Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington said he hopes U.S. voters who are as concerned as he is about the “anger and vitriol” of the current election cycle will take time away from the media to think and pray about the values important to them as Catholics.
Selected from different regions and international Catholic movements active around the world, 20 young people will advise the Vatican on topics related to the pastoral care of young people as well as other issues.
Catholics cannot have a clear view of the biggest issues impacting the Church if they do not listen to the perspectives of Catholics who come from different countries or cultures or have different life experiences than they do, said Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas.
The Synod of Bishops on synodality does not aim only at bridging the gap between factions within the Catholic Church, but it also must grapple with the immense diversity of its 1.3 billion members spanning across cultures and countries, a spiritual adviser to the synod said.
“My friends, we have work to do.” Those words are how Bishop Edward J. Burns closed a Mass for nearly 300 faithful who gathered Sept. 14 at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe for a Mass to be commissioned as delegates for the Diocese of Dallas Synod assembly later this year.
As a member of the synod preparatory commission, one of the exciting things I have seen is the synergy between clergy and laity in our diocese. Of course, we are still a pilgrim people, and the data we received from the listening sessions shows the need for further growth. Nonetheless, it has been beautiful, as a priest, to work shoulder to shoulder with so many dedicated lay people and priests on the commission and elsewhere, all of us wanting to try our best to give ourselves away for the good of the Church.
A pair of decorated cakes added a celebratory spirit, but for those in attendance, a workman-like demeanor fueled discussions Oct. 21 at a Diocese of Dallas synodal listening session at Cristo Rey Dallas College Preparatory School. The gathering marked the final of 30 listening sessions over nearly two-and-a-half years, planned as part of the preparatory phase of the Diocese of Dallas Synod.
More than 300 young adults gathered under the cozy lights of Community Beer Co. to sip beer and share their perspectives on today’s Church. This Oct. 3 synodal listening session, titled “Conversations Unfiltered: The Church and the Future,” was an opportunity for young adults, ages 21 to 35, to discuss their experience as young people within the Dallas diocese. The session was the 28th of 30.
Lay leadership in the Diocese of Dallas is a critical component of our future success.
A special Diocese of Dallas synod listening session for Young Adults is coming up on Oct. 3. The intention of the synod listening session is to hear the voices of the Church—this one particularly young adults between the ages of 21-35––who are not typically heard, in order to address their needs and invite them to join our community.
