Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

October 2021 marked the opening of the Diocesan Phase of the Synod called for by our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He called for a worldwide Synod entitled For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. Each Diocese was asked to host listening sessions to record how the Church is journeying with her members including those on the margins of society and in the Church. In March 2022, deanery listening sessions were held throughout the Diocese in addition to three sessions in Spanish and one virtual session for our Catholic high school students.

The Vademecum, the official handbook for the Syond, stated, “Synodality is not so much an event or a slogan as a style and a way of being by which the Church lives out her mission in the world. The mission of the Church requires the entire People of God to be on journey together, with each member playing his or her crucial role, united with each other.” This is important for us to remember as we recall the words of St. Paul in Sacred Scripture, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.” (1 Cor. 12:4-6) Truly, each one of us has a unique role to fulfill in our lives and in the Church. A role that cannot be accomplished by anyone else. As we make use our gifts, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we strive for holiness and to please the Lord in all we do according to our state in life.

Our Diocesan Synod Report is now available for your review. I want to thank the many pastors and volunteers who made the Synod listening sessions throughout our Diocese possible. You provided a welcoming environment in which the faithful of the Diocese could gather for these important sessions. I also want to thank the many volunteers who facilitated and served as notetakers for the sessions. You provided a unique service to your brothers and sisters in Christ by giving of your time in order for them to have an opportunity to share about how the Church has journeyed with them so far.

This report represents a sample of the faithful of the Diocese who chose to participate in the listening sessions. The volunteers and report preparers attempted to prayerfully and accurately represent the comments of the participants. Actively listening to one another and understanding our personal, lived experience is an important aspect of this Synodal Process. It is a worthy style for the Church to adopt moving forward as we accompany one another on life’s pilgrimage to our heavenly home.

Asking Our Lady’s intercession for each of us under the title Mary, Mother of the Church, let us remain united in prayer.

With every best wish, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes
Bishop of Columbus

Diocesan Synod Report
U.S. National Report