Bishop William K. Weigand received several recommendations from the more than 400 members of the diocesan synod held in Yuba City in mid-October, with an emphasis on family faith formation, vocations, youth ministries and teaching the importance of the liturgy.

After three days of prayer, reflection and dialogue, clergy, religious and laity brought forth recommendations on seven issues they believe should be priorities for the diocese in the next several years. They are:

• Since parents are the primary educators of their children, develop programs for parents to help them teach their children about the Catholic faith.

• Increase efforts to inform and recruit more young people to the priesthood and religious life through prayer, education and invitation.

• Identify and promote welcoming activities for new parishioners, inactive Catholics and faithful parishioners, including establishing welcoming committees at parishes.

• Value and teach the importance of the Eucharist and the other sacraments.

• Start a lay formation institute which will provide a theological foundation and training for specific ministries and encourage parishioners to avail themselves of new opportunities.

• Give greater priority to the development, support and funding of youth and young adult ministries.

• Develop a plan for all parishes to have a basic understanding of all aspects of the liturgy and the sacraments as the foundation of the Catholic faith.

At the conclusion of the synod session, Bishop Weigand assured members he would study the recommendations fully and review them with attentiveness to social justice and the “multicultural reality” of the diocese. He said he would incorporate what he heard at the synod into the final document that will be published in early January.

The bishop invited synod members to return to St. Isidore Parish in Yuba City on Jan. 9, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, when the document will be presented and formally promulgated.

The bishop will also establish an implementation commission, whose responsibility will be to advise him, monitor the implementation process, and prepare for another synod session in October 2005.

He said he would name a staff person to work with him and the implementation commission to give overall direction to the synod implementation process.

In the weeks since the synod session, clergy, religious and laity have had time to reflect on the process and its outcomes, including their hopes for implementing the recommendations on which they reached consensus.

Mercy Sister Katherine Doyle, who served on the board of moderators at the synod, said the recommendations that emerged “are a wonderful start, but we have to be in a continual stance of reflecting on our pastoral and theological experience so that the work of the synod gives us a real sense of where we are as a local church.”

“I would have liked to have seen us be able to express both the internal and external dimensions of the church’s mission,” she added, “but I hope if we react to these internal church concerns it will compel us out into the world and society, particularly in the areas of justice and solidarity with those who are most in need.”

Earl Parker, a synod member from St. Joseph Parish in Vacaville, said he has “a lot of optimism” that the work of the synod “will help us focus on the key concerns and needs of our local church.”

“This is the beginning for a better dialogue between clergy and laity,” he said. “What will come forth from our bishop will be a road map that will guide us in the future and give us some better capabilities to serve the needs of all of our parishes.”

Parker views the final synod document to come in January as “a living document” which will have “to be fleshed out and acted on by each of us by working together in the coming years.”

Kay Skonieczny of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Sacramento said the synod exceeded her expectations “not necessarily in the outcome but in the experience of the broader church.”

“Many individuals expressed a strong desire to remain committed to a Vatican II vision of church,” she noted. “I was encouraged to find among the many people I met a determination to make our parishes places of vibrant liturgy, welcoming, inclusive hospitality, and meaningful adult spiritual formation.”

Though not mentioned in the recommendations, Skonieczny was also inspired “by the many people I spoke with who had a strong sense of justice and concern for the poor and vulnerable among us.”

Ellen McBride of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Vallejo said she would have preferred that the draft document members received prior to the synod included a specific section on social justice, as well as some of the stated concerns of parish life, catechesis, evangelization and collaborative ministry.

“My hope is that the bishop will take our recommendations, integrate a social justice dimension, and form them in a global, yet practical manner for parishes to act on,” she said. “It’s a difficult job to lead this incredibly diverse diocese forward, acknowledging that the gamut of the practice of our faith is also diverse.”

Dennis Purificacion, an at-large member representing the concerns of youth and young adults, said he was pleased some of the recommendations focused on expanding youth ministries, providing more information to youth about religious vocations and teaching young people about the liturgy and the sacraments.

“Among young people there is a thirst to learn more about Catholic spirituality and the liturgy, and this will be a good source of renewing the faith life in parishes,” he said.

Father Jonathan Molina, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Elk Grove, said youth, young adults and parents were a major focus of his comments during the synod session.

“Parents are the first educators of the faith to their children and partners with us in religious education,” he said. “If this is emphasized, I think we will have greater success with young people staying in the church.”

Several members told The Herald that implementation of the synod recommendations will be crucial to proving to parishioners the synod process has credibility as well as to responding to the challenges the diocese faces in coming years.

“We have to keep looking at the big picture, what is good for the diocese as a whole, but also how different strategies can be formed that will work in small rural parishes, urban parishes and large suburban parishes,” said Milt Shrader of St. Joseph Parish in McCloud.

Deacon Steve Schwartz of St. John the Baptist Parish in Chico said implementation is “going to be the point where the rubber meets the road. There might be some cynicism from some clergy and laity, but the bishop’s willingness to speak strongly about implementation I think assures there will be results.”

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