Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Saturday, March 12, 2022, our parish host a synod with two listening sessions, one in English from 9:30 AM to 12 PM and one in Spanish from 2:30 PM to 5 PM. A synod is a gathering of bishops that discuss important issues for the life of the Church.

This comes at the request of Archbishop Jose Gomez, who is responding to the ‘Synod on Synodality’ opened by Pope Francis on October 10, 2021. Pope Francis is inviting the whole Church to reflect on our relationship with Christ, our communion with Him and His Church, and how we participate in Christ’s mission.

Each session for the synod will include fellowship, prayer and small group discussions. The reports of these discussions will be submitted to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, then to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), then finally to the assembly of bishops in Rome in October 2023.

This is a great opportunity for our parish to listen to each other, and to hear what God is saying to each of us. We are invited to share both of our positive and negative experiences as Catholics. We are invited to discern, with the help of the Holy Spirit, how we, as a parish, can “journey together” more fully in the coming years. You can learn more about the Synod at: synod.lacatholics.org

All adults, who are at least 19 years old, are invited to attend. If you would like to participate, please ask for a form from one of our parish personnel or you can find the application form below this message. Applications must be submitted by Monday, March 7, 2022 at 6 PM.

Our sessions are only in-person. Only applicants and adults will be allowed to participate on March 12th. We will not be able to accept non-applicants and we cannot take care of children at the sessions.  

Participation in the synod will require observance of the COVID-19 protocols as outlined by the Los Angeles County Department of Health. Masks must be worn at all times. 

We hope that you will be able to participate in our synod, as we all grow in our relationship with Jesus and His Church, and participate in our common mission to proclaim the Gospel. May Our Lady intercede for us and Christ bless us!

In Christ,
Fr. Larry Darnell, OMV
Pastor of St. Peter Chanel parish.

Archbishop Jose Gomez asks us, in general, to think about three things: 

• Our relationship with Christ 
• Our communion with Him in His Church 
• How we participate in His mission

• Introduction (10 minutes) 
• Gospel Reading of Luke 24:13-35 (The Road to Emmaus) (5 minutes) 
• Small Group Discussions 
  • What verse struck you and why (15 minutes) 
  • Three questions will be asked (25 minutes) 
    • How have we “journeyed together” as a Church (as a parish) in recent years?
    • Please give concrete examples of fruitful experiences, as well as examples of what hindered our journeying together.
    • We invite you to share positive experiences and to bring to light challenging and negative experiences. 
• Break (10 minutes) 
• Continue Small Group Discussions, three new questions will be asked  (35 minutes) 
  • How might the Holy Spirit be inviting our Church (our parish) to “journey together” more fully in the coming years? 
  • What are your hopes for the Church (our parish) to live in deeper unity, to promote participation, and to proclaim the Gospel? 
  • What are some concrete examples? 
• Note-takers, who have been listening to and summarizing the sharings of the small group, will read the Summary Forms (35 minutes). 
• Closing the session (5 minutes)