The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently held a Synod Assembly where participants prayed and conversed on several focus areas, according to a report by the Catholic Spirit.

During the gathering, which took place in early June, participants prayed and discussed three key areas: the formation of evangelical parishes, missionary disciples, and youth and young adults.

"Yesterday’s kickoff to the Synod Assembly included an opening Mass, a Eucharistic Procession out of the Holy Spirit Chapel and into the Cretin field house, and adoration and benediction," the Archdiocese stated on Facebook. "Come, Holy Spirit!"

The participants then cast their votes on a total of 40 propositions that were focused on accomplishing the three focus areas. These proposals were established during an earlier stage of the Synod process.

The Conversation reports that on Oct. 10, 2021, Pope Francis announced a "synod on synodality," officially titled "Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church." During the synod, bishops from throughout the world will interact with monks, nuns, and parishioners in an effort to strengthen the church's openness and transparency.

In 2023, the bishops will then gather to determine how best to continue as a unified church. This expansion of the current "Synod of Bishops" will take two years to complete.

The term "synod" originates from a Greek word that can be translated as "coming together" or "traveling together."

According to The Conversation, the practice of holding synods within the church can be traced back to early Christian leaders, who would meet, deliberate and pray about matters that pertained to the church. Around the 16th century, the frequency of these meetings began to decline.

The most recent synod to occur was known as the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

One of the synod's goals was to stress and reemphasize the importance of bishops as community leaders and to foster better communication and collaboration among bishops.