Laudate Deum published and Synod of Bishops held in October

Front of Motherhouse on St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL. 

While last month’s Musings blog dealt with events held locally, this month I reflect on two significant happenings in the worldwide Catholic Church that took place in October: Pope Francis publishing an apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum, on Oct. 4th, and the Synod on Synodality held at the Vatican from Oct. 4-29.

Our congregation, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, FL, has a mission of union and reconciliation. We foster our own union with God and with the Dear Neighbor, and the union of the Dear Neighbor with God and one another, something we call the total double union. As daughters of the Church, we are faithful to Church teachings, recognizing that Care for God’s Creation is one of the tenets of Catholic social teaching. Pope Francis invites all of us in Laudate Deum to join others in “a pilgrimage of reconciliation with the world that is our home.” (LD,#69) With the publishing of Laudate Deum on the environmental crisis, as well as the pope’s formerly planned attendance (he had to cancel due to ill health) at COP(Conference of the Parties) 28, the UN Climate Change conference in Dubai, Nov. 30-Dec. 12, he demonstrates his sense of urgency to help preserve life on our earth for future generations. In 2021 our Congregation made a commitment to participate in the Church’s worldwide Laudato Si’ Action Platform, which is a seven-year journey towards integral ecology.

Infographic provided by the Vatican on Laudato Deum apostolic exhortation. 

The second significant event last month was the Church’s Synod of Bishops held at the Vatican from Oct. 4-29. The process used in this synod, which involved a lot of listening and dialogue and sharing, was quite similar to the processes that we have used as women Religious many years for planning and decision-making. Another unique aspect of the synod was the inclusion of lay men and women and consecrated Religious as participants. There is a 41-page summary of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops First Session, called “A Synodal Church in Mission - Synthesis Report,” that you can find on-line in various languages.

With the Advent season beginning the first weekend of December, this might be a good time to read Laudate Deum (which can also be found on-line) in a contemplative spirit, and to reflect not just on our relationship with God and the Dear Neighbor, but also on our relationship with creation, and for the gift of wisdom to know how to preserve the beauty of creation for future generations.

Madonna and child statue from St. Joseph Neighborhood Center.