What comes next?

To the People of God in the Diocese of Brownsville,

Together with Catholic Dioceses throughout the world, the Diocese of Brownsville recently concluded its synodal consultative sessions in the parishes and missions, schools, and other centers of pastoral activity within the Diocese. I am grateful for the generous work and missionary zeal of the pastors, delegates, and many volunteers that organized and participated in the listening sessions. Your voices and input have helped illuminate our discernment and have contributed to how we, as a diocesan church, can better hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in the prayerful voices of our people. Our parishes, missions, schools, religious communities, and apostolic movements reported consulting over 8,600 people since we began this journey in October 2021.

After the local parish and mission consultations, teams of delegates prepared syntheses of parish and mission church consultations, and these in turn were the basis for a diocesan synthesis of the consultative voices who participated. It is with great joy, therefore, that I share this diocesan synthesis report of the diocesan consultations with the whole diocese. The synthesis has been prepared in both English and Spanish. The diocesan synthesis is a tangible sign and fruit of our synodal journey of prayer, listening, and dialoguing together. This document, together with the syntheses generated in local parishes, can aid in our local discernment moving forward.

The many occasions for listening within the diocese during the consultative phase have served as moments of encounter with the Lord and with one another in a spirit of respect and attentiveness. This, in turn, has initiated important conversations on many levels of the local Church. What comes through most clearly is the great desire of our people to work together to heal what wounds have afflicted us, and to become more effective signs of the presence of Christ in our communities. There is also a great desire to work together, despite our differences, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, for a renewed vigor in the evangelizing and teaching mission that Christ Himself has entrusted to us.    

This synodal journey is not concluded, rather it now enters a new phase. An ongoing challenge for us is to continue efforts to reach out to those who were not reached during our first synodal consultations. There are still many who feel distant or exiled from the Church; we must continue to invite their participation. The stronger we are in our communion with one another and our communion with the Lord Jesus, the stronger we are in the grace God gives us to fulfill the mission he gives us.

The next phase of the synodal work will involve a discernment about the priorities that have emerged from the local synod, and then how best to practically address them. Some hopes and needs expressed in the local consultations can be addressed by individuals and families, while others can be most effectively addressed at the parish, deanery, or diocesan level of the Church. Deciding about these matters will require prayer and continued consultation. Our response to these needs and hopes will rely on the Lord and his generosity and on our common efforts to work together in parishes, deaneries, and on the diocesan level to address the challenges our times present to us.

With the publication of this diocesan report, I invite parishes and missions, schools and centers of pastoral activity, clergy, laity and religious to continue to pray and dialogue about how to address our local challenges, and to reflect, and discern about the future we chart together as the Church of the Rio Grande Valley. I urge that our reflections together always be accompanied by frequent meditation on the Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, so that our hearts may be animated with the desires that animate the heart of Christ. And I ask everyone to pray that our way forward as a People of God in the Rio Grande Valley will be always marked by a deep love and fidelity to the Lord Jesus Himself.

In the coming months, clergy and diocesan leaders, and consultative groups will gather to discern the priorities from the synthesis of consultations. On October 15, 2022, synod delegates will gather with myself and others to consider the response to and implementation of the diocesan synodal action. Parishes and missions are invited to engage in a similar discernment about how they will respond to their local findings and implement a pastoral way forward.

Let us continue to journey together towards deeper communion, fuller participation, and greater zeal in fulfilling our mission in our part of the world.

In Christ the Lord,

Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores, S.T.D.

Bishop of Brownsville

(To read the diocesan synthesis report visit https://www.cdobsynod.org)