With the Blessed Virgin Mary towards
the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

Mary, the mother of God, is always with us on the synodal path, for she is also ‘Mother of the Church’ (Mater Ecclesiae); mother of all those who are companions and disciples of her son. Whenever we are feeling lost, confused, or hesitant about the way, we only have to look to her to point out the way. Mary does not speak. She does not need to. She only needs to direct our gaze to her son. In her wordless gesture, she sums up the whole mission of the Church. Even when the People of God are ‘in via’—on the journey—they are always in mission. The two cannot be separated, for there is but one way and one object of our desire, one source of our life and our hope: Jesus Christ.
(Towards a spirituality for synodality, p.45)

What to keep in mind when planning the celebration

With respect to the conduct of the prayer time, each reality will be able to arrange it autonomously, bearing in mind that

a) it will have to be a prayer for the Synodal Process, in order to make the People of God aware of the importance of the Process underway and to exhort the Faithful to accompany it with prayer,

b) it shall place the entire Synodal Process of the Church, especially the work of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, under the specific protection of Our Lady,

c) it must include the participation of the various ecclesial vocations (lay, priestly, consecrated life).

Shrines who have adhered

Resources

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