At the annual ‘LIFTED Breakfast with the Bishop’, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, joined with Year 12 student leaders of the Diocese of Parramatta in spiritual conversations. Each year, Bishop Vincent spends a morning with student leaders from the Catholic secondary schools in the Diocese, and this year pivoted to become one of the many listening consultations being held for the Diocesan Synod.
While there were still many young voices to be heard, an observer might have noticed a difference in how the conversations around the room took place.
A new method for group discussion
Instead of usual group discussions, the 83 students from 26 Catholic schools in the Diocese, took turns sharing for two minutes while the other members of the group listened silently. Afterwards, many students reported this method was new to them and focused their attention on the speaker, rather than what they themselves wanted to say, leading to a better understanding of different points of view.
Each student was invited to consider the question: “Following years of Catholic schooling and from what you’ve shared and heard today, how is the Holy Spirit inviting us to live and share the Gospel across the Diocese of Parramatta?”
Executive Director struck by student reflections on faith
Bishop Vincent, and Executive Director of Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Jack de Groot, listened intently as the students shared and responded how they have experienced their faith through their Catholic schooling.
Jack, in addressing the student leaders thanked them for representing the 45,000 students across the Diocese and commented that while there was great diversity of views, the session ran respectfully.
He was struck, he said, by the reflections that showed young people are struggling between their individual faiths and the call of the Gospel to contribute to the good of society. He commented on the challenges to Church that the young people had expressed.
“You use and you’ve just shown to me, extraordinary capability of a faith that engages your intellect in your minds and your hearts,” he said. “And you want to imagine a different church. And this Synod process is about a difference about doing something new.”
Bishop Vincent commends students on maturity of views
Bishop Vincent commented on the maturity of views he had heard.
“You have engaged with the Catholic faith with your mind, with your spirits, with your hearts,” he said.
“The listening session shows the maturity of your faith, because it’s not about ticking boxes,” he said.
He explained the need for “Active listening, active serving and above all, active aligning with the inspiration of the spirit and the truths of the Gospel.”
He commented that even though the word ‘synodality’ may not be used by the students, he could see they were living the principles, which is about, he said, “taking ownership and responsibility for your baptismal commitments.”
Students collaborated to create written submissions for the Diocesan Synod which arose from their spiritual conversations at the session.
All people are invited to write a submission for the Diocesan Synod before 31 July 2023 when submissions close. You can find details on what the Synod is about, and how to prepare a submission at parracatholic.org/synod2023.
View images from the LIFTED Breakfast with the Bishop here or below: