Synodality in the
Archdiocese of Armagh
The Archdiocese of Armagh and Synodality
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Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Eamon Martin, Bishop Michael Router and the Synodal Core Group
for the Archdiocese of Armagh
Listening, Consultation and Syntheses for the Universal Synod
On October 9-10th in Rome Pope Francis launched the theme of the 2023 Synod of Bishops – For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission. The diocesan phase of the Synod was introduced in every parish across the Archdiocese of Armagh on October 17th 2021. This phase involved all local Churches across the globe and represented the largest consultation of the lay faithful ever to take place, examining what life is like in the Church at this time.
Following on from listening in each diocese, a national gathering was held in Athlone in June 2022 and a synthesis was compiled and forwarded to the General Secretariat for the Synod. Experts from around the world gathered outside Rome in Frascati to discern further and collate the listening into a Document for the Continental stage (DCS).
The listening was returned to each local Church and delegates representing each Episcopal conference gathered on each continent to consider what the People of God has expressed and what this means for a Synodal Church, Communion, Participation and Mission. Following on from the continental gatherings an Instrument Laboris was written and delegates from across the globe gathered in Rome during October 2023 at the first of two assemblies of the sixteenth ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
Following the October 2023 assembly in Rome diocese and episcopal conferences were asked to reflect on the fruits to emerge from that gathering and deepen their reflections on the themes and proposals that emerged. In February and March 2024 the Archdiocese of Armagh held regional gatherings where clergy, members of diocesan commissions and parish pastoral councils/finance councils along with others gathered to reflect on the question, “How can you imagine the life of your parish faith community where everyone is welcome and the baptismal gifts that we all have received are recognised and utilised?” A synthesis was written and forwarded to the National Synod Steering Committee a Synthesis is being prepared for submission to the General Secretariat for the Synod.
All documents related to the Archdiocese of Armagh’s synodal journey can be accessed by
Clicking any of the images below.
Working Document for the Continental Phase of the Synod 2021 - 2024
Synthesis of the Consultation in Ireland for the Diocesan Stage of the Universal Synod 2021 – 2023
The Synod Explained
The language of Synod and Synodality can be difficult to understand and yet this way of being Church has ancient origins in the early Church of the first millenium. Fr Éamonn Fitzgibbon, a priest of the Diocese of Limerick, and Dr Jessie Rogers, Dean of the Faculty of Theology in St. Patrick’s College Maynooth, offer the videos below which explain the processes involved in Synodality and the grounding of our synodal journey in Scripture and Spirituality.
We encourage all to watch both videos.
To learn more about the Synodal Pathway, its processes and timeline watch the video above.
To learn more about the Synodal Pathway and its grounding in Spiritual Listening watch the video above.
