The Path Ahead: Journeying Together Through 2022

Thursday 6th January 2022

As the Christmas season draws to a close and we begin to look at what the new year might have in store, 2022 is shaping up to be a very formative year as we continue our diocesan journey.

The word Catholics across the globe are thinking about this year is undoubtedly the word “synod.” Last year, Pope Francis launched a two-year Universal Synod, taking place in every Catholic diocese around the world.

With the theme of “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission”, this process calls on all of us think, pray, and discuss; to discern what the Holy Spirit is telling us, what kind of Church God is calling us to be, and how we can better reach out to the margins, engage with all people and groups in our society, so we can continue our journey of faith together.

As part of this process, the Holy Father has asked us to consider and answer a set of 10 questions about the church today. You can view the questions here.

In tandem with the Universal Synod, Bishop John has also announced a Diocesan Synod, inviting us to reflect on the work of our diocese and consider how God is calling us to build His Church on a local level.

To find out more about how to get involved with the Synod, please click here.

Increasing connectivity and building relationships has long been a key focus for our diocese through our Hope in the Future programme, which will be continuing the roll-out of Stage Four of the programme in 2022.

Launched in October last year, Stage Four – entitled ‘Proclaiming the Good News’ – encourages us to think of ourselves as missionary disciples; to become ambassadors for the Church by sharing God’s love, and proclaiming the Gospel through lives of kindness, generosity, and hard work.

Click here to get the latest on our Hope in the Future Programme.

Engaging The Young

The last two years has without doubt impacted on our faith lives, particularly for young Catholics who may have been unable to connect with the Church in ways they have before. However, we’re delighted to announce the return of key diocesan and global events, including World Youth Day, and our pilgrimages to Lourdes and Walsingham.

World Youth Day 2023 is set to take place between 1-6 August 2023 in Lisbon. Young adults aged between 16 and 30 years of age (by June 2023) are invited to join the Salford Diocesan Youth team in Portugal to greet our Pope and celebrate with like-minded young adults. You can register your interest now by clicking here.

Pilgrimages

We are also delighted to announce the return of our annual pilgrimage to Walsingham. This is due to take place on Saturday 7 May 2022. Further details will follow, so please keep an eye on our website and social media channels. Our Lourdes Pilgrimage Team is also hopeful that the pilgrimage will return this year, so please follow us on social media and check our website pages for any updates.

Dates for your Diary

In addition to these key events, we have a number of opportunities for you to join us either in person or online for a wide range of events. From finding out more about the Synod, to getting involved with our Hope in the Future Programme, to other events to help you on your faith journey, we hope to welcome you to one of our upcoming events very soon.

Find out more about what’s on and register your interest now by visiting our What’s On page.

Tagged | Bishop John | Catholic Church | Diocese | Events | Hope in the Future | Lourdes | Synod