Dear Parishioners,

IHM has a role this year and next year leading up to the 2023 Synod on Synodality. It was announced by the Vatican in May 2021 concerning this world synod. The theme for the Synod will be:

Towards a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission

The objective for this year and next is for me to listen to you, to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church. All diocesan parishes will be doing the same all throughout the world!

The listening sessions for the SYNOD ON SYNODALITY at IHM are being scheduled at this time. Our first listening session will be after the 8:00am Mass on Monday, December 13, 2021, in the Church Hall. Diane O’Neill has been trained to lead these sessions. All are welcome to attend, but only with an RSVP. There will be a limited attendance at this session as the church hall can only seat forty-eight people. The sessions can be one-hour to one and a half hours in length.

Please RSVP to Julie Bowling in the parish office, jbowling@ihmcfo.org or (330) 929-8361.

Future meetings for parishioners will be scheduled after several different weekend Masses in January. Stay tuned for those opportunities in which you can participate.

During the months of December and January, I will lead listening sessions with Diane O’Neill for our parish and school staffs, Parish Council, and Finance Council members.

So, what is being produced at these sessions? It is your “voice” expressing prayer-guided hope-filled thoughts, impressions, and opinions of what our CHURCH is called to be. Pope Francis is interested in you and your “voice of hope” about the church.

Most importantly, these sessions ARE NOT MEANT TO BE COMPLAINT SESSIONS, nor are these sessions meant to have “cross-talk.” Each “voice” will be listened too and recorded.

Many blessings,
Father Jim