Journeying as One Stories, reflections and updates on our synodal journey. Accompanying one another in the life and mission of the Church.
Issue3 September 2026
In this edition! In our first two editions, we began to reflect on what it means to journey together as a Diocese and to consider how we might continue to nurture a culture of being a synodal Church, one where we walk together, listen deeply, discern prayerfully and recognise the contribution of every baptised person. As we continue this journey, this edition invites us to keep reflecting on how these principles might take shape in our own communities and ministries. We also share the next theological reflection from Fr Biju, who this month explores The Church: The Family of God, inviting us to consider more deeply what it means to belong to, participate in and journey together as God's people. One of the important ways we continue to journey together is by sharing our stories and hearing from one another. In this edition, we hear from our CatholicCare colleagues, who share their experience of participating in the newly formed Deanery Leaders in-Council and how this opportunity has enabled them to walk more closely with others across our diocesan community. Patti Beattie Head of Pastoral Discernment and Accompaniment, Broken Bay
Synodality through aReflection theological lens by Rev Dr Biju Jose OSH In this edition, Fr Biju explores: The Church: The Family of God “You are members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19).
Our previous reflection introduced the rich biblical images that reveal the mystery of the Church. Among them, the image of the Family of God expresses her deepest identity as a communion of persons united by the Father’s love through Christ in the Holy Spirit. The human family is the first school of faith, love, and belonging. It is where life is welcomed, relationships are nurtured, forgiveness is learned, and virtues such as trust, responsibility, generosity, sacrifice, and self-giving charity gradually mature. Healthy families are not free from differences; rather, they flourish by embracing diversity with patience, mutual respect, and enduring love.
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This experience finds its fulfilment in the Church. Jesus revealed God as our Father (Jn 17:1), and the apostolic community recognised believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. Through Baptism, we become children of the Father, members of the Body of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit. The Church is therefore far more than an institution; she is God’s family journeying towards the fullness of His Kingdom. Every parish is called to reflect this reality. Like a loving family, it welcomes people of every age, culture, vocation, and background, trusting the Holy Spirit to transform diversity into communion through a rich variety of charisms and ministries. In such a community, every baptised person is recognised, valued, and encouraged to participate according to his or her vocation and gifts. In a society increasingly marked by individualism, loneliness, and division, the Church is called to be a home of welcome, reconciliation, and hope. As God’s family, we walk together in faith, hope, and charity, bearing joyfully witness to the Gospel. In our next edition, Fr Biju explores synodality through the lens of Walking Together: The Pilgrim People of God.
You are members of the household of God”
Eph 2:19
News and Updates Towards the Ecclesial Assemblies 2027–2028:
RR EE CC O OL LL LE EC CT T II N NG G Listening to Where the Journey Has Led Us.
In our last edition of Journeying as One, we reflected on our shared call to continue nurturing a culture of synodality, walking together, listening deeply, discerning prayerfully and recognising the contribution of all the baptised. As we continue this journey, we now turn our attention to an important next stage in the process towards the 2027–2028 Assemblies: Recollecting. This is a time to pause and gather the fruits of the conversations, discernment and experiences that have shaped our journey so far, and to consider what the Holy Spirit may be inviting us to carry forward. Over the coming months, the stories, insights and experiences emerging from across our Diocese will be gathered into a Narrative Report. This Report will seek to tell the story of our diocesan journey, reflecting the voices, experiences, hopes and challenges shared by our parishes, ministries, communities and agencies. Importantly, it will not simply be a collection of responses or a summary of activities, but an opportunity to recognise the threads that have emerged as we have listened to one another and discerned together. The Narrative Report will then become an important tool for our Diocesan Assembly. Those gathered at the Assembly will be invited to reflect on the fruits of our journey as presented in the Narrative Report, to listen to what has emerged from across the Diocese and to discern together what these experiences might be saying to us. In this way, the Assembly will build upon the journey that has already taken place, rather than beginning a new conversation.
2024
The Final Document
A further outcome of this process will be a Letter, which will offer a more personal expression of our diocesan journey. The Letter will enable us to share something of our experience, our hopes and the fruits of our discernment with the wider Church. It will be an opportunity to tell our story to other local Churches and to contribute our voice to the broader journey of the Church. Together, these three steps: I: The Narrative Report, II: The Diocesan Assembly and III: The Letter form an important part of our journey towards the wider gatherings of the Church in 2027 and 2028. We will first gather the fruits of our diocesan journey in the Narrative Report; we will then come together as a Diocese to reflect on and discern these fruits at an Assembly; and finally, we will share our story through the Letter, contributing the experience of the Diocese of Broken Bay to the wider conversation. As we enter this stage of recollecting, we reflect on our journey. We are invited to look back with gratitude, to listen again to what has been shared among us and to recognise how the Holy Spirit may be leading us forward. Through this process, our local journey becomes part of something much larger, a journey of Churches around the world towards the 2028 Ecclesial Assembly, where the fruits of these many local journeys will be brought together in a celebration of the life and mission of the Church.
