REFLECTION AND DISCERNMENT on the WORKING DOCUMENT FOR THE CONTINENTAL PHASE OF SYNOD 2023-24
Having completed one year of journeying together as a Synodal Church in the diocesan phase, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman under the guidance of His Eminence Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, discovered in many beautiful ways that Synodality is definitely the way of being Church today. We were now introduced to a new and crucial stage of this Synodal journey by the National Facilitating Team for the Preparation for the Continental Phase of the Synod. Collating the contributions received from the Episcopal Conferences worldwide, from the Oriental Churches, from the various Roman Dicasteries and from other significant bodies of consecrated people and of the lay faithful, the Synod Secretariat had prepared a Working Document for the Continental Stage of our ongoing Synodal Journey. Aptly titled Enlarge the Space of your Tent ( cf. IS.54:2) inviting us to deepen our process of listening, dialoguing and reflecting together on our call to be a Synodal Church. In the process they sought to answer three questions proposed by the Document, leading us to an even deeper quest for Communion, Participation and Mission.
To embrace wholeheartedly this crucial stage of our Synodal Reflection and Discernment on the Working Document for the Continental Phase of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023-2024, approximately 80 participants from the Youth, Lay Faithful, CRI, Formees, Diocesan Clergy, Novices and Main Coordinating Team for Synod 2023-24 met at Pius X, Pastoral Institute, Old Goa on 10th December, 2022.
To initiate at a personal level, the process of Reflection and Discernment material was made available prior to the actual date through email and a special booklet for the occasion was printed for the 10th December, 2022.The booklet contained all relevant information of groups for reflection and discernment, participants, including summaries of the Working Document made by the National Desk as well as those made by the Diocesan Team, the 3 step process and the template. The Synodal prayer in Konkani and English and our own Synodal Anthem in Konkani found a prominent place in the cover pages.
The theme for this Reflection and Discernment programme centered around that of the Working Document for the Continental Stage – “ Enlarge the Space of Your Tent” (Is 54:2) A beautiful prayer service was conducted by Fr. Simiao Fernandes placing special emphasis on three structural elements of a tent. The tent cloth, which protects from the sun, wind and rain, the ropes that hold the cloth together, and the pegs that anchor the structure to the ground. These words of Prophet Isaiah invited us to imagine the Church similarly as a tent, as the tent of meeting which accompanied the people on their journey through the desert. The ropes maintained the balance of the structure of the tent , expressing the need for discernment . The sturdy pegs ensured the tent’s hold expressing the fundamentals of our faith that do not change but can be moved and planted in ever new ground so that the tent can accompany the people as they walk through history.
Mr. Deron Rodrigues conducted the orientation for Reflection and Discernment using a power point presentation wherein he clearly explained the ‘Restitution Process’ using the principle of circularity, meaning having dialogued during the Diocesan Phase in the local churches the output of the discussions from the next level are again redirected for sharing to the local churches and for taking into discussion in the First Session of the Continental Phase. Thereby also leading to a modified logo wherein the local Bishop will receive the Diocesan Discernment Synthesis.
The participants split into their predetermined groups aptly named after the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Each group comprised of eleven participants including a facilitator and a secretary. The uniqueness of this group exercise lay in the manner in which they operated- in silence each participant studied the contents of the summaries provided and noted their reflections in the spaces provided on the template in their booklets. The secretaries efficiently noted their reflections on a sheet specially created for the purpose, keeping in mind the various options available for each participant. There was time provided for dialogue, listening and discerning as a group when the questions in the template asked for prioritizing the arising issues.
The programme began at 9.30 am and was brought to an end with a vote of thanks proposed by Mr. Celso Fernandes and a sumptuous lunch.
Finally the facilitators who were members of the main coordinating team collected the output provided by their group and after lunch , together collated the results thereby promptly completing the three page “ Archdiocesan Discernment Synthesis’ on the same day itself. The last day for submission being 15th December, 2022.
–Gail Misquita