People of Hope: On a journey together

People of hope:
On a journey together

The Oakland Diocese’s contribution

“We are people of hope, and our hope is found in Christ,” proclaimed a report developed by the Oakland Diocese in the interim phase of the Synod on Synodality.

In January, dioceses were asked to convene people as part of the synodal process. The listening sessions were held in Oakland at two locations in March. The report was provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which developed a synthesis of all material received to send to Rome (visit the Vatican's Synod homepage here).

Diocese of Oakland Synod participants. Photo by Dominique Mintz.

The approximately 40 participants representing 17 parishes in the diocese, 11 ethnic groups and a wide range of ages (15 to 82 years old) met at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Oakland and St. Perpetua Catholic Church in Lafayette. The sessions were facilitated by diocesan staff from the Department of Faith Formation and Evangelization and staff from the Department of Catholic Schools. 

Following the synodal themes of “communion, participation, and mission,” the sessions began with prayer. A presentation on the process included an overview of the synodal process, a review of the concepts of synodality and an explanation of the format for the sessions. 

Groups of five to six participants were asked to answer three questions:

1. Maintenance to mission 
   1A. What must parishes do to grow in our shared mission of drawing people to an encounter with Jesus and the intentional decision to follow Him in every aspect of life?
   1B. What must the diocese, together with parishes, do to grow in our shared mission of    drawing people to an encounter with Jesus and the intentional decision to follow Him in    every aspect of life? 

2. Evangelizing young people 
   How can we energize our parishes and diocese as places where young people are           evangelized and can experience Jesus in prayer, worship, service and community? 

3. Evangelization and the local community 
   How do we engage our Church community to evangelize and better serve our neighbors who are seeking a spiritual and welcoming home? 

Core team members for the process included co-chairs Father Jimmy Macalinao and Joseph Nufable, as well as Jocelyn Pierre-Antoine and Scarlett Salaverria.

The following report was dated April 1 and provided to Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ: 

Conversations in the Spirit 

Several themes emerged from the conversations that took place. They included the importance of developing a deeper understanding of the mission of the Church across all levels and cultures. Mission-related aspects included the need to learn how to form disciples, how to be a welcoming Church that loves as Jesus loves us and how to be a Church that is centered on encountering the human dignity of people in need when going to the peripheries. The leadership of pastors and priests was highlighted as needed for a successful understanding of the mission of the Church and its implementation.  

Being a welcoming Church was a prevalent theme among participants. Some mentioned that the Church needs to explore what it means to be welcoming to all, how to welcome newcomers and be able to be in relationship with them. “We need to hold diversity training to be better equipped to relate to one another” was mentioned by a participant. Also, there were several recommendations for social events to bring people together, such as free breakfasts, inspirational speakers and service projects. There was also mention of the importance of the participation of parishes in community events and the need for interreligious and ecumenical partnerships.   

A Catechesis of the Whole Family

There was a particular call for lifelong faith formation initiatives that aim for the conversion of hearts and for a Catechesis of the Whole Family that helps parents grow in their faith and be equipped in supporting their children in their faith journey. A group added that: “There is a need for strategies for retention of eighth-grade Catholic school students that graduate and confirmation candidates after they are confirmed.” Without those strategies, it is challenging to keep our youth engaged and supported.  

Bishop Barber visits with Diocesan Eucharistic Revival participants.There were rich conversations about ministering to the young people in the diocese. Young people present in the sessions expressed their deep love for their faith, that they want to lead and have their ideas represented by leadership in the Church. They also shared the challenges that they encounter: “It can be demoralizing when teens don’t feel that they can evangelize, lead and organize.” The youth present asked for the support and trust of the adults in their parishes. The need for mentorship and accompaniment for the youth was raised, as well as the importance of reaching out to them where they are, using better-suited communication strategies, such as with the use of social media. There is a clear understanding that more needs to be done to communicate and engage with the young church in the virtual spaces where they exist.  

Participants shared that young people are trying to find order through chaos and that the Church can help them in their discernment. They are asking hard questions, and the Church needs to be able to answer these questions. When accompanying the youth, the emphasis needs to be on building bridges of trust. Fostering strong relationships is required for the youth to be able to trust the answers that they receive from the Church. Participants stated that “Like Jesus, who always has His hands open to us, we need to always be available for the youth and keep the door open for them.” Parish leaders want to ensure that young people know that they can always come home to their Church and their community. 

New partnerships needed

There was also a sense that a synodal process calls for new kinds of partnerships in the sharing of gifts and talents among deaneries, among wealthy and under-resourced parishes, between parishes and schools and in the parish administration between pastors and lay leaders. A group shared that “We need to break off parochial barriers and need to work in concert with other parishes; remind people that we are people of hope.” There were concerns about the clustering and merging of parishes. A call was made for the recognition of the charisms of the laity and the invitation to cultivate those gifts in service to the Church.  

Care for the marginalized

A desire to care for the poor and the marginalized was expressed as well as the need to address the issues of racism, the pastoral care for the LGBTQ+ community and the urgency to find better ways to reach out to those who have left the Church. Minority groups, such as the Indonesian community, felt alone and isolated. There was a call for better pastoral care of ethnic Catholic groups.  

Concerns for the impacts of the sex abuse scandals were raised as something that needs to be addressed. The need to grow in the knowledge of Catholic social teaching was also recognized as a core component of the practice of the faith, as is the need to engage the youth and serve the community. Participants referred to the teachings of Pope Francis and his reminder to be a Church that is like a “field hospital” that cares for the vulnerable. “When people suffer the most, how do we respect and walk with them in difficult times?” reflected one of the groups.  

Participants in the listening sessions expressed their gratitude for being invited to participate. They remain hopeful that their contributions and experiences will continue to offer elements of discernment for the universal synodal process and applications for the local Catholic Church in the Diocese of Oakland. 

Lifelong faith formation is necessary for a healthy church, local participants in the universal Synod on Synodality process said, echoing what Catholics around the world are emphasizing. This can include diocesan programming such as the Diocesan Eucharistic Revival Congress, held in September 2023.