On March 20, 2024, the Religious Formation Conference (RFC) and the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) sponsored a synodal consultation for formation and vocation ministers. 256 registered for the event and 105 participated. Participants are current members of the NRVC and RFC from around the United States, Bangladesh, Canada, Peru, and Singapore, including brothers, sisters, religious priests, and lay ecclesial ministers. The religious institutes represented were apostolic, cloistered, evangelical, missionary, monastic, and societies of apostolic life. The consultation took place for 1.5 hours in the evening by Zoom.
After a welcome and opening prayer, Sister Teresa Maya, CCVI offered brief input on synodality. Two rounds of small breakout group listening circles ensued before a closing prayer concluded the session.
The first breakout was asked to reflect on the following two questions:
- How can we be a synodal Church in mission and help all the baptized to respond to the call to proclaim the Gospel and to live as a community of love and mercy in Christ?
- How does our mission and ministry of accompaniment inform the Synodal journey?
The second breakout was asked to reflect on the following two questions:
- Through our unique lens as formation and vocation ministers, what does this perspective offer the Church in this Synodal moment?
- What tools/recommendations might we employ to better equip and serve God’s people?
Each breakout group of 4-5 people was encouraged to report themes from their conversations in the chat field. These notes make up the input offered in the report below.
