Praying for the General Assembly of the Synod

The Church began the process of preparing for the Synod on Synodality in October 2021. The parish of St. Teilo’s with Our Lady of Lourdes, along with parishes and dioceses across the world, contributed to the discernment on the themes of communion, participation and mission. The parish discernment, along with that of other parishes in the Archdiocese, was collated and synthesised before being submitted to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. The Bishops’ Conference, informed by diocesan representatives from across England and Wales, agreed a National Synthesis which has subsequently been discussed and used to inform the European Continental Stage of the process. This week, on Wednesday October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis, the first General Assembly of the Synod process begins.

In a letter addressed to bishops and eparchs from all over the world, Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, invites all the Catholic faithful from around the world to prayerfully participate in the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will open in the Vatican on October 4 th . Cardinal Grech, reminds everyone that the Synodal Assembly is above all a spiritual event, of prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit who is the true protagonist of the event. The full text of the letter (in multiple languages) can be read here:

https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/news/2023-09-14_preghiera/Lettera-ai-Vescovi---IT-ENES-PT-FR.pdf

We will pray for the Synod’s intentions at Mass each day during the duration of the General Assembly. Please add an intention for the Synod Assembly meeting and all gathered in Rome in the next few weeks to your own prayers.