Our Archdiocesan Synod: A journey of prayer and liturgy
By Archbishop Tony Ireland
As our Archdiocese prepares for the Synod in 2027, it is important to remember that this is not simply a series of meetings, consultations or planning sessions. A synod begins on our knees. Before we speak to one another, we speak to God. Before we listen to one another, we listen to the Holy Spirit. (You may have noticed that in Rome the sessions of the last Synod began with days of retreat).
The Church has always understood that authentic discernment is born from prayer. That is why every session of the Second Vatican Council began with the ancient prayer ‘Adsumus, Sancte Spiritus’ (‘We stand before You, Holy Spirit’). This prayer, written by St Isidore of Seville, who died nearly 1400 years ago, has accompanied councils and synods, asking the Spirit to guide the Church along the path of truth. It reminds us that we are weak, that we can be influenced by prejudice or self-interest, and that only the Holy Spirit can preserve us in unity and lead us into what is right.
The prayer contains a beautiful petition: “Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.” Those words echo the very heart of our Synod. We are not asking the Holy Spirit to bless our plans. Rather, we are asking the Spirit to reveal God’s plan for us. There is a profound difference.
Listening is one of the great disciplines of the spiritual life. The Synod invites every member of the Church to listen deeply: to the Word of God proclaimed in the Sacred Scriptures, to the teaching of the Church, to one another, and to the gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit. Genuine listening is never passive. It is an act of faith. It requires humility, patience, and the willingness to be surprised by God’s grace.
Our listening is always centred on Jesus Christ who tells us, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). We do not invent a new way. We walk with the One who is the Way. We do not create our own truth. We receive the Truth who is Christ himself. Nor do we search for life apart from him. He alone gives us life and the promise of life eternal. Every conversation within our Synod must therefore lead us more deeply into friendship with Jesus and a renewed commitment to his mission.
For this reason, prayer and liturgy will stand at the heart of our diocesan journey. Every listening session should begin and end in prayer. At some point in the Synod, we will pause to sing the Litany of the Saints. We do this at baptisms, (especially at the Easter Vigil), religious professions, ordinations, and during the dedication of Churches. We ask those in heaven to intercede for us in our activities on earth. Also, we will bookend our Archdiocesan Synod with celebrations of Mass because the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life,” is where our communion with Christ empowers communion with one another. It is there that the divisions of the world give way to the unity that only Christ can give. It is there that we receive not only nourishment for ourselves but also the grace to become his Body in the world.
As we move towards our Archdiocesan Synod, I encourage every parish, school, agency, and family to regularly pray the Archdiocesan Synod prayer which was written by Fr Kasun (or you might like to look up the ‘Adsumus’ prayer). Let us ask the Holy Spirit to free us from narrowness of heart, from partiality or fear. Let us ask for the wisdom to discern God’s will for our Archdiocese together.
Our Synod will bear good and lasting fruit if it is first a work of grace. When we gather in the name of Christ, pray with confidence, celebrate the sacred liturgy with reverence, and listen attentively to the Holy Spirit, we can trust that the Lord himself will guide our Archdiocese into the future he has prepared for us.