Ireland: Synodal Pathway priorities identified at national assembly

The celebration of Mass in the morning, an all-day prayer room for delegates, Taizé music performed by Kilkenny's Loreto Secondary School and Christian Brothers School, along with prayers led by Gemma Mulligan, Patricia Carroll, and Caoimhe O'Neill, set the tone for today's gathering of over 230 Synodal Pathway delegates, from across the island, who attended the Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny's Convention Centre. Other local schools: Saint Kieran's College and Presentation Secondary School, also provided music throughout the day-long gathering.

In preparation for their meeting, delegates had reflected on Baptised and Sent - the preparatory document for the Pre-Synodal Assembly.

Welcoming the attendees to Kilkenny, Bishop Niall Coll, Bishop of Ossory, said that discussions offered an opportunity "for a national conversation about the how the Spirit is leading the Irish Church today."

Today's Pre-Synodal Assembly evolved from local Spring Gatherings, held from February to May, when communities across the country came together to consider how the Holy Spirit is speaking through emerging proposals and themes, and to identify priorities for action. A picture emerged of both hopes and tensions shaping the Church, and of the directions that the Spirit is calling the faithful. The assembly's purpose was to shape concrete pathways for renewal, rooted in our baptismal calling, ahead of next year's National Synodal Assembly.

Seven priorities were presented by the National Synodal Team for discussion amongst delegates:

- Belonging: fostering a Church of welcome, inclusion, and safety where each person finds a home in community and in Christ.
- Co-responsibility and Lay Ministry: empowering all the baptised, women and men, to share responsibility for leadership and mission through new models of ministry and decision-making.
- Family: supporting the domestic Church as the primary place of faith transmission and belonging, and strengthening its connection with parishes and schools.
- Formation and Catechesis: deepening faith through lifelong formation that is Christ-centred, experiential, and equips the baptised for discipleship in today's world, rooted not only in learning but also in liturgy and sacramental life, so that prayer and worship become living sources of faith, understanding, and mission.
- Healing: acknowledging wounds, especially those caused by abuse; committing to accountability, justice, and reconciliation; and ensuring safe spaces for survivors and all who carry pain.
- Women: recognising and including women's gifts, leadership, and co-responsibility at every level of Church life, as a matter of justice and credibility.
- Youth: engaging young people with authenticity, offering them meaningful roles in leadership and mission, and listening to their hopes and challenges.

During the assembly, various delegates offered their opinion on the Irish Synodal Pathway:

Prior to delivering the final address, Archbishop Eamon Martin, said: "synodality is not a new idea - it has been part of our Church, and what we are trying to do is to rediscover it as a way of being Church today, which Pope Francis kept telling us."

Liz White said: "You can really feel the Holy Spirit at work here. There is a lot of prayer and adoration happening here at the Assembly, and it is so encouraging that this is a key part of this process."

Rev Dr Gary Carville said: "Today has shown the process of listening and discerning being more outward looking and focussed on mission. Of course, there is much to be discerned and done yet and other questions will emerge, but the primacy of baptism in building disciples for mission and enabling encounter with Jesus Christ alive through the sacraments is clear. Alongside this is the urgency of co-responsibility, or shared responsibility, throughout our Church. That is how a shared mission can be truly fruitful. All of this is a continuing reception of Vatican II and its relevance in a changing Ireland today. This belongs to all of us. I look forward to the next steps on this journey in Ireland and universally."

Natalie Doherty said: "These kinds of events really allow young people to have their voice heard and that's what gives a whole new energy and perspective to the Church in Ireland today."

Bishop Coll said: "A synodal Church encourages a more open culture of debate, discussion and discernment within the Church. Our presence here today means that there are voices in Ireland attuned to the need to read the 'signs of the times' and anxious to follow the direction for renewal and reform that Pope Francis charted."

Jane Mellet said: "My main takeaway today is seeing how passionate everyone here is about the Church, and how we came together to discern as a collective. This afternoon, Father Gerry O'Hanlon offered a very important point: that we should embrace our prophetic voices and not to be afraid to ask the hard questions, even in spaces where those questions might challenge us. I am also looking forward to seeing how the seven priorities we set out today will evolve at the parish level."

Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan said: "There is a strong sense of growth and positive spirit amongst the delegates. In our discussions we are experiencing an encounter with the living Jesus. Young people, in particular, are looking for encounter with Jesus Christ. Personal encounter leads to mission. There was no critical spirit here, rather a spirit of encouragement."

Janet Forbes said: "Baptism is one of the strongest, overarching priorities that emerged from our synodal discussions. Baptism is fundamental to everything. Each one of us, through our Baptism, has an equal dignity. The Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny brought people from across Ireland together to reflect on the journey so far and to rekindle a shared hope for a Spirit-filled future for the Church."

Father Declan Hurley said: "Synodality is simply how we journey together as the People of God. And we cannot be renewed as the People of God, we cannot be one family through our common Baptism, if those who have been hurt feel that our family - which is their family! - has not heard their pain."

Aidan Gordon said: "The priority attached to healing all of the hurt caused by abuse in the Church, as part of the path to renewal, is welcome. A recognition that the healing must be authentic and rooted in a commitment to justice reflects a genuine listening to the voices of victims and survivors."

Ger Gallagher said: "I was delighted to lead a delegation from AMRI which included Religious, Missionaries and lay missionaries. It was a day of animated and engaging conversations. I was struck by the comment of what we need to stop doing in order to start being synodal! As you know the Religious have been practicing Synodality for years. Hopefully that experience can enrich the year ahead."

According to Father Gerry O'Hanlon SJ: "The Pre-Synodal Assembly was characterised by a constructive spirit of speaking and listening in a spirit of prayer. As we go forward we probably need a more concrete focus, with input from theology and the other sciences. We have made a good start.

Building on the trust that has been established we need to face difficult issues and embrace conflict and difference on the way."

Rev Dermot McCarthy said: "It was encouraging to experience such a large and diverse gathering of committed and active members of the Church who are making synodality a reality. Their eagerness to focus on mission, moving beyond process, was striking, and their confidence that we can retain unity in the radical equality of baptism - even as we may differ on particular issues in the life of the Church - gives us hope.

Delegates from parishes, dioceses, religious orders and lay associations, from across the island of Ireland, attended this Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny to support the continuing journey of synodality for the Church, having been initiated by the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference in March 2021.

Information on the Irish Synodal Pathway can be found on: www.synod.ie and also on social platforms Instagram, Facebook and X.