Dear St. Paul Family and Friends,

Many times in the past, I mentioned that we are one with the Universal Church in the Synod on Synodality. For the past two months, members of our listening team have been engaging several individuals and groups in dialogue and conversation regarding their spiritual journey and their experience of the Church. We are now entering into the second phase of our listening session – the parish level.

The logo above provides a visual of what the synod aims to do. You can see a large, majestic tree, full of wisdom and light, reaching for the sky - a sign of deep vitality and hope which expresses the cross of Christ. It carries the Eucharist, which shines like the sun. The horizontal branches, opened like hands or wings, suggest, at the same time, the Holy Spirit.

The people of God are not static: they are on the move, in direct reference to the etymology of the word synod, which means "walking together." The people are united by the same common dynamic that this Tree of Life breathes into them, from which they begin their walk. The 15 silhouettes sum up our entire humanity in its diversity of life situations of generations and origins. This aspect is reinforced by the multiplicity of bright colors which are themselves signs of joy. There is no hierarchy between these people who are all on the same footing: young, old, men, women, teenagers, children, lay people, religious, parents, couples, singles; the bishop and the nun are not in front of them, but among them. Quite naturally, children and then adolescents open their walk, in reference to these words of Jesus in the Gospel:" I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.” (Mt. 11, 25)

The horizontal baseline: "For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission” runs from left to right in the direction of this march, underlining and strengthening it, to end with the title "Synod 2021 - 2023," the high point that synthesizes the whole.

By convoking this Synod, Pope Francis calls on all the baptized to participate for “they are the living voice of the People of God.” At the same time, in order to participate fully in the act of discerning, it is important to hear the voices of other people in their local context, including people who have left the practice of the faith, people of other faith traditions, people of no religious belief.

Thus, I invite you to share with us your thoughts on the questions that we shall be publishing for four consecutive weeks beginning today. Please turn to pages 9 & 10. Please share the same questions to your family, friends and everyone you know.

Thank you.