Dear fellow parishioners and friends,

By now you have heard about the 2023 Synod of Bishops, and the preparation for that event that will give direction and new life to the Church. Pope Francis and Bishop Crosby, invite each of us to participate in the synod process at the diocesan and parish level. The purpose is “to listen, as the entire People of God, to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.” Some have taken part in the survey on the diocesan website. Go to: www.hamiltondiocese.com  Thanks.

Now it is time for the parish listening sessions to be held via zoom beginning the week of January 31. We encourage you to attend and contribute your ideas. To accommodate and to adjust to the schedules of many people, we have a wide variety of options.

There are only 3 sessions on 3 consecutive weeks as indicated here:

St. Anne Parish Community
Monday, 10:00 am, Jan. 31, Feb. 7 and 14.
Tuesday, 2:30 pm, Feb. 1, 8 and 15.
Thursday, 7:00 pm, Feb. 3, 10 and 17

We encourage you to choose the most convenient day and time. We prefer that you stay with your own parish group.  You will meet during the same timeslot for all three weeks. 

Registration is necessary so we do not have too many people in a group. You can register:

• by phoning the parish, leaving a message with your name, phone number, and email address, indicating how many people in your household will be on the call, and the session you choose.
• by sending an email to the parish email address with all the above information.
• by registering online: go to: https://forms.gle/QCH5ATjkiDqzox7n7

Registration deadline is Friday, Jan. 28.

These sessions are listening sessions, not discussions of one another’s ideas. You will have a chance to express your opinions: no one is to respond. We listen respectfully and value what others say. Each session will last one hour maximum and will be recorded because we want to gather your ideas as you express them, not how someone else interprets them. By signing up you consent to the Zoom session recording. Your comments remain anonymous and then deleted once we have made our submission to the Diocese.

More information about the Synod, including a video from Bishop Crosby, is available at https://hamiltondiocese.com/synod/  Above all, pray for the success of this synod.

Blessings,
Father Brian