Prayer Urged for National Synodal Assembly

With the National Synodal Assembly taking place just over a week away, the Church in Ireland is being invited to pray, reflect and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as delegates prepare to gather in Gormanston, Co Meath, on Saturday, 17 October.

The Assembly will bring together nominated delegates from across the country to consider the fruits of five years of prayer, listening and discernment through the Irish Synodal Pathway.

A key resource for the Assembly is the Working Document, ‘Is not this what God asks of you?’, which brings together proposals developed through the seven national Working Groups. The document will provide the basis for prayer, conversation, discernment and deliberation when delegates gather.

The invitation is for the whole Church to engage with the document, not simply by reading it, but by praying with it and reflecting on the question that has accompanied the Synodal Pathway since 2021: “What does God want from the Church in Ireland at this time?”

Parishes are encouraged to pray for an openness to the Holy Spirit for those gathering in Gormanston, for communities engaging with the Working Document and preparing their delegates, for the National Synodal Team and for the bishops of Ireland.

The Assembly marks the culmination of the five-year Irish Synodal Pathway, while also opening a new stage in the Church’s synodal journey. Recommendations emerging from the gathering will be received and discerned by the bishops of Ireland as they consider how the fruits of the process can be carried forward in the life and mission of the Church.

Cardinal Grech, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod, has accepted an invitation to join
delegates at the assembly in Co. Meath. The Maltese cardinal, a former Bishop of Gozo, oversaw the Synod on Synodality in Rome, which concluded in October 2024. His presence is expected to lend significant
weight to the assembly as the Irish Church weighs how the Synod’s conclusions will be implemented at home.

As 17 October approaches, everyone across the Church in Ireland is encouraged to take part through prayer, reflection and discernment.

Below is a prayer has been prepared by the Archdiocese of Dublin ahead of the assembly.

Lord Jesus,
You have called us together through Baptism and faith.
Make us a Church that proclaims your Gospel,
accompanies all who seek you,
heals the wounded,
walks with people on their journey,
and empowers all the baptised to share in your mission.
Guide the National Synodal Assembly and all who participate in it.
May we listen to one another,
discern your will,
and courageously follow where your Spirit leads.
Amen.