Father Thom Hennen and Patrick Schmadeke review the five-page Diocesan Synod report prepared from three recent listening sessions in which diocesan clergy and laity assessed the structures, organizations, leadership and life of the Church. The document has been sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
Diocesan clergy and laity recently assessed the structures, organizations, leadership and life of the Church in a second round of Diocesan Synod listening sessions, finding room for improvement.
The three listening sessions, held in late March, responded to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) request that all dioceses gather additional input from the faithful before the final meeting of the Synod on Synodality in Rome this fall.
“About 100 participants in total took part in this interim stage of the Synod, which included most of our priests (at the Chrism Mass/Convocation), two Zoom sessions, and an online form open to everyone,” said Father Thom Hennen, the Davenport Diocese’s Synod representative.
“In earlier listening sessions, the deacons had their own session and priests at the deanery level had a way to participate, but we more or less told the clergy to sit back and listen. I think it was important to include them more intentionally in this interim stage, especially as they are probably the most familiar with the structural/organizational aspects of the Church in their day-to-day ministry,” Father Hennen said.
Diocesan participants responded to these questions:
- What breaks and fills your heart, specifically as you think about the organizational/structural aspects of the Church (parish/diocese/national/universal)?
- How do you think the Church could better leverage its organization/structures to respond to the call of the gospel?
The diocese adapted the original questions “to mirror more closely what we had done as a diocese in the initial listening sessions,” Father Hennen said. “I think this helped focus questions. These were easy to remember — basically, what excites or discourages you about the organization of the Church, and how can we do better?”
“We added the language of ‘what breaks and fills your heart’ because it helps tap into people’s concrete experience,” said diocesan Evangelization Director Patrick Schmadeke, who assists with the Diocesan Synod process. “We also added the qualifier of parish, diocesan, national and universal levels of the Church. This also helped focus people’s reflection.”
Those reflections identified challenges to address and strengths to celebrate. “I know in my past work as vicar general and in conversation with my brother priests that there are always some frustrations,” Father Hennen said. “I was a little surprised that the largest number of responses among the clergy had to do with what broke their hearts at the level of the local church/diocese and, specifically, within the chancery administration. Frankly, we (diocese/ chancery) did not get a very good ‘report card.’ It hurts, but we need to listen to these comments and strive to do better.”
Father Hennen identified these three key challenges raised in the Diocesan Synod report:
- Addressing the concerns raised in a timely and reasonable way, even as we are currently without a bishop. So much of how we respond will depend on the next bishop and his vision and priorities.
- How to balance seemingly competing goals/desires — for example, a desire for leaner diocesan administration and lower ADA (Annual Diocesan Appeal), but more services and support.
- Working toward true subsidiarity — what is handled most appropriately at what level (parish vs. diocese).
Participants spoke of the “need to attend to the relationship between clergy and diocesan staff, especially through interpersonal relationship and communication practices,” Schmadeke said. Collaboration between parishes and lay leadership is essential, “especially in light of priests feeling stretched too thin.” Another challenge: “One participant named a general lack of creativity or openness to the Spirit to build structures that help us live our mission.”
Regarding strengths, “Clergy spoke highly of their people, staff and volunteers,” Father Hennen said. “It was clear they are grateful for all that the people do to advance the mission of the Church. Our people are our greatest strength.” Also encouraging was the observation that the Catholic Church is ‘“the best organized institution in the world.’ We are universal, diverse and yet one, stable. It would be hard to find anybody within the country or the world who can boast that degree of cohesiveness and organization,” Father Hennen added. A “sense of community within our parishes” was also evident.
“Person-centered pastoral care is life giving,” Schmadeke said, of identified strengths. Participants also spoke of the focus on identifying people’s gifts and building structures that reflect those gifts. A potential strength: present the structures of the Church as an aid rather than a burden to a relationship with Christ.
The Davenport Diocese’s five-page report will be synthesized with diocesan reports from Region IX (Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas), Father Hennen said. The USCCB will incorporate the regional reports into a national report to the Holy See (due May 15). OSV news service reported that the USCCB plans to make the report public.
Meanwhile, in the diocese, “We need to sit with this report, and present it to the new bishop when he arrives,” Father Hennen said. “This will inevitably be disappointing to some. I think we need to assure both our people and the clergy that we have heard them and that we will not let this collect dust somewhere in a filing cabinet.”
Schmadeke added, “While some things may need to wait for the new bishop, there is already much we can do to respond positively to what we have heard.”
Father Hennen identified these three key challenges raised in the Diocesan Synod report:
- Addressing the concerns raised in a timely and reasonable way, even as we are currently without a bishop. So much of how we respond will depend on the next bishop and his vision and priorities.
- How to balance seemingly competing goals/desires — for example, a desire for leaner diocesan administration and lower ADA (Annual Diocesan Appeal), but more services and support.
- Working toward true subsidiarity — what is handled most appropriately at what level (parish vs. diocese).
Participants spoke of the “need to attend to the relationship between clergy and diocesan staff, especially through interpersonal relationship and communication practices,” Schmadeke said. Collaboration between parishes and lay leadership is essential, “especially in light of priests feeling stretched too thin.” Another challenge: “One participant named a general lack of creativity or openness to the Spirit to build structures that help us live our mission.”
Regarding strengths, “Clergy spoke highly of their people, staff and volunteers,” Father Hennen said. “It was clear they are grateful for all that the people do to advance the mission of the Church. Our people are our greatest strength.” Also encouraging was the observation that the Catholic Church is ‘“the best organized institution in the world.’ We are universal, diverse and yet one, stable. It would be hard to find anybody within the country or the world who can boast that degree of cohesiveness and organization,” Father Hennen added. A “sense of community within our parishes” was also evident.
“Person-centered pastoral care is life giving,” Schmadeke said, of identified strengths. Participants also spoke of the focus on identifying people’s gifts and building structures that reflect those gifts. A potential strength: present the structures of the Church as an aid rather than a burden to a relationship with Christ.
The Davenport Diocese’s five-page report will be synthesized with diocesan reports from Region IX (Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas), Father Hennen said. The USCCB will incorporate the regional reports into a national report to the Holy See (due May 15). OSV news service reported that the USCCB plans to make the report public.
Meanwhile, in the diocese, “We need to sit with this report, and present it to the new bishop when he arrives,” Father Hennen said. “This will inevitably be disappointing to some. I think we need to assure both our people and the clergy that we have heard them and that we will not let this collect dust somewhere in a filing cabinet.”
Schmadeke added, “While some things may need to wait for the new bishop, there is already much we can do to respond positively to what we have heard.”
