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Fifty Years of Living the Catholic Faith: Reflecting on the Lord’s Faithfulness in Building a Synodal Church for Evangelisation

A lot has happened during the past fifty years. Think about it. Five decades ago, there was no internet, no social media, and very few had TVs in their home. Five decades ago, you had a church but no building; your church was an outstation, not yet a parish. You had a handful of church members, not a multitude. 

A parish’s life over five decades is undoubtedly not a straight line. I am almost certain there have been joys and sorrows, pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Throughout the changing seasons of your parish history, the Lord has been working quietly behind the scenes. Thanks to his faithfulness, you have survived. Here we are, still believing, still praying, and still trying to practice the Catholic faith. The Lord has been faithful – not because we have been perfect, but because that is his nature. He is faithful to the end.

As we reflect deeply on how far we have come as a community of faith, we hear the Lord inviting us to become a synodal parish – a people who walk together, listen to the Spirit, and go out to share the Gospel.

Journeying Together – From Maintenance to Mission

The word “synod” derives from the two Greek words, “syn,” meaning “together,” and “hodos,” meaning “road” or “way.” Thus, synod literally means “together on the road.” A parish is therefore a place where people “come together” to discern the ways of the Lord and to follow him on the path that leads to salvation.

The Synod of Bishops was established by Pope Paul VI on September 15, 1965, via the Motu Proprio Apostolica Sollicitudo to foster communion among the various local churches. Pope Francis deepened the understanding of synodality through the “Synod on Synodality,” which had as a theme, “For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The whole process allowed bishops of various local churches to listen to the faithful on the “road” with Christ. It brought a new perspective on what it means to be a church.  A synodal Church is not solely a gathering of bishops in an exclusive meeting; it is the coming together of the entire Church to listen to each other and to the Holy Spirit, and to follow Christ as missionary disciples. “Synodality is the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity. Oriented towards mission, synodality involves gathering at all levels of the Church for mutual listening, dialogue, and community discernment” (Francis, XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, No 28).

Over the past fifty years, you have seen the rise of lay ministers, pastoral councils, youth groups, and devotional societies. You have engaged in charitable work and outreach programmes. You have experienced the ministries and services of different members of the clergy. Some lay faithful have been attracted to join you; others also have left because they did not feel at home. In all these activities and movements within the church, the Holy Spirit is saying something to us. It is time to pause and listen. A synodal Church for evangelisation means everyone baptised has a role – not just the pastor, not just the committee, but every single one of us.

Pope Francis writes, “I dream of a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything” (EG 27).  After fifty years, the Lord has not led you this far to retire. He has led you here to launch out. A synodal Church is not a closed circle; it is a door open to the world. In this regard, synodality is both a mission and at the service of mission.

A Church for Evangelisation

The term evangelisation derives from the Greek euangelizesthai, meaning “to bring good news.” It refers to the act of spreading or preaching the Gospel, or “good news” of salvation in Jesus Christ. Pope Paul VI affirmed, “The Church exists in order to evangelise” (EN 14).

Speaking at the 8th World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado, Pope John Paul II exhorted, “Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops. Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern ‘metropolis.’ It is you who must ‘go out into the byroads’ and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father.”

In a similar vein, Pope Francis writes, “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security” (EG 49). He goes ahead to remind us that we are all missionary disciples – “Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelisation…Every Christian is a missionary…we no longer say that we are ‘disciples’ and ‘missionaries,’ but rather that we are always ‘missionary disciples’” (EG 120). 

Connection between Synodality and Evangelisation

The early Christian community provides us with a model of a synodal church that evangelises. In Acts 1:14, we read: “All these with homothumadon (one mind, one purpose, common consent) devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” The sense of unity filled the community. We are further told in Acts 2:44 that they were together and had all things in common (koinos), i.e., they shared equitably. The consequential impact of such a community in relation to evangelisation is brought to the fore in Acts 2:47b, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” A life of synodal witnessing draws others to the Church. 

Conclusion

In deepening our reflection on synodality, one can discern that the Lord is asking us to move from merely maintaining the institutional Church to becoming a missionary community that listens and reaches out.

Some outstations started like yours but could not survive the storms of history. Glory to God, you survived! It is becoming evident that the future of any Christian community is synodal – we must walk together if we are to make any impact in evangelisation. God has prepared you for this moment, for a synodal journey. As we look back with gratitude, let us also look forward with hope. The same Lord who carried us through five decades is now calling us to forge ahead as a synodal community of faith and express the bond that unites us in acts of evangelisation. Fifty years is not the finish line. It is the new starting line. Let’s walk it together.

Fr. Andrews Aboagye Obeng, SVD