From St Mary of the Angels Church in Singapore, they have created a synod hymn that is vibrant, dynamic and emphasises in the text the journey of love that the synodal journey takes us on without ignoring the difficulties. The song includes 8 languages, including sign language. As many as 9 communities participate cohesively in the initiative, where the theme of Synod 21-23 resonates.
Ranjith Kumar of St. Mary of the Angels Church, Singapore, a shipbuilder by profession, is the author of the hymn. “I was deeply impressed by our Holy Father’s intention towards this Synod. And as a facilitator of the Synod, I was even more moved by listening to the people and their thoughts guided by our Holy Spirit,” says the composer. This led him to compose a song that would involve the entire community.
He tells us: “We parishioners came together to create a universal synod hymn called ‘Walking Together’. The song presents the faithful joining hands, enjoying the diversity of languages, cultures and regions, and becoming one family. Sung in eight languages – English, Mandarin, Tamil, Sinhala, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesian, Malayalam and German – different communities, including the deaf, joined in song, celebrating unity in preparing our Church for generations to come.