On June 3-5, the three-year-long Archdiocesan Synod process culminates in an assembly of about 500 delegates from across the archdiocese. The roots of this synod in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — the first in more than 80 years — go back to 2015, when Archbishop Bernard Hebda joined the archdiocese as temporary administrator, said Father Joseph Bambenek, the Synod’s assistant director.
“He … discerned that, at some point when the time was right, a Synod would be a good thing for moving our diocese forward,” he said.
Before the Archdiocesan Synod process launched in 2019, Archbishop Hebda asked Bishop Andrew Cozzens to form a prayer team whose members prayed for discernment, including on timing and fruitfulness of a Synod, Father Bambenek said. Therese Coons was later named Synod director and a team forming the executive committee was assembled. The first public event in was a prayer event: the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the archdiocese’s first parish, St. Peter in Mendota. A series of events to gather feedback from parishioners, including Prayer and Listening Events, and later, small group listening events, took place at parishes across the archdiocese for feedback. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Synod leadership connected to the faithful through catechetical videos, such as a series on praying with Scripture.
Father Bambenek recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss the origins of the Archdiocesan Synod, the steps involved and what happens following the upcoming Synod Assembly.
Once the assembly concludes June 5, Archbishop Hebda will focus on discerning “what’s coming out of the votes” taken at the Synod Assembly and prioritizing possibilities for going forward, Father Bambenek said. The archbishop will work with a team to write a pastoral letter that will be released on the Feast of Christ the King in November, he said.
Meanwhile, direction on priorities will be clarified and work will begin on how to roll out those priorities, Father Bambenek said.
The Synod has been parish-driven, so Father Bambenek expects that the archbishop sees parishes as a key part of the implementation, but he also sees alignment of the archdiocese in supporting whatever he asks of parishes, he said. Collaboration will also be an important part of the future, he said.
To learn more about the Archdiocesan Synod process and to hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. May 27 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. May 28 and 2 p.m. May 29. The faithful also check the archdiocesan social media for updates, and TheCatholicSpirit.com for coverage.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Allison Spies, archives program manager for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who describes three “blesseds” with local ties and whose intercession Archbishop Hebda seeks during the Archdiocesan Synod; and Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who discusses three topics: the Church’s commitment to women and children in light of the leaked Supreme Court decision draft of the Dobbs v. Jackson, news about Indian boarding schools and the upcoming archdiocesan Synod.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
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