Dear Friends in Christ,

I am writing to ask your prayers for the coming Synod in Rome, whose first session will convene from 4th to 29th October.

Some people may have concerns about how it will go, but that is all the more reason to turn to God in prayer, seeking light and courage, especially for those whom the Pope has called to participate.

At the end of last year, I wrote the following in my pastoral letter on synodality: We have sometimes forgotten that the Church is a People on pilgrimage, walking together to the Kingdom of God, and we’re not there yet! We have sometimes not only rested, but even made ourselves so comfortable at stops along the way, that we have settled for the illusion of arrival and given up the awe-inspiring trek to the fulfilment that God is preparing for us.

Although we will not be in Rome, we should be united with the process in prayer before and during the Synod Assembly. Come, Holy Spirit! Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is an especially fitting prayer, taking us out of our own concerns and focusing on Christ.

Whatever you and your community can do will enrich and bless the synodal process; and, in doing so, enrich and bless you and the Church to which we belong.

+Michael McKenna
Bishop of Bathurst