I experience a Church full of hope and willing to learn, engaged at all levels. From the bishops to the lay movements, there is a real commitment to walk together, writes Janet Forbes
The Irish Catholic Church is at a crucial juncture in its synodical journey. With Cardinal Mario Grech’s recent letter to bishops around the world on the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality, the worldwide Church now has a roadmap and timeline for integrating synodality in the coming years.
The key question now is: How should each local Church respond? Synodality is not about applying top-down directives, but about receiving, discerning and adapting the insights of the Final Document in ways that reflect local culture and reality. For Ireland, this means building on our National Synodal Journey, which began in March 2021, as we learn from the synodal experience of the worldwide Church since September 2021. However, the challenge for all is to ensure that synodality takes root in the daily life of the Church, not just as a concept, but as a way of being.
As someone working at the heart of the Irish synodal process, I see the opportunities and challenges ahead. My role, in the Archdiocese of Armagh, focuses on pastoral ministry with young people, digital evangelisation and, through my work with the Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Michael Router, I am responsible for synodality in the archdiocese. I am also a member of the National Synodal Coordinating Team for the Irish Synodal Way, which is guiding the Church in Ireland along its own unique path of synodal renewal. Studies at Boston College have given me the opportunity to focus on the “how” of synodality. For me, Cardinal Grech’s letter to bishops around the world raises what I see as the central question facing us now: how do we move from talking about synodality to actually living it?
My work and studies have given me a broader perspective on how different countries are embracing synodality and alerted me to the challenges each faces. It is encouraging to see that many local Churches around the world are facing the same issues, and I am comforted by the fact that Churches are facing similar challenges to ours here in Ireland.
Welcoming the Vatican’s call for accompaniment
Cardinal Mario Grech’s letter on the implementation phase on Saturday, March 15, is a welcome step. It provides much-needed scaffolding and support for national and local Churches, affirming the great need throughout the worldwide Church for ongoing formation, discernment and accompaniment at all levels. What stands out most about Cardinal Grech’s letter is that it focuses more on accompaniment than rigid implementation. This is good because in making this point Cardinal Grech himself accompanies the Church and helps it to truly accept and internalise synodality as a way of life.
Personally, I am excited about what this means for Ireland in the coming years. Spring Meetings are currently taking place across Ireland, which will allow us to discern the priorities of the Irish Church and reflect on how to root synodality here in Ireland. In October 2025 there will be a pre-synodal assembly, which will be a key moment when we will seek to align our national reflections with the insights of the global Synod.
At the same time, this is a particularly challenging moment because we must now discern how to integrate the universal into this process. While there is great enthusiasm for synodality, there is also impatience; many Catholics want to see concrete action immediately. Others struggle with the conceptual shift that synodality requires. It is one thing to talk about participation and co-responsibility and quite another to restructure decision-making and governance in ways that authentically reflect those principles.
The Role of Young People: A vital presence
One of the most urgent priorities for the Irish Church is to ensure that young people are at the heart of synodal renewal. Young Catholics bring vitality, optimism and creativity, qualities that the Irish Church desperately needs. They are willing to ask difficult questions, challenge outdated structures and push for a more inclusive and authentic Church.
Many young people struggle to find their place within traditional Church structures. Recently, while recovering from a serious car accident, I witnessed firsthand the skill, generosity and compassion of young doctors, nurses and healthcare workers. This made me wonder: why does the Church often struggle to offer young people the same sense of purpose and contributions that secular institutions seem to do so naturally?
If synodality is really about walking together, then we must ensure that young people are not only invited into the conversations, but are shaping the future of the Church.
If synodality is really about walking together, then we must ensure that young people are not only invited into the conversations, but are shaping the future of the Church. I see this reality first hand in my work with young people in the Archdiocese of Armagh. When given real opportunities for action and leadership, they thrive, especially in digital evangelisation. Young Catholics around the world are already creating online faith communities, using social media to share their experiences of God and the Church. The real question is: are we prepared to let them lead?
Challenges of implementing synodality
Despite the momentum of the synodal journey here in Ireland, there are real tensions and barriers that need to be addressed.
First, there is the challenge of changing mindsets. In principle, many people are willing and enthusiastic about synodality. However, when it comes to implementing participatory decision-making and reimagining authority, doubts arise. Moving from a hierarchical model to a more synodal and co-responsible Church requires a profound change of mentality, which requires a lot of time and patience.
In Ireland we face the important and often insurmountable barrier of trust. The wounds of the abuse crisis, scandals and other institutional failures continue to cast a long shadow over the Irish Church”
Secondly, here in Ireland we have been affected by the impatience of some sectors and the demand for action. Some, particularly those who have been deeply involved in the synodal process, are frustrated by the slow pace of change. They want to see structural reforms now, especially in areas such as lay leadership, the role of women and Church governance. However, I believe that transforming deeply entrenched structures requires careful and sustained effort.
Third, here in Ireland we face the important and often insurmountable barrier of trust. The wounds of the abuse crisis, scandals and other institutional failures continue to cast a long shadow over the Irish Church. Many Catholics, particularly survivors of abuse, find it difficult to trust Church leaders. Without trust, synodality becomes even more difficult. I believe that rebuilding trusting relationships between the faithful and Church leaders is an essential part of this journey.
How do we move beyond reports and consultations to ensure that synodality is lived out in the daily life of parishes? How do we integrate collaborative decision-making processes, listening structures and share responsibility for the daily life of the Church?
Fourthly, translating synodality into everyday parish life remains both a real challenge and a profound aspiration for the Irish Church. One of the most important questions that, in my view, now faces the Irish Church is how to make synodality a reality at the grassroots. How do we move beyond reports and consultations to ensure that synodality is lived out in the daily life of parishes? How do we integrate collaborative decision-making processes, listening structures and share responsibility for the daily life of the Church?
Having recognised the challenges, I see and experience great signs of hope here in Ireland. In my own work I experience, yes, a wounded Church, but also a Church united and committed to the journey. I experience a Church full of hope and willing to learn, engaged at all levels. From the bishops to the lay movements, there is a real commitment to walk together. The pre-synodal assembly of 2025 will be a significant moment to consolidate what we have learned and set a course for the future.
The work ahead will not be easy, but it is a grace-filled journey and will be carried out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and, it seems, the General Secretariat of the Synod”
I also see a lot of passion, creativity and faith among young Catholics. They are not afraid to re-imagine what the Church could be. If we really listen to them and let them lead, I believe the future of the Church in Ireland will be vibrant, inclusive and full of hope.
My sense is that the Irish Church has accepted and committed itself to the implementation of synodality as a long-term process of transformation. It will certainly take patience, perseverance and a willingness to embrace change, but the Irish Catholic Church is learning – step by step – what it means to be a synodal Church. The work ahead will not be easy, but it is a grace-filled journey and will be carried out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and, it seems, the General Secretariat of the Synod.
As we continue to walk the synodal journey together, may each of us trust in the work of the Spirit among us. This is not just a time of renewal; it is the beginning of a new way of being Church and I am excited about what this next part of the journey will entail.
This article was originally published in Religion Digital, digital Spanish Magazine.
