WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have issued the North American Final Document for the Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. (A webinar to answer questions about this document and the Continental phase of the Synod will be offered April 27 at 3 p.m. ET. See details, registration below)
Begun in late 2022, the Continental Stage of the Synod was the second stage of the three-year process initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021. For the North American Continental Stage, the United States and Canada held twelve virtual assemblies: seven in English, three in Spanish, and two in French between December 2022 and January 2023. In total, 931 delegates and 146 bishops from Canada and the United States were appointed to participate in one of these twelve assemblies to share their reflections and responses to the Document for the Continental Stage (DCS) issued by the Holy See’s General Secretariat of the Synod in October 2022. Those reflections were brought together by the North American Writing Team to create the Final Document.
Read the full release on the USCCB website.
The North American Final Document for the Continental Stage is available in English, Spanish, and French. More information about the North American Continental Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod – For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission, as well as additional resources can be found at usccb.org/synod.
Learn more about the Synod process in our diocese.
An invitation to prayer from Bishop Walkowiak on May 31, the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will gather in Rome from Oct. 4 – 29, 2023, to continue dialogue on the theme: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.”
In preparation, Bishop Walkowiak is extending an invitation from the General Secretariat of the Synod to observe a moment of prayer on Wednesday, May 31, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, placing the Synod under Mary’s protection.
Bishop Walkowiak invites the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the diocese to participate in this special opportunity by praying a rosary followed by the prayer (linked below) at any point during the day on May 31.
View-Download the prayer:
PDF (English and Español) | JPG (Cover | Prayer in English | Oración en español)
