Cathedral/Sacred Heart community conduct Conversation in the Spirit

On Saturday, August 22, Cathedral parish held its Conversation in the Spirit. This spiritual exercise invited the parish community to discern what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do together. It formed part of the wider synodal journey, which seeks to foster greater participation among members of the Church and deepen our understanding of the Church’s mission today.

Almost 100 parishioners turned out for the conversation. Participants were welcomed by Msgr Martin Sirju and offered a delicious breakfast. An hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament was required before beginning the day’s conversation.

During Adoration, Msgr Sirju read the Gospel for the Memoria of Mary Mother and Queen and reminded those present that, like Mary, we are called to listen to the Word of God and obey what God asks of us.

After Adoration, we were introduced to Fr Peter McIsaac SJ, Director of Synodal Transformation. He explained the origins and purpose of the Conversation in the Spirit, as well as its value at the personal, parish, and diocesan levels. He also outlined the role of the facilitator and what participants would do in their groups. The matter for discernment was: “How as disciples of Christ can we build community today?”

Participants went to their designated tables and shared what they felt the Spirit was saying to them about the matter at hand. The process moved from personal reflection to listening for what stood out in the sharing of others, and finally to discerning the common insights at each table, where the Spirit was leading us towards a consensus.

After a brief lunch break, we gathered again as representatives from each group and shared the summary statements (consensus) in a plenary session. Msgr Sirju thanked everyone for their contributions and explained that the following week the facilitators would meet to prepare a synthesis of all summary statements. This synthesis will guide the forming of the Parish Pastoral Plan which will be submitted to Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon and will contribute to the formation of an Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan. We ended the day with Benediction.

Thanks and blessings to all who made this day possible: the Organising Committee headed by Cintra Joachim, Fr McIsaac, parish office staff, communications team and the parishioners who gathered in prayer, listening, and sharing. May our parish continue to grow and thrive under the guidance of the Spirit, marked by wisdom, creativity, charity, and participation.

— Alvin Peters