Five years ago, the Irish Synodal Pathway began with a question: “What does God want from the church in Ireland at this time?” Since then, thousands of people have participated in conversations in parishes, dioceses, movements and communities across the island. Some spoke with hope, others from experiences of hurt, distance or frustration. All of these voices belong within the story of the pathway.

Next Saturday, October 17th, delegates will gather in Gormanston, Co Meath, for the National Synodal Assembly, bringing the pathway to a close.

While the recommendations that emerge matter enormously, these five years have given us something that reaches beyond the outcomes of any single gathering. We have learned that, as the people of God, we can discern together. We listened, brought contributions into synthesis, experienced the circularity of dialogue between the local and universal Church, and through conversation in the Spirit learned to listen for what the Holy Spirit might be saying in and through one another.

The National Synthesis of 2022 was part of this development within the Universal Synod and Towards October 2024 helped us to receive what was emerging from that process. Further discernment found expression in Baptised and Sent, with seven priorities entrusted to working groups for deeper reflection. Their work........

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