A couple of months ago we announced “The Synod on Synodality.” A synod is basically an assembly. Typically it is associated with a gathering of clergy, but Pope Francis wants a gathering of voices from around the world from all people - clergy, laity, and even non-Catholics. This will be the largest listening session in human history. In order to get these voices we need your help. If you could interview someone from each of these three broad categories:
1. someone who is in the pews at Church,
2. someone, especially since the pandemic, who is no longer in the pews,
3. some-one who has never been a part of a Catholic faith community or stopped practicing religion at some point along the way,
and ask them two questions:
1. As you think about your experience of the Catholic Church, what fills your heart?
2. And what breaks your heart?
Ask these individuals those two questions and write down their responses. Your job in the interview is not to convince them to change their views or come back to Mass. Your job is to simply listen to what they have to say. These interviews may lead to other conversations that happen in the future about Catholicism, but I suggest keeping this interview simple. It is fine if you only interview one person or more than three. Just indicate which of the three categories they fall into - in the pew Catholic, no longer in the pew Catholic, or non-Catholic.
