Jesuit parishes meet to discuss synodality

Eight Jesuit parishes across Britain have met at the end of a year-long “synodality journey”  to discern where the Holy Spirit is leading parishes.

 At a three-day meeting in Northampton, parishioners and Jesuits from Edinburgh, London and elsewhere explored how to embed Synodality in parish life.

Eighty parishioners and their priests held “Conversations in the Spirit” – a synodal tool to enable deeper listening. They reflected on the question ‘What kind of poverty should we be attentive to?” The poverty of meaning, connection, and purpose emerged as strong themes. Anne, a parishioner from Glasgow said: “My one deep desire is to enable us in our parish to be open to the many people who don’t know Jesus.” 

The meeting at Highgate House, Northampton from 14-16 November also included representatives of the Jesuit Missions, the Jesuit Refugee Service UK  and the archives of the Jesuit British Province. A British Jesuit novice was part of the discussions where participants also reflected on Spiritual accompaniment in the light of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te: On the Love of the Poor.  

 “The whole journey of Synodality really gives hope to the Church,” said Fr Matthew Nunes, who directs the School for Synodality in Liverpool Archdiocese. He discussed how structures such as  parish pastoral councils can further embed synodal processes and promote co-responsibility in parishes.

Brother Ken Vance SJ said: “If you look at the list of parishes we have, we have rural parishes, inner city parishes, parishes in rich areas, parishes in poor areas so it is somehow a little microcosm of the Church in England, Wales and Scotland. And they each had a unique gift to give to each other.”

Vance observed: “Ignatian spirituality is synodality in some ways. Discernment in listening to people, the whole spiritual exercises are a sort of basis for synodality and that’s where Francis came from. Synodality is part of Jesuit parishes.” 

Meanwhile, the Bishops Conference of England and Wales announced they had discussed implementing synodality in their dioceses at their Autumn plenary.

 “The timeline proposed for the implementation phase suggests a further 12 months, until the end of 2026, for implementation paths in local churches ahead of evaluation assemblies in dioceses and eparchies during the first half of 2027. We are working towards this,” a spokesperson for the Conference told The Tablet. 

She added: “In a spirit of subsidiarity and synodality, implementation will progress at a different pace, and in different ways, in each diocese.”

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