Synodality and Students
Embracing Change: My Journey into Synodality
During Christmas 2022, I returned to Rotterdam after working in Belgium for a while. That same week, my superior asked me whether I could join the Dutch delegation as a representative of the religious communities at the European Continental meeting in Prague. I must admit that up to that time, I was aware of the synod on Synodality-process, but had had little to do with due to other responsibilities I had in the Order of Preachers. While unpacking my moving boxes - Dominicans seem to move whole libraries when they move - I tried to read up on the synodal process as best as possible and tried to get hold of some experts before setting off to Prague. It all felt very rushed. I met the other delegates only on the airplane. We read the final synthesis reports and had our initial discussions even as the plane descended towards Prague Airport.
The continental meeting was an impressive gathering of representatives from all over Europe. However, young people were missing as this meeting occurred during