Parish leaders urged to share views on Extraordinary Synod on the Family
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
A five hour presentation at Georgian Court University Oct. 25 on the journey from the Second Vatican Council to the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome, concluded with a call for participants to share their insights on the future needs of the Church with their bishop.
Parish leaders, mainly from around Ocean and Monmouth counties, had listened intently throughout the session as Father Anthony Ciorra, a noted author, educator and presenter, explained with words and visuals the steps which had led Pope Francis to call the synod.
In his presentation, Father Ciorra, vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity and professor of theology in Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Ct., drew heavily on Pope Francis' depiction of the Church as a “field hospital” in which the focus needs to be on the poor and the marginalized.
"The pope is saying we're here to heal the wounds ,,," said Father Ciorra, who said that all the faithful heed to open their hearts to humankind" and see the suffering "through a mother's eyes."
He noted that the pope is looking for substantive input and suggestions from bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and laypersons and echoed Francis' call to listen to all the voices within the Church and discern the movement of the Holy Spirit.
Along with that call, he led the group step by step through the bridges and connections that have brought the Church to this moment.
The GCU event was sponsored by the Alumni and Parents Subcommittee of Georgian Court's Year of Hope Committee which is concluding its specialty program series this year with the presentation on the Synod.
The Year of Faith Committee began hosting events on reflection and spirituality in 2012 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
Dr. Mary Nebus, GCU Alumni Association President, who organized the event, said that since the series began with a look back at Vatican II it was fitting to conclude it by looking at the synod's role in meeting the needs of the faithful in the future pastoral care and within the context of Church teaching.
More to come
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A five hour presentation at Georgian Court University Oct. 25 on the journey from the Second Vatican Council to the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family in Rome, concluded with a call for participants to share their insights on the future needs of the Church with their bishop.
Parish leaders, mainly from around Ocean and Monmouth counties, had listened intently throughout the session as Father Anthony Ciorra, a noted author, educator and presenter, explained with words and visuals the steps which had led Pope Francis to call the synod.
In his presentation, Father Ciorra, vice president for Mission and Catholic Identity and professor of theology in Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Ct., drew heavily on Pope Francis' depiction of the Church as a “field hospital” in which the focus needs to be on the poor and the marginalized.
"The pope is saying we're here to heal the wounds ,,," said Father Ciorra, who said that all the faithful heed to open their hearts to humankind" and see the suffering "through a mother's eyes."
He noted that the pope is looking for substantive input and suggestions from bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and laypersons and echoed Francis' call to listen to all the voices within the Church and discern the movement of the Holy Spirit.
Along with that call, he led the group step by step through the bridges and connections that have brought the Church to this moment.
The GCU event was sponsored by the Alumni and Parents Subcommittee of Georgian Court's Year of Hope Committee which is concluding its specialty program series this year with the presentation on the Synod.
The Year of Faith Committee began hosting events on reflection and spirituality in 2012 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
Dr. Mary Nebus, GCU Alumni Association President, who organized the event, said that since the series began with a look back at Vatican II it was fitting to conclude it by looking at the synod's role in meeting the needs of the faithful in the future pastoral care and within the context of Church teaching.
More to come
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