The closing session of the diocesan phase of Synod 2021-2023 was held on 1-3 June 2022 on the 1st Floor of RFH Catholic Diocese Centre Building, Patherghata, Chattogram. It was participated by 139 Catholics from all over the diocese including the archbishop, clergy, nuns & brothers, and laity.
The Church of God is convoked in Synod. The path entitled “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” was solemnly opened on the 9th-10th of October 2021 in Rome and following the 17th of October in each particular Church. Since then the synodal sessions took place at various stages of the Chattogram archdiocese with various people to listen to the people of God. The fundamental stage of the celebration of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take place in October 2023 and October 2024. With this convocation, Pope Francis invited the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: “It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium.”
The closing session of the diocesan phase was launched on 1st June 2022 with a devotional
dance and lighting of the pascal candle. The vicar general Fr. Leonard C. Rebeiro welcomed the participants and the bishop ordinary His Grace, Lawrence S. Howlader, CSC inaugurated the three days long events. On the launching day, the development coordinator Mr Mickey Paul Gonsalves did a presentation to assist in exploring and reflecting on the existing synodal paths in the local Church of Chattogram.
Delegates from different movements, organizations, associations, and councils; delegates of families, leaders, pastoral agents, preachers, clergy, nuns & brothers, missionaries, cultures & races, professionals, and people with special needs shared their experiences of communion, participation, and mission; joys, challenges, obstacles, pains, wounds in the local Church of Chattogram. Their sharings were heard prayerfully in several sessions. In between the sessions, participants took part in reflection facilitated by some guided questions required for the synthesis report.
The synthesis report drafting team presented the 1st draft of the diocesan report and the inputs from the delegates were heard. The proposals were incorporated and the 2nd draft was sent to the participants at a later date. After receiving the final comments of the delegates the synthesis report was finalized and submitted to the national conference.
Click here for a photo gallery…
