Embrace synodality – be the change we want to see

by Fr Peter McIsaac SJ

Director of Synodal Transformation

Synod 2021-2023 was the first Synod on synodality in the history of our Church and, it was therefore fitting, that the Church in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain would gather in a similar experience to consider the Final Document of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly.

In a true spirit of synodality, bishop, priests, religious and laity gathered for a weeklong process with the singular purpose of discerning what in the Final Document was particularly valuable and worthy of reception in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain.

On the first day, participants journeyed from parishes across Trinidad and Tobago and made the trek to Mayaro, which would become our home for the week as we engaged in communal worship, prayer, listening, conversation and fellowship.

Participants were greeted with a warm welcome by staff of the Archdiocese on arrival, and the week began with the celebration of Holy Mass on Monday afternoon.

Each day, until Friday, would be spent in conversations in the Spirit on different themes emerging from the Final Document, with an overall focus on sharing and deepening an awareness of the transformative experiences of individual and communal conversion during the synodal process; reimagining Church structures, processes and roles for greater participation in a Church that is more relational; and igniting, through prayer and dialogue, a spirituality of synodality in which the Holy Spirit is the protagonist, guiding all movements of change and renewal in the Church.

Over the five days, Church leaders reflected deeply on a more dynamic and inclusive approach to fostering a Church that is more synodal, and on the importance of developing formation strategies that encourage active missionary discipleship across all levels of Church hierarchy and in all aspects of Church life. There was a call for greater ownership of the synodal process, acknowledging that although we are all on the same journey, parishes and communities have diverse sociocultural contexts and are at different stages of the journey which are unique to their circumstances.

This was viewed as an opportunity to promote wider dialogue, inclusion and an “exchange of gifts” of both clergy and laity across parishes and communities in the Archdiocese.

During the gathering, nature provided the perfect backdrop for the movement of the Spirit throughout the days as we joined daily in the celebration of Mass and morning and evening prayers of the Divine Office, as well as the sharing of meals, lighthearted moments, quiet reflection, laughter and silent introspection. All of this interspersed with conversation and intricately woven into the tapestry of the days. The listening was deep, the dialogue was rich and the conversation probing and sometimes intense.

In fact, it seemed as if the mood of the conversations was sometimes reflected in the changing hues of the Atlantic Ocean, moving from inky darkness and pensive greys to the elucidation of translucent blues with shimmering light.

As the week-long process ended, there emerged from the gathering, an acknowledgement that to embrace synodality, we are all called to be the change we want to see.

These were the sentiments which were expressed in the synthesis of the conversations at the end of the process: “Central to this conversion for transformation is the encounter with Christ and the guidance of the Spirit, which animates the whole People of God to greater participation, co-responsibility, and active discipleship. This demands more than presence; it requires risk. We must be willing to step over the threshold, embracing the mission with clarity and purpose, and with creativity. How we live, how we love, and how we serve will determine the fruitfulness of our discipleship.”