SEATTLE – Key themes of community, Church leadership and passing the faith to the next generation emerged when more than 11,000 local Catholics participated in listening sessions as part of Pope Francis’ global synod.

“I’m so proud of the many thousands of people in Western Washington who led, participated and invited others to prayerful dialogue,” Archbishop Paul D. Etienne said in a news release as the archdiocese submitted its 10-page synodal synthesis report to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops June 30.

The report highlights common themes, from hopes to concerns, of those who participated in nearly 1,000 in-person and online listening sessions around the archdiocese since late 2021. It also reflects divisions — for instance, many expressed a desire for change in the Church, while others said any break with tradition would threaten the Church’s existence, the report states.

“It is clear, however, that across all divisions — cultural, geographical, ecclesial, political — the people of God share a common and profound desire for connection with Jesus Christ and with other people in a community of faith,” the report states.

Other common ground found among participants included treasuring the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and wanting a deeper prayer life. In addition, the report stated, “People want to be equipped and empowered to be the Church in the world, and they want Church leaders to show the way with energy and integrity. They are open to new models of leadership. They want the institutional Church to reflect more effectively what they know about Jesus Christ and his Gospel.”

Age of participants in local synod listening sessions, as estimated by facilitators. (Courtesy Archdiocese of Seattle)

Sharing ‘hearts and minds’

The local listening process was part of Pope Francis’ two-year worldwide consultative initiative, For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.

The archdiocese’s 174 parishes, missions, and pastoral centers were the primary places where listening sessions were held. (Read about gatherings in Skagit and Whatcom counties.) Sessions were also held with students, the imprisoned, Catholic Community Services of Western Washington and women religious. The archdiocese said more than 90% of parishes participated in what Archbishop Etienne called “the largest consultative process both in the history of the Catholic Church and the history of humankind.” 

Input gathered from the sessions will guide the Church as it seeks “to better understand God’s will and how we are to accomplish it in the Church and in the world today,” Archbishop Etienne explained in an earlier video.

The new report cites a participant who described the synod as “an official, Church-sanctioned conversation in which there are no taboo subjects, no off-limits subjects, no wrong answers.” Another participant called the synod “a huge blast of oxygen in our Church,” while another person thanked “dear Pope Francis for this gift of synodal listening, inviting us all to take part.”

The local synod relied on some 500 volunteers who were trained to facilitate the small-group process that included time for prayer, silence and listening to the Holy Spirit. After each listening session, the coordinator submitted a report that included key discussion points, personal stories and direct feedback, the archdiocese said.

“Hearts and minds were genuinely shared,” said Archbishop Etienne, who attended several of the gatherings. “I’m grateful that many found these experiences both healing and hopeful, especially for those who shared deeply personal and painful stories.”

Parish synod coordinators Denise Rhone, left, of St. Charles in Burlington, Ann Gerner of Sacred Heart in La Conner and Pablo Reygosa of St. Charles stand with a parishioner at the synodal kickoff hosted by the five Skagit Valley parishes in February. (Courtesy Ann Gerner)

Community, leadership, handing on the faith

After final reports from listening were submitted to the archdiocese in early May, each was “prayerfully read” by a group that included the synthesis writing team, members of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and lay leaders from more than a dozen parishes, the archdiocese said.

The archdiocese said three key themes that emerged were:

  • Community: The value of parish communities, barriers to belonging and the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people were key topics of discussion around Church communities as “a home, not an institution.
     
  • Leadership: Discussion focused on the role of Church leadership at the national level, the impact of the parish priest, models of leadership, the role of women, and concerns around both transparency and trust in the wake of the abuse crisis
     
  • Passing on the faith: One of the most prevalent themes centered on sharing the faith with future generations, with a focus on how youth are disconnected. Meanwhile, youth reported feeling judged and like they do not belong.

The report also highlights the thoughts and feedback of a dozen distinct groups (see sidebar below). 

The U.S. bishops will now synthesize reports from dioceses around the country into a U.S. report that will be sent to the Vatican for the October 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome.

“I encourage all Catholics to read the [local] report,” Archbishop Etienne said, “to reflect on their opportunities to accompany each other as one human family in Western Washington and to invite the guidance of the Holy Spirit more deeply into their efforts.”

Read the full report. 

Read the news release: English  Spanish

Learn more about the synod report

The Archdiocese of Seattle will present its synodal synthesis report in more detail at two webinars:

Synod input, from elderly to LGBTQ+ Catholics

From addressing racism more forcefully to connecting with the next generation, the archdiocese’s synod synthesis report includes the thoughts of these distinct groups:

  • Parents asked for help in handing on the faith to their children. They sometimes feel unprepared and helpless in responding to the moral and ethical issues their children face.
  • Women religious spoke of their desire for a Church that accompanies, makes reparation for the past, walks with young people and is open to new models of leadership.
  • Elderly people expressed the pain of adult children not practicing their faith, and their concerns about the Church’s ability to connect with the next generation: Without them, there is no future.
  • Immigrant and refugee communities want the help and support of the Church in becoming part of their new community, and in handing on not only their faith but also their language and culture to the next generation. 
  • Catholic people of color call upon the Church to address racism more forcefully and to acknowledge the wrongs of the past with sincerity and transparency.
  • Adult converts have a deep love for the Church. Those who have come from other Christian traditions encourage the Church to renew its efforts in community-building, youth outreach and Bible study.
  • LGBTQ+ Catholics have experienced rejection. When they do feel acceptance from a particular priest or parish community, they know that might not be the case elsewhere. The parents, family members, and friends of LGBTQ+ people share this pain.
  • Divorced and remarried Catholics shared the pain of the annulment process, which they feel is needlessly complex, lengthy, intrusive and even excruciating. Some divorced Catholics have been ostracized and shamed in their communities. 
  • The imprisoned find joy in the Catholic faith, especially in the sacraments and the rosary. They feel a sense of belonging within the Catholic community in prison, but fear rejection by parish communities when they are released.
  • Catholics in rural areas share their yearning for consistent, accessible clergy and parish leaders, and for opportunities to build community and grow in their faith. 
  • Catholics who value the pre-Vatican II liturgy want a stable Church that is unified in its understanding of tradition. They question the purpose and value of consultation with the laity.
  • Non-practicing Catholics, or people who were away from the Church for many years, can often trace their departure to a negative encounter with a priest or minister, especially in asking for the sacraments. Others have drifted away because they feel unwanted and unneeded.

Read the full synod synthesis report.