Final Document of the XVI Assembly

On Saturday afternoon, 26 October, the members of the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops approved the Final Document. Pope Francis approved its publication.

Interim Stage

On January 2, 2024, the bishops of the United States were asked to hold diocesan-wide listening session regarding the following guiding questions for the Interim Stage of the Synod. The Diocese of Toledo will be participating in this stage. Here is some information from the USCCB that is helping us prepare.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

• Where have I seen or experienced successes—and distresses—within the Church’s structure(s)/organization/leadership/life that encourage or hinder the mission?

• How can the structures and organization of the Church help all the baptized to respond to the call to proclaim the Gospel and to live as a community of love and mercy in Christ?

HOLDING LISTENING SESSIONS

• Include voices that may not have been heard in earlier stages of the Synod, or other groups that were underrepresented in your diocesan consultations.
• Collaborate with Catholic-affiliated groups and organizations in your diocese, including schools, colleges, non-profits, and healthcare facilities.
• Focus upon the voices of the People of God and use quotations in the synthesis.

The Diocese of Toledo decided to reach out to underrepresented groups in the Synod process thus far to participate in the Interim phase. We reached out to college students, young adults and specific Catholic ministries. The college students who attended our meeting represented three universities within our Diocese: University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University and Lourdes University. Individuals from the Catholic Young Professionals were also in attendance representing young adults from around the diocese. Representatives from Mercy Healthcare and Diocesan Catholic schools were also in attendance. Forty people attended the meeting. There were nineteen males and twenty-one females in attendance. The age breakdown was as follows: thirty-one who were 19 – 25 years of age, three who were 26-35 years of age, four who were 36-50 years of age and two who were 50 – 65 years of age.

The Universal Stage

Pope’s October prayer intention: ‘For the Synod’

“Let us pray for the Church, that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a style of life at every level, allowing herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the world’s peripheries.”

Continental Stage

The Diocese of Toledo is participating in the Continental Phase for North America. This will be a collaboration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). While geographically part of North America, given their long history of partnership and ongoing work of the different Encuentros, Mexico will participate in the Continental Phase through the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).

U.S. National Synthesis for the 2021-2023 Synod

The National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America. The synthesis marks the completion of the Diocesan Phase of the 2021-2023 Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission

"The publication of this document is not a concluding moment, it is instead an invitation to continue to dialogue and discern, together, those matters that weigh heavily on the hearts and minds of Catholics in the U.S." -Bishop Daniel E. Flores

The Diocesan Preparatory Phase: “For a Synodal Church”

Below you will find the Final Document for the Diocese of Toledo Diocesan Preparatory Phase: “For a Synodal Church” that was sent to the USCCB. Click on the button below to download the document.

When referring to writing; writers must often synthesize large amounts of material from many sources into one piece of writing (report, essay, book, etc.). This was our task as we read through all the raw data from all committees, meetings and surveys. We pray that we have represented the heart of the information gleaned from our prayer and discernment gatherings in this document.

Below you will find the Raw Data received from multiple meetings with Bishop Daniel Thomas, Regional Meetings, and Online Survey. (All data submitted organized by question.) Names and identifying information have been redacted.

Leading the Flock: "Communion, Participation, Mission"

Click on the button below to download Bishop Thomas' Leading the Flock: "Communion, Participation, Mission".

Resources

• A Synodal Church in Mission
• Interim Stage Worksheet
• Letter of the Synod to the People of God
• Instrumentum Laboris for XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
• North American Final Document
• Document for the Continental Stage
• US National Synthesis
• Preparatory Document
• Vademecum

Prayer of the Synod, Adsumus Sancte Spiritus

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather in your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.