Dear Friends,
 Catholic Climate Covenant is delighted to invite you to participate in the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality, a global process of discernment and listening so that we may strengthen the Church’s mission to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We join the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, who invite us and other Catholic organizations to “help in reaching out and listening to various people that might not connect with the Church, especially those on the margins.”
Your thoughts are vital to the success of the Synod, a historic consultation in human history! We are called to hear “the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.” What do you wish to say to Pope Francis and our Church, especially as we embark on the seven-year journey on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform?
 We will host our synodal event over five virtual “Listening Sessions” to enable you to share how the Holy Spirit is moving within and through us as we work to give living expression to Laudato Si’. Your reflections and responses during the “Listening Sessions” will be distilled by Covenant staff and presented to the USCCB in a report in late June 2022.
To participate in our Synodal Listening Sessions, please register below for a date and time that works for you. (Each session will be limited to 100 people. If one is booked, try another date!) After you register - (Optional but helpful) Read and reflect on the “centering/reflection” questions below. These questions will help ground us and guide the conversations during the Listening Sessions.
NOTE: If you will not be able to participate in any of the virtual listening sessions, we invite you to submit written responses here.
Centering/Reflection questions: - What are your experiences discussing and implementing creation care and Laudato Si’ in the Church?
- What joys did those experiences bring? (i.e., What has made your heart sing?)
- What difficulties and obstacles have you encountered? (i.e., What has broken your heart?)
- What steps does the Holy Spirit invite us to take to grow in our journeying together on Laudato Si’ centered issues?
- Whose voices are currently not being heard around creation care issues? And/or what are the areas for change for our Church and what steps can be taken?
Finally - Do you prefer to participate in a more “artistic” manner? We are also accepting (and encouraging) submissions of art, photos, poetry, music, videos, etc. that answer the question “Who will speak for creation?” These submissions will be available on the Covenant website, and some will form part of the 10-page report submitted to the USCCB. You can submit your artistic expressions here.
Thank you for joining us and the global Church in this synodal event! If you have questions, please contact Paz Artaza-Regan (paz@catholicclimatecovenant.org).
Sincerely, Catholic Climate Covenant |
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