The importance of renewing life at Catholic parishes after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a key theme at a March 26 Regional Synod Session for Southern Maryland held at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Waldorf.

“We don’t want to see the doors of the church ever closed again,” said one participant, referring to the initial shutdown of public Masses starting in mid-March 2020 as a safety precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. During that phase of the pandemic, Catholics in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington were granted a general dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, and many parishes began offering livestreamed Masses for parishioners to watch from home. In the summer of 2021 following the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines and declining infection rates, the dispensation was lifted and Catholics in the archdiocese were encouraged to return to public Masses at their parish churches.

Another participant at the Regional Synod Session noted, “Now people are starting to come back, and you have to keep them wanting to come back.”

The Southern Maryland session followed regional sessions held on March 12 via Zoom for Montgomery County parishioners, and a March 19 Regional Synod Session for Prince George’s County held at St. Joseph Parish in Largo. A Regional Synod Session for District of Columbia parishes is planned for May 14 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Washington, D.C.

The Regional Synod Sessions are part of a consultative process launched this past fall by Pope Francis to gain insights from the world’s Catholics in preparation for a Synod of Bishops in 2023.

The consultative effort began locally with parishes in the archdiocese holding listening sessions in fall 2021 and in the first months of 2022. Local Catholics also have the option of participating in an online survey.

The Synod’s theme is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.” Based on the input from the local listening sessions and online surveys, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington will prepare a 10-page report for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as will dioceses across the country. Then the USCCB will summarize those findings in a 10-page report for the Synod of Bishops, which will receive reports from national bishops’ conferences around the world in preparation for the 2023 Synod.

Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory, at a Mass last October at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle opening the archdiocesan phase of the Synod process, noted how it would provide Catholics with an opportunity to re-engage with each other as the world emerges from the pandemic. He said the Synod process is unfolding “as we seek to reopen the doors of our churches, and even more importantly, to reopen the doors of our hearts.”

In a letter to archdiocesan Catholics, Cardinal Gregory said, “This Synod offers us the opportunity to be with each other, to invite our family and friends back to the faith, to listen to each other’s joys and sorrows, and share our hopes and dreams for our parishes.”

The archdiocese’s Synod web page notes that, “This Synod is not about changing doctrine or church structures, but rather encountering each others as brothers as sisters in Christ in (the) post-pandemic world.”

About 50 people from 14 parishes and from several religious orders participated in the  Regional Synod Session for Southern Maryland. Pamela Harris – the archdiocese’s Assistant Secretary for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns – said they were gathering to listen and learn from each other, and to discern where the Holy Spirit is calling parishes and the archdiocese to be.

Participants in in the regional gathering broke out into small groups and discussed the results of parish listening sessions. Several people underscored the importance of such meetings and expressed a desire for future parish town halls where parishioners could offer their perspectives and for regional gatherings where people could share good ideas from their parishes.

“We need to continue to talk to each other and support each other,” one woman said.

That point was echoed by another woman, who said it was important to invite parishioners to participate in such sessions, “to listen more, to listen to what’s being said and not said… (and to) hear the needs of people.”

Father Alain Colliou, the pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians whose parish hosted the gathering, told the people gathered at his table that the Synod process was spurring him “to listen to my people more as a pastor… That’s my hope.”

Some common themes emerged that had also been raised at the earlier regional gatherings, including the need for the Catholic Church to expand its efforts to reach out to young people, to encourage more lay participation, and to provide more leadership roles for women. 

“The laity wants to do more. That’s one of the main things we’re hearing today,” a woman said.

People stressed the importance of training for church ministries, and said it was important for parishes to develop ministries that meet the needs of the community, and that help parishes not only survive, but thrive.

Reaching out to the marginalized, including divorced Catholics and members of minority communities, was another key point raised in discussions. One participant described that as “finding the lost who need to be found.” Another said the Church and individual parishes cannot be complacent or introspective about losing members. One participant suggested offering surveys or listening sessions for alienated Catholics to gain their perspectives.

