By Alora Peters, Editor-in-Chief
On April 5, members of the Saint Leo University community gathered in the SCC Boardrooms for the Synod on Synodality.
The Synod on Synodality was convened in response to a call from Pope Francis to Catholics throughout the world to reflect on the themes of communion, participation, and mission in the Church, and to answer the question, “How does this journeying together allow the Church to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the mission entrusted to Her; and what steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow as a synodal Church?”
As explained by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, the Synod on Synodality will be a multi-step process that spans over two years, beginning in October 2021 and ending in 2023. The first and current stage begins at the diocesan level and will conclude by June 2022. This stage will involve prayer, reflection, and discussion with the members within a diocesan community on the topic of the future mission of the Church.
Both Fr. Randall Meissen, Saint Leo’s university chaplain, and Dr. Jeffrey Senese, the university president, discussed the possibility of Saint Leo joining with the local Diocese of Saint Petersburg in the synodal process.
“It’s important for a Catholic and Benedictine university to contribute to the dialogue of our Church,” said Senese, who opened Saint Leo’s synodal meeting.
Senese’s remarks were followed by a video greeting from Bishop Gregory Parkes—the bishop of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg and a member of the Saint Leo board of trustees—who stressed that the Synod was a time for “listening, dialogue, and discernment” and encouraged participants to “bring the light of Christ to each other.”
Participants—who included students, faculty, and staff of Saint Leo, and both Catholics and non-Catholics alike—were divided into small groups, where moderators led the discussion and took notes on participant responses.
“This is a time to share honestly and openly about your experience,” said Dr. Randall Woodard, the chair of the department of philosophy, theology, and religious studies, who served as one of the group facilitators.
Participants answered questions like, “Do you feel heard and listened to in the Church and at the University?” and “How is the Holy Spirit working through your University to draw people to Christ?” All responses were recorded completely anonymously.
In addition to the in-person April 5 Synod, Saint Leo also hosted a second meeting via Zoom to allow WorldWide students and faculty the opportunity to participate.
The responses collected from both meetings will be compiled into a document that will later be presented to Parkes. From there, the second phase of the Synod will begin, as bishops gather for their respective Episcopal Conferences, where they will synthesize a new document based on the responses from their various dioceses.
