicion is that we’ll be looking for those same kinds of experiences now — to see those things that are discussed with frequency or with passion and to look at the ideas that come forward.

We’re trusting that the Holy Spirit is guiding this whole process and using all of us as instruments. As we come forward in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us and to guide the Synod process through those who are participating, I’m trusting that the Holy Spirit is going to shine the light on different avenues for us to move forward. This goes deeper than what we’ve done before. It should be surfacing ideas for the Synod Assembly, and allow people to prayerfully discern at that point what they think have to be the priorities, or those actions that should be taken first, as we strive to strengthen our Church.

We’ve been blessed in the past with people who have really helped us to assemble the data that comes in to analyze it. I have on my windowsill in my office a stack from the last Prayer and Listening Events that’s probably 10 inches of data that we have. And I’m trusting that the data that will come in from the Small Group Consultation will be equally helpful as we prepare for the Synod Assembly at Pentecost.

My thought is that we’ll be working between the time of the Small Group Consultation to the Synod Assembly and putting together a series of propositions that reflect what we heard in the Small Group Consultation. Then we’ll allow people who are representing our parishes and this local Church to prayerfully discern which of those propositions they’re in agreement with, how do we prioritize them, and how do we move this from the realm of the theoretical to the realm of the practical.

Q) Pope Francis has announced that the next worldwide synod of bishops at the Vatican in 2023 will be on synodality itself. This summer, he asked dioceses around the world to prepare through their own synod process. Since our Synod process was already underway, are we ahead of the curve?

A) I think that the pump has already been primed here and that we have the opportunity to offer some well-developed insights to the Holy Father based on our experience, because we’ve been talking about synodality now for two years. We’ve been trying to give concrete expression to that as well. So, even though we continue to work our way through this, we’ve already put, as a local Church, a lot of time and energy into this that will serve us as we try to respond to what the Holy Father is particularly asking of us, as the Church universal prepares for the next synod of bishops.

We don’t know yet what questions (Pope Francis wants dioceses to address), so right now it’s hard to see exactly how it is that we’re going to be able to bring those questions before our people. We’re waiting for some instruction from Rome. But I do think that the faithful of the archdiocese will be in a particularly good place to be able to give input there.

Q) As bishops around the world are trying to organize a synod process in their dioceses, do you have advice for them from your experience with the archdiocese’s Synod process so far?

A) Not to be afraid of the process, to really trust that the Holy Spirit works in the midst of all of this. Obviously, we want to see it through. So, before we can speak definitively about the success of our Synod, we’re going to have to be able to see its impact on our local Church. And that might take a few years. I’ve really benefited from the input of some of my brother bishops who have had synods in their diocese, Detroit and Milwaukee in particular. They’ve been very helpful to us, and I hope that we’ll be able to do the same.

Related:

• Synod small groups: 12 things to know