 A woman said one question worth considering was, “What can the parish do for you, and what can you do for the parish?”

Participants noted how during the pandemic, parishes had to adapt to new technologies for communication and parish programs, including Flocknote and electronic bulletins.

People also stressed the need for better faith formation programs for Catholics of all ages, and one participant suggested that when youth are dropped off for religious education classes, parishes could offer classes for parents at the same time. 

While several people noted how parishes were facing similar challenges, one woman noted that “Southern Maryland is different from Washington, D.C. Things the diocese comes up with may work for the city, but not Southern Maryland.”

Two points that came up in the Southern Maryland discussions but not in the previous regional meetings were that some people expressed appreciation for the Latin Mass, and a participant requested that bishops offer more guidance about Catholic doctrine and political issues like abortion.

During the small group discussions, some participants shared how their parishes had expanded the scope of the local Synod listening session process. 

Liz Tomaszeski, a special needs catechist at St. Aloysius Parish in Leonardtown, noted that her parish held an Adapted Synod Listening Session for the Friends of Faith group of young adults with disabilities and for their family members. (See related story.)

Tim Steelman, the director of religious education at Immaculate Conception Parish in Mechanicsville, said his parish sought insights from eighth graders preparing for Confirmation there, and they offered “very interesting and thoughtful responses.”

“What they said was, they were hoping the Mass would be made more accessible to them,” Steelman said. He added that they suggested offering a regular youth Mass, having more contemporary Christian music, and having more homilies on topics pertaining to them.

Dr. Jeannine Marino, the archdiocesan Secretary for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns and one of two archdiocesan contacts for the global Synod, helped lead the Regional Synod Session for Southern Maryland and the recent ones for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Marino told the participants at Our Lady Help of Christians that after the archdiocesan Synod report is filed, she hopes that information will “help create healthy, active parishes that are evangelizing and focused on the Eucharist.”

Participants at the March 26 regional session stressed the importance of prayer, the Mass and the sacraments. One woman noted that people despite the sacrifices and challenges they face in their busy lives, need to ask what is God calling them to do?

In a closing prayer, Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville said, “The Lord is counting on us to spread the Good News of the Gospel.”

That point was echoed in a comment made by Brother Loughlan Sofield, a member of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, who when asked what he hoped the impact of the Synod process would be, said, “I guess what I hope will happen is what our whole community is all about… It’s getting every Catholic to realize they are called to ministry in their daily life.”

Michael Thomas, a lector and past Finance Committee chair at St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, said listening session participants there “were enthusiastic and engaged… People expressed a strong desire to get back to regular order… There was an expressed appreciation for the ‘parish family’ life that we look forward to resuming.”

Thomas, who works in real estate appraisal, added, “It is my sincerest hope that the Church leaders who read and synthesize our parish reports will find ways to encourage true Catholic charity, communication, service and healing for our parishes and the larger communities where we live.”

When asked in an email interview what he hoped the impact of the Synod process would be, Father Marco Schad – the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Lexington Park – said, “My hope is for a greater engagement of the lay faithful in the day-to-day work of the parish, as well as in discerning the longer-term direction of the parish community and of the Church as a whole, not as a question of ‘majority rules’ and popular opinion, but a true seeking of the guidance of the Holy Spirit by laity, religious and clergy together.”

Related content

• Archdiocese’s special Synod web page
• Online survey for Catholics in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
• Special needs catechist shares insights gained from young adults with disabilities and their families at an Adapted Synod Listening Session
• At Prince George’s regional listening session for Synod, participants stress welcoming people back to church
• At Montgomery regional listening session for Synod, participants say parishioners appreciated being heard
• Emphasis on truly listening stands out for participants in early Synod sessions in the archdiocese
• Synod opening Mass invokes the guidance of the Holy Spirit for a period of listening to one another
• Archdiocesan Synod process seen as chance for local Catholics to share their joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams
• By listening to Holy Spirit, Synod can be process of healing, pope says