By Juan Alessandro Di Prado - Archdiocese of Miami
Miami… (October 9, 2013) Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, who is one of the eight cardinals in the advisory board that met for three days with Pope Francis to discuss different topics relating to the Church, will be the keynote speaker at the Closing Assembly of the Archdiocesan Synod that will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2013.
For only the second time in its history, the Archdiocese of Miami convened a Synod; that is, a process of Catholics in South Florida gathering and being heard by Archbishop Thomas Wenski on their concerns, what the Church does well and what are their dreams for their Catholic Church.
During the closing assembly, representatives of the 800-member focus teams will present the results of this 18-month Synod along with a strategic plan to Archbishop Wenski.
The Closing Assembly begins with Mass at the Miami Hilton Downtown, 1601 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33132, at 9 o’clock followed by the presentation of the Synod results.
*A press conference with both Archbishop Wenski and Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga will follow the event at 12:45 p.m.*
(It is strongly suggested that press arrives no later than 12:30 p.m. for set up).
Both the Mass and the Closing Assembly will be live streamed at Radio Paz's website www.paxcc.org and the Archdiocese of Miami website www.miamiarch.org. The Mass and Closing Assembly will also be broadcasted on EWTN.
What is the Synod?
Synod (syn-od, pronounced sin'ud) comes from Greek roots meaning to come together in order to move forward on a path. In a synod, the bishop calls his people together in order to move forward on a pathway.
The Synod is a process of listening to the people of God, followed by pastoral planning based upon what was heard. The work of the Synod will provide the priorities of the Archdiocese for the next 3-4 years.
How did the Synod work?
The work of the Synod included a diverse group of volunteers, comprised of clergy, religious, and lay leaders from across the Archdiocese, and several listening sessions that were held throughout the diocese.
The listening sessions were a centerpiece of the Synod process. These are large town hall-type meetings to which all Catholics were invited. Participants at the listening sessions were asked to individually reflect on three questions, then to further explore the questions in small groups, and finally, they were given the opportunity to share any comments with the larger group.
The feedback gathered at the sessions was collected and recorded, and provide the foundation for the work of the Focus Area Teams.
For R.S.V.P. contact Jacqueline Debs at (305)762-1088 or via e-mail to [email protected].
The Archdiocese of Miami
www.miamiarch.org
Twitter: @CatholicMiami
Facebook: /ArchdioceseofMiami
Media contact: Juan A. Di Prado, Media Coordinator, at (305)762-1046 [email protected], or Mary Ross Agosta, Director of Communications, at (305)762-1043 [email protected].
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