Pastoral Planning Process

SYNOD ON SYNODALITY

Synodal Process

The Opening Celebration

The Synod on Synodality started in 2021 and was originally a two-year process. Officially known as “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” it is a process that allows bishops to consult with all Catholics and with people beyond the Church in a spirit of collaboration and openness.

Most Reverend Bishop Miehm celebrated the Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains on October 17, 2021, to launch the synodal process in the Diocese. This celebration rooted the synod in prayer, sacrament, and community. At the same time, Bishop Miehm extended an invitation to the clergy, Religious, and faithful to participate in the conversation through a video.

The Local / National Stage

The Diocese reached out as widely as possible to ensure that parishioners as well as those distanced from the Church or people from other faiths could participate in the synodal conversation. About 4000+ people participated online or in person. Whether the respondents are currently engaged with the Church or distanced from it, making the effort to respond to the synod questions reflected a deep personally-held connection with the Roman Catholic faith tradition.

There are three reports from the Synodal Process.  The first is a Diocesan synthesis reflecting the input of people to the Diocese of Peterborough.  The second is a provincial report developed by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO) from the Diocesan synthesis documents.  And the third is a national report developed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops from the four regional syntheses.

The Continental Stage

Continental Phase – “Enlarge the space of your tent.” (Isaiah 54:2)

The next phase of the synodal process involves the development of a “Document for the Continental Phase” by the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome.

North American Final Document for the Continental Stage

The Universal Stage

The synodal process will conclude with the Synod of Bishops in Rome in the fall of 2023.

The “Instrumentum Laboris” (working document) for the first session of the Synod has been released! 

A Synodal Church in Mission – Synthesis Report from the First Session of the Synod 

The next steps for dioceses in the Synodal Process focus on a multi-year implementation and evaluation phase running from June 2025 to October 2028, with the goal of integrating synodal principles into daily Church life. The process is guided by the Final Document from the October 2024 Synod assembly and overseen by local bishops and newly formed “synodal teams”. 

Key Actions and Timeline

The overall process, approved by Pope Francis, follows a structured timeline: 
  • June 2025 – December 2026: Dioceses and local Church groupings implement the suggestions from the Synod’s Final Document, focusing on practical experimentation with new ways of being a participatory and missionary community.
  • First Half of 2027: Evaluation assemblies will be held within each diocese and eparchy to assess their progress.
  • Second Half of 2027: National and international bishops’ conferences will hold their own evaluation assemblies.
  • First Half of 2028: Continental evaluation assemblies will take place.
  • October 2028: An Ecclesial Assembly at the Vatican will gather the fruits of this global journey to inform the Pope’s future discernment. 

Diocesan-Level Activities

Dioceses are encouraged to see this as a process of ongoing reflection and a “conversion” to a synodal style of walking together. Specific actions include: 
  • Strengthening Synodal Teams: Composed of clergy, religious, and laypeople, these teams will work alongside the bishop to facilitate dialogue and integrate synodality into the local church’s ordinary life.
  • Focusing on the Final Document: The 2024 Final Document serves as the main point of reference, providing “concrete indications” for the mission of the Churches.
  • Promoting Participation and Mission: The process emphasizes moving beyond discussion to action, exploring new practices for decision-making, and ensuring that every change helps the Church better serve the world and share its message.
  • Prioritizing the Marginalized: Special effort is encouraged to listen to those on the peripheries of the Church and society, including the poor, young people, and those who feel excluded.
  • Utilizing Existing Councils: Parish and diocesan councils are asked to operate in a more “synodal” fashion, incorporating prayerful discussion and communal discernment into their work. 
Local Churches are encouraged to use a Vademecum for the Synod and other resources provided by the Vatican and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to guide their efforts.

 

TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES; BUILDING OUR CHURCH

Diocesan Pastoral Planning Logo

 

To learn more about the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Process from 2019-2023, please click the link below:

DIOCESAN PASTORAL PLANNING PROCESS

The timing of the Synod on Synodality coincided locally with the re-energizing of a Diocesan Pastoral Planning Process for the Diocese of Peterborough. The Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee decided to bring together the two processes and to optimize the feedback from the clergy and the faithful for both purposes – the synodal process and the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Process.  In April of 2022, an infographic entitled, What Are We Hearing, was released as an interim report to collect the feedback being received through the parishes and online.

After the publication of the Diocesan Synthesis, an online survey entitled, Now what?, was released in the summer.  The purpose of the survey was to allow respondents reading the Diocesan Synthesis to identify priorities and next steps. 

  • Now what? – Online Survey Results

Six draft goals for the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Process were formulated.

  1. To reach out and engage all people with the message of the Gospel.
  2. To be an inviting and welcoming Church that fosters community.
  3. To offer well-prepared Liturgies that promote prayer and participation
  4. To be a Church engaged in ministry and mission.
  5. To engage in responsible stewardship of God’s gifts for the present and future.
  6. To be a Church that nurtures reconciliation, healing and mercy.

In the Fall of 2022, four Deanery meetings were held to discuss strategies to achieve these goals.  Then the parish teams from the Deanery meetings came together at a Diocesan gathering to review the goals and to provide input for the next steps.

On January 11, 2023, the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee reviewed the five input summaries referenced above and a framework for the Diocesan Pastoral Plan was formulated.  Now the work of writing and formatting begins with an expected publication date of Easter, 2023 in mind.

PRAYER 

Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee Members

These are the people who have served or continue to serve as members of the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee:

  • Most Reverend Bishop Miehm, Chair of the Committee
  • Msgr. Michael Heffernan, Vicar General, Diocesan Finance Council member
  • Jeannie Armstrong, Superintendent of Special Education and Faith/Equity, Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
  • Fr. Gerard McMahon then Fr. Craig Cruikshank, Dean of the Southern Deanery
  • Fr. Ron Meyer then Fr. Joseph Devereaux, Dean of Central Deanery
  • Fr. Randy Foster, Dean of the City Deanery
  • Deacon Sean Gallagher
  • Anne Higgins, Southern Deanery layperson
  • Kathie Hogan. Northern Deanery layperson
  • Joanne Hough, Catholic Lay Organization Member, Past President CWL
  • Helena Lessard, Diocesan President of the Catholic Women’s League / Central Deanery layperson
  • Fr. Tom Lynch, Priest and Principal of Sacred Heart College
  • Sr. Eileen McManus CSJ, Religious
  • Deb McRae, Director of Finance, Property, and Administration, Diocesan Finance Council member
  • Michael Nasello, Collaborative Consultation Resource
  • Fr. Jerry Tavares, Resource for Parishes
  • Deirdre Thomas, Assistant to the Bishop / Communications
  • Fr. Neil Campbell then Fr. Roy Villas, Dean of the Northern Deanery
  • Dr. Peter Dawson then Jacob Sullivan, City Deanery layperson

 

PASTORAL PLAN