2025-26
2027
Implementation Phase
Local Diocesan and National Assemblies
2028
Continental Assembly. Celebration Ecclesial Assembly in the Vatican October 2028
Supports and Resources Reading the Final Document Another Excellent Resource for Reflecting on the Final Document The School for Synodality has developed a series of Lectio Divina resources to help us prayerfully engage with For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission, the Final Document of the Synod. Recognising that the document is rich and, at times, quite technical, these reflections invite us to slow down and sit with particular passages, much as we would with Scripture, allowing the words to speak to us and to open our hearts to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
School for Synodality webpage
The resource offers a number of guided reflections exploring themes such as what synodality means, synodal spirituality, discernment and decision-making, listening to new voices, relationships, mission and the role of the baptised. Each reflection provides a passage from the Final Document followed by questions for personal prayer, group reflection and conversation. This is an excellent resource for clergy, parish teams and ministry groups as we continue to deepen our understanding of what it means to be a synodal Church and to recollect and reflect on the fruits of our parish journey.
Introducing Conversation in the Spirit The Final Document reminds us that ecclesial discernment is not simply an organisational technique, but a spiritual practice grounded in faith, requiring prayer, interior freedom, humility, mutual trust and openness to what the Holy Spirit may reveal through one another (Final Document, 82–84). Conversation in the Spirit therefore invites us to move beyond simply sharing opinions or seeking agreement, creating space to listen deeply to one another and, together, to recognise “what the Spirit is saying to the Churches” (Revelation 2:7). In this way, the practice becomes a privileged expression of synodality, where communion, participation and mission are not simply ideas we speak about, but are experienced and lived together.
New resources uploaded New resources to support parish and community consultation.
As we continue to nurture a culture of synodality across our Diocese, we are pleased to share a number of newly prepared Practice Guides to support communities and ministry groups in using Conversation in the Spirit. The resources include practical guidance on Conversation in the Spirit, as well as specific guides outlining the Role of the Table Facilitator and the Role of the Table Scribe. Together, these resources are designed to support prayerful listening, meaningful participation and shared discernment.
Visit the webpage
https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/pastoral-discernmentand-accompaniment/pastoral-discernment
Whether you are new to the practice or have already experienced Conversation in the Spirit, these guides offer a practical resource to help create the conditions for everyone to be heard and for groups to listen together for the movement of the Holy Spirit. To access the Practice Guides and other resources, visit the Pastoral Discernment and Accompaniment webpage on the Diocesan website.
Sharing our journey Sharing Our Journey is a space to celebrate and learn from the many ways across our Diocese we are living out the call to be a synodal Church.
A Synodal Reflection ~ CatholicCare Broken Bay
TOGETHER IN MISSION This reflection was prepared by:
Melissa Sabian Executive Manager, Communication and Engagement Greg Dresser Head of Development and Research
The inaugural meetings of the Deanery Leaders in-Council have provided a powerful glimpse of what a synodal Church can look like in practice. Bringing together clergy, parish leaders, CatholicCare representatives, Catholic school leaders, and others involved in the life and mission of the Church created an opportunity not only to listen and discern together, but also to recognise how much we can achieve when we work collaboratively. Greg Dresser (Head of Development & Research) and Melissa Sabian (Executive Manager, Communication & Engagement) were delighted to represent CatholicCare.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the meetings was discovering the common ground that exists between our various ministries and communities. While our day-to-day responsibilities differ, we share the same mission of proclaiming the Gospel and serving the people entrusted to our care.
Weshare thesamemissionofproclaimingthe Gospelandserving thepeopleentrustedtoourcare.
The synodal process invites us to move beyond working in isolation and towards a deeper culture of communion and service. One practical example is CatholicCare's newly established Crossroad Companions program, which provides pastoral support for the dying, their carers, family, and friends. This is an important ministry and one which has received wholehearted support from the Deanery Leaders. Through our first round of meetings, we have established additional pathways through parish offices, the clergy, and Catholic schools, which will strengthen the program and help a wider range of families access it.
Other opportunities are also emerging, including the promotion of our schools through enhanced networks, community education opportunities, and the increased visibility of the Sacraments across our various organisations. The relationships being formed through the Deanery Leaders in-Council are only the beginning. By listening deeply, sharing generously, and remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can continue building connection, mission, and the hope of Christ in our Diocese and the world.
Contact: PDA@bbcatholic.org.au
Pastoral Discernment and Accompaniment