Synod has reminded us of the importance of listening and prayer as a way of being Church

On Friday, March 1, faithful gathered at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption for the monthly First Friday gathering. Don Buchalski, Coordinator of Evangelization for the Diocese of Saginaw gave a presentation about the Synod of Bishops, focusing on findings from local listening sessions, writings from Pope Francis and more.  “Perhaps my main takeaway from leading the Synod effort in our Diocese is how important listening is,” said Buchalski.  “People want to share their story and tell us what their concerns are. In his writings related to the Synod, Pope Francis wants us to understand that this commitment to listening to the Holy Spirit and to one another is a way of being Church.”  Buchalski shared that Pope Francis is calling members of the Church to listen to one another and bring questions to the Holy Spirit in prayer, sharing with one other what we believe God is saying to us. “I’ve been blessed to be a part of Bishop’s leadership team, Buchalski said. “I’m thankful to Bishop Gruss that this is what we do when we meet. A question is brought forth, and then we go to the chapel to pray and afterwards discuss what we believe God’s message is. This is the foundation of our discernment and decision making.” During the First Friday gathering at the Cathedral, attendees shared about their experiences at parish listening sessions.  “Our parish advertised that they were having listening sessions and we wanted to be heard,” said Brett Burke, a parishioner of Holy Family Parish. “Father Tipton (who served as pastor at the time of the sessions) was very gracious in listening to us. He understood where we were coming from.” Buchalski also shared common themes from the Diocesan listening sessions as well as efforts undertaken in response. These themes and next steps can be found in the Synod Summary Report. Ultimately, Buchalski hopes that what is learned from the Synod will continue to be put into practice by local parishes and the overall Church.  “Considering the lack of civil discourse in our current culture, this emphasis on listening to God and to each other, is a great gift to our Church and our society,” said Buchalski. “My hope is that we continue to embrace it and in doing so, bring Christ and his mercy to others.”