A synodal Church is a path along which the People of God walk or journey together to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston collected 385 synodal listening session reports and 502 online contributions, Oct. 2021–April 2022, totaling 515,000 words from 8,900 participants coming from 83% of our parishes.

The purpose was for the faithful to reflect upon Pope Francis’ call for the Church to invoke the Holy Spirit to guide Her into deeper communion and participation in life in Christ, and commitment to the Church’s evangelizing mission.

The Galveston-Houston Synodal Report includes the processes and milestones, turning points, and spiritual dimensions that were present. It is followed by a summary of reflections on our joint experiences, a shared responsibility to proclaim the Gospel, pivotal moments of inclusion, subconscious patterns of exclusion, companions on the journey, the Holy Spirit at work, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and concludes with pathways that may be open for the Church in its quest to journey together as a synodal Church moving forward.

To read the full report, please download your pdf copy form here.

Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan

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Are spirit-filled faith, credible witnesses, and openness of heart challenging areas in your parish or a source of a great opportunity? The answer is YES!

Do you know which practices and ministries at your parish contribute to feelings of belonging and belief? As a Parish Pastoral Council, are you contemplating these questions and struggling to develop a pastoral plan that guides your parish in living lives of discipleship and stewardship? The answers and support are here.

Get excited to create a vision for your parish where people have fallen in love with Christ and from whom love flows out into the community. Imagine the transformation and vibrancy in your community if parishioners were truly friends, living a spirituality of communion, with one another.

The archdiocese has an intentional way of planning, beginning with crafting Pastoral Plans, summary documents indicating the key pastoral priorities for our communities.

In its most recent version, the Archdiocesan Plan features the importance of implementing pastoral initiatives related to

1) Respect and overcoming abuse.
2) Inclusion and overcoming racism.
3) Incorporating a "family lens" across the ministries in our Church.

Download your copy of the plan here

Now, let’s get started forming the vision for your parish!

 Would you like to know Why Planning is necessary for your parish?

Check here for the elements needed for Putting Your Parish Plan Together

See How Planning is Happening in other parishes.

Feel free to come to us with any questions you have; We Are Here to Help.

For more information and to get started with your planning process today, Contact Us.

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