Update! May 2023
Work began in April on the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document for the first session of the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will convene in October of this year. You can download the North American Final Document here: https://www.usccb.org/synod .
A further development is that Pope Francis has modified the makeup of the Synod of Bishops. He has replaced the auditors, who do not have a vote, with 70 non-bishop members, who do have a vote, including priests, consecrated persons, deacons, and lay faithful, with the stipulation that 35 of these persons be women. (Source: www.synod.va)
On October 9, 2021, Pope Francis formally opened a two-year process of listening and dialoguing in the Church. This Synod on Synodality, following from the Church’s “renewal” proposed by the Second Vatican Council, is both a gift and a task: by journeying together and reflecting together on the journey that has been made, the Church will be able to learn through Her experience which processes can help Her to live communion, to achieve participation, to open Herself to mission.
St. John the Baptist conducted several listening sessions to compile a report on what concerns, hopes and dreams were heard in our parish community. This report was submitted to the Archdiocese of Seattle who then combined the various reports it received into one. The report from the Archdiocese of Seattle was incorporated into a report from Region XII, encompassing the Dioceses in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The report from Region XII was submitted to the USCCB who compiled a single report based on all the feedback it received which was then sent to the Vatican.
Below you will find the reports that have been compiled over the past year.
St. John the Baptist Synod Synthesis