Synod members, delegates and special invitees gathered for a pre-Synod retreat in Sacrofano, about 30 km outside Rome on the weekend.
Following the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil “Together” on Saturday night, there were meditations and also prayers with Pope Francis.
On Monday evening, Bishop Randazo celebrated Holy Mass for the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, and preached the homily for synod members prior to participating in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
The full text of Bishop Anthony’s homily can be found here.
This year’s synod which gets underway in Rome on 4 October, is the first of a two-part discussion that will culminate in October 2024.
Of the 363 participants, 54 are for the first time women who have the right to vote on any final document.
During the nearly monthlong Vatican assembly, the delegates will discuss a range of current issues including women deacons, priestly celibacy, LGBTQ outreach, along with a desire for new institutional bodies to allow for greater participation in decision-making by the “People of God”.
The delegates will also discuss a “synodal method” of spirituality focused on listening to the Holy Spirit and “discerning the signs of the times” including calls for new formation programs to train candidates for ordained ministry “in a synodal style and mentality.