Are you, or are people in your session, someone who has left the institutional church, or perhaps does not consider themselves Christian or a follower of religion?

The call for voices to participate in this Synod includes all people of God, including other faiths, and all the baptized, including people who have left formal religion, and people ‘on the margins’ such as those whose lives are supported or affected by the actions and decisions of Catholics even if they themselves are not Catholic.

For this reason, we have developed an alternative guide and set of questions that are similar but don’t fold faith practices as deeply into the process. In our experience, the regular guide (found here: Listening Session Resources,) still works well for people who are Christian but not Catholic, and people who are spiritual and comfortable with Christian prayer, but not formally religious. The alternative guide is for situations where prayer is uncomfortable for the participant, or there is not a sense of having a relationship with God, or the participant practices a non-Christian faith.

All participants are encouraged to share what their unique perspective is, and what they bring to a discussion of how to journey together. For example, someone might bring a way they’ve been harmed. Someone might bring a way they’ve tried to connect with people of faith but couldn’t or reasons why they don’t want to. Someone might bring observations from their own faith that they feel could help people to live together in greater harmony. Someone might bring ways they find spiritual nourishment outside of formal religion.

How to Participate:

1. Gather a group of two to six people together and conduct a listening session using the guides below.
2. Appoint someone from your group to take lots of notes on your session. The session will take about an hour to an hour and a half.
3. Once you’re done, send the notes via email to [email protected].

Please complete and send listening session notes or reports to us by May 15th, 2022.

OR: Contact [email protected] and let us know you’d like to participate in a listening session over zoom, facilitated by one of our volunteers.

OR: Use the Written Response Guide with Alternative Questions at the bottom of this page to send us your thoughts over email.

The first file below is a colorful pdf that is useful for zoom gatherings. The second file is the same but without the pictures, and may be more helpful for in person gatherings. The third file is a Word document that can be used to provide a written response instead of holding a listening session.