Synod small groups attract parishioners across age groups

At 23, Katie Neumeyer is a member of a young professionals group at her parish, Our Lady of Grace in Edina. Her group meets regularly and often discusses a book or podcast, she said. But on the evening of Sept. 21, group members decided they would instead participate in the Synod Small Groups with others at their parish, which launched the morning before and continues for the next five weeks.

The Archdiocesan Synod’s Parish Consultation with Small Groups recently kicked off at parishes across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Archbishop Bernard Hebda has asked that every parish participate, focusing on priorities identified following Prayer and Listening Events held across the 12-county area in 2019-2020. Parishes are now holding a series of six small groups where participants can dive deeper into three focus areas: 1. Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, 2. Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization, and 3. Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.

The Small Groups were created to help Archbishop Hebda and the Synod’s leaders gather broad input on the Synod’s three focus areas. Ideas that are shared during the Small Groups will inform Synod deanery meetings in January and February, which will lay the groundwork for a Synod Assembly in June 2022. During Session 1, participants considered resources that shaped their own encounters with Christ, such as Mass, retreats and conferences, and resources they hope the archdiocese would prioritize in the future.

Some parishes — including Mary, Mother of the Church in Burnsville — drew around 100 participants to their first Session 1 meeting. Others reported smaller attendance but deeply engaged participants.

Synod Small Groups have the option to meet in homes, and at Our Lady of Grace 45 young professionals chose to participate that way. Neumeyer and her colleagues decided to participate in person at the church.

“It was a group decision, but I think it’s important to see that it’s bigger than just our small group participating,” she said. “It was important to be part of the bigger Synod process and see other small groups participating at the same time.”

The Small Group sessions are structured through a video produced by the archdiocese that features prayer, teaching and testimonies, and allow for an hour of conversation on that session’s topics. Session 1 looked at the first focus area, forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call, by highlighting “the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Neumeyer said the video and event were well organized and will help all parishes offer a similar experience. “Everyone was very engaged and shared their thoughts,” she said of her group, “and having a facilitator really helped make sure everyone’s voice was heard.”

Our Lady of Grace parishioners have the option of attending a Synod Small Group at one of five different times during the week. About 25 people met the evening of Sept. 21. Stephanie Lloyd, director of faith formation and a Small Group process co-manager, is pleased that Father Kevin Finnegan, Our Lady of Grace’s pastor, and Father Nathan Hastings, the parish’s parochial vicar, participated in the small groups.

“It’s important to know that our priests are engaged,” she said.

Synod Small Groups at St. Henry in Monticello began Sept. 19. About 22 attendees sat at three tables, said Audrey Davis, St. Henry’s parish music coordinator, who is helping coordinate the Synod process at her parish. “A few people didn’t make it (for Session 1), but hopefully we’ll see them next week,” she said. “It went pretty smoothly.”

Davis served as a facilitator at one table, but from what she observed across the room, participants used all available time for discussion.

“I was happy to see that the discussion seems to be pretty open — just a really good time of discussion and talking,” she said. “People were contributing their thoughts.”

Davis said the Small Group format was structured, well presented and explained throughout the video.

St. Boniface in St. Bonifacius promoted its Synod Small Groups in various ways — Facebook posts, emails to faith formation families, announcements from the pulpit — and flyers available at a parish ministry fair two weekends before the first small group.

About 10 people participated Monday evening, Sept. 20, with people at two tables in their 20s to middle age and older, said Laura Janas, faith formation director at St. Boniface and process manager for its Synod Small Groups.

Janas wished for a few more attendees, but those who came were very engaged, she said.

“The people that came were very excited to have the opportunity together again for some fellowship and some teaching,” she said. “Everyone seemed to appreciate the format and the chance to share their ideas, and to gather with people and just share how God is working in their lives.

“It’s always nice to see a vibrant people sharing their faith experience and giving encouragement to that,” Janas said.