As parishes wrap up their local listening sessions for Synod 2021-23, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” two to three representatives from each parish have been attending a series of regional meetings March 7-31 to share what they are hearing with archdiocesan leaders.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore will compile a report and share it with other U.S. dioceses. Then, another report with the results from all dioceses in the country will be sent to the Vatican.
Nearly 40 individuals representing parishes in Baltimore City-East gathered at Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlightown March 15.
The meeting started with the Synod prayer, followed by a series of readings and questions. Parish representatives sat at different tables and were asked to share their faith community’s responses.
Three main questions were asked: What are the ways that your parish is journeying well together with people? How is your parish struggling to journey together with people? What are the ways your region can journey together and how can the wider church journey together?
Roberto Rivera, a lector and parishioner of Sacred Heart-Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, said a way his parish has journeyed well together was during the pandemic, when the predominantly Spanish-speaking parish provided thousands of free COVID-19 vaccinations and food assistance to those who were left without jobs or in need.
The global pandemic continues to be a challenge for most parishes.
“I’m afraid we won’t get people to come back,” said Joseph M. Martenczuk, a parishioner and coordinator of music and liturgy at Shrine of the Little Flower in Baltimore, referring to parishioners opting for livestreamed Masses.
Martenczuk addressed the struggle to build cultural values and engage with diversity in the parish, seeing opportunities for welcoming new parishioners.
“It keeps me up at night because that’s where we need to be,” he said.
Martenczuk said he tries to go to multiple Masses and find new individuals, especially Spanish-speaking families, to greet, welcome and encourage them to be involved in the life of the parish.
“The other weekend a Spanish family, a dad and two girls, came to Mass,” he said as he recalled approaching them. “The dad carried the cross and the girls carried the candles (for the procession). It’s a start.”
Some local synod attendees suggested there was a need for greater women leadership roles in the church. Others wanted more African American representation in the church as priests and deacons, and the inclusion of minorities including LGBT Catholics, immigrants and others. Some also said there was a need to address in depth the sexual abuse scandals in the church.
Although the “issues are growing and the problems are serious,” Len Heckwolf, a parishioner and former chair of the pastoral council of St. Ignatius in Baltimore, hopes that “somehow we (the Catholic Church) can work through these issues.”
Despite the many differences, Heckwolf said, “there was a strong feeling of love for the church, love for the priests, bishops and Pope Francis.”
Fifteen parishioners from North Baltimore County parishes attended a regional synod listen session March 14 at St. Ursula in Parkville
An area concern raised in their conversation centered on how the number of parishes in operation exceeds what is needed for those who are attending Mass, which results in financial strain.
It was agreed that while it is frustrating to see attendance drop, reversal of low Mass attendance post pandemic is a challenge as the general attitude toward attending Mass has shifted. As in other regional synod meetings, some questioned whether livestreaming Mass was a good thing since parishioners, if they so choose, can now stay at home to watch Mass.
A listening session for women in consecrated life also was held March 19 at St. Mark in Catonsville.
Kevin J. Parks contributed to this story.
For more information about the synodal process in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, visit archbalt.org/synod
Email Priscila González de Doran at pdoran@CatholicReview.org
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