Pope Francis has invited us to respond to the action of the Holy Spirit to become a more synodal Church, to deepen communion, and carry out the mission of Jesus Christ in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
Responding to this invitation and the experience of Australia’s own Plenary Council, Bishop Vincent Long, the fourth Bishop of Parramatta, convoked our first Diocesan Synod in 2023. The Synod formed the foundation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan for a Synodal Church, which was launched at the Diocesan Gathering on Saturday 10 August 2024.
Over the next four years, the Diocese of Parramatta aims to become a Synodal Church that…
“Our journey has only just begun. As we move forward, we endeavour to institutionalise best practice in communal discernment, decision making, and governance, which would enhance the authority of the ordained and the rightful participation of the faithful. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are strengthened by the encounter with Jesus as we embark on the journey of participation, communion and mission.”
– Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv
Download a digital copy of
“Behold, I am with you always” Diocese of Parramatta’s
Pastoral Plan for a Synodal Church 2024 – 2028