If you’ve followed us for any time at all at Team Initiation, you know that we are very focused on the church’s vision of how to implement the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. When we first started talking about this vision (almost 20 years ago!) we didn’t apply the word “synodal” to our analysis of the process.
However, as soon as Pope Francis started talking about a “synod on synodality,” we realized that catechumenate ministers have been practicing synodality all along, perhaps without even realizing it.
In fact, that is what the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality says explicitly:
The Church listens to those in initiation, addressing their doubts and questions, and is enriched by the newness each person brings by means of his or her own history and culture. In the practice of this pastoral action, the Christian community experiences, often without being fully aware of it, the first form of synodality. (24; emphasis added)
However, while the church’s vision of the catechumenate process is “the first form of synodality,” many of our parishes are still practicing a top-down, classroom model of faith formation. Sr. Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, is asking us to shift to a synodal model of catechesis, if we have not done so already.
In a recent keynote address, “Rethinking Catechesis in a Synodal Perspective,” she reminded us that synodality—the act of “walking together”—is not just a new program for the parish to implement. It is the very nature of who we are as a church.
The “decentered” leader
For many of us, the hardest part of this shift is letting go of the need to be the “expert” at the front of the room. Sr. Nathalie suggests that we get comfortable with “decentering.” This means our primary role is to be “one among others in the People of God.”
When we decenter ourselves, we create space for the Holy Spirit to act as the true teacher. We begin to recognize that every seeker brings with them a wealth of Spirit-led insight, even if they cannot name it as such. Our job is to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of their experience and listen intently to what the Holy Spirit has been saying to the seeker before we start trying to “explain” the faith to them.
When we decenter ourselves, we create space for the Holy Spirit to act as the true teacher.
From content to process
In a synodal catechumenate, the “primary text” is the seeker’s full and active participation in the liturgy of the church. Through that participation, they encounter the full mystery of Christ in the Sunday scriptures, the community’s worship over the course of the liturgical year, and their own Spirit-led life story.
Sr. Nathalie pointed to the Road to Emmaus as our paradigmatic image for this work. Think about how Jesus approached the disciples:
- He didn’t start by lecturing them.
- He started by walking with them.
- He started by asking them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?”
- He started by listening to their disappointment and lack of hope before he began to “break open the Word.”
Practicing the Emmaus conversation
So, how do we bring this synodal spirit into our formation process? Sr. Nathalie suggests a simple “Emmaus conversation.” Instead of a top-down lecture, try pairing your seekers and team members for a dialogue focused on four questions:
- What did I experience? (Attending to reality)
- What touched or resonated with me? (Attending to the heart)
- What did I learn? (The takeaway)
- How is the Spirit moving me? (Discerning the path forward)
When we move from being experts-up-front to being companions-walking-together, we give our seekers the confidence and courage to act as missionary disciples.
The vision of a “bruised” church
What would happen if we truly embraced this shift? We might worry that our ministry will look a little more disorganized or a little messier. But Pope Francis often reminded us that it is better to have a “bruised” church that is out on the streets than an “ill” church that is closed in on itself.
When we move from being experts-up-front to being companions-walking-together, we give our seekers the confidence and courage to act as missionary disciples. We start to trust that seekers will learn how to live and share the gospel when we listen, discern, and walk together.
Share your challenge
What is one “classroom habit” you are trying to leave behind this year to become a better companion on the road? Share your goal in the comments. Your courage might be exactly what another catechumenate leader needs to hear today.
