Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis provided a video update on the archdiocese's Synod process, thanking participants for their insights in trying to make the Church better.

More than 500 of our sisters and brothers will be joining Bishop Williams and me over Pentecost weekend, June 3-5, for our Synod assembly,” he said in the YouTube video. “The Synod assembly will be the culmination of more than 2 years of journeying together through the Synod process.” 

The process began with listening events in which the parishioners were asked to share their opinions about the archdiocese’s good points and where it could make improvements.

“I am so grateful for your feedback that helped me discern the three focus areas for our archdiocesan Synod: forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization; forming missionary disciples who know Jesus' love and respond to his call; and finally, forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young,” the archbishop said.

The synod process was announced in October, when Pope Francis declared a “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church,” according to The Conversation. The process will last for two years and involves expanding the existing “Synod of Bishops.” Bishops all around the world are consulting with monks, nuns, parishioners, and laypeople to bring more openness and transparency to the Church. The Bishops will gather in 2023 to discuss how to move forward as a church that “journeys together.” 

“Synod” comes from a Greek word meaning “coming together.” The Synodal tradition for the Church began with ancient Christian leaders who would come together to discuss and pray about issues that affected the whole Church, The Conversation explains. By the 16th century, these gatherings were happening infrequently. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) made it a goal to re-emphasize the role of bishops as leaders of their communities and encourage more communication and cooperation between bishops.

"Participating in a #Synod means taking the same path as the Word made flesh: following in his footsteps, listening to his word and the words of others, discovering with amazement that the Holy Spirit always surprises us with fresh paths and new ways of speaking,” Pope Francis tweeted.