DIOCESAN PREPARATION

Diocesan Preparation

The synodal process in the Archdiocese of San Antonio will begin with the Opening Mass at the Cathedral of San Fernando on Sunday, Oct. 17. It will continue through a special iteration of the Archdiocesan Assembly on November 6 and additional listening and interactive sessions with the People of God throughout the Archdiocese in the following months. Additional details will be forthcoming.

The unfolding of the Synodal Process at the local level will involve:

• Discernment through listening, to create space for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Accessibility, in order to ensure that as many people as possible can participate, regardless of location, language, education, socio-economic status, ability/disability, and material resources.
• Cultural awareness to celebrate and embrace the diversity within local communities.
• Inclusion, making every effort to involve those who feel excluded or marginalized.
• Partnership based on the model of a co-responsible Church.
• Respect for the rights, dignity, and opinion of each participant.
• Accurate syntheses that truly captures the range of critical and appreciative perspectives of all responses, including views that are expressed only by a minority of participants.
• Transparency, ensuring that processes of invitation, involvement, inclusion, and aggregation of input are clear and well communicated.
• Fairness, ensuring that participation in the listening process treats each person equally, so that every voice can be duly heard.

During our archdiocesan synodal process, we are also getting ready to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Canonical Erection of the Diocese of San Antonio in August 2024 as well as the 100th Anniversary of the elevation to Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio in August 2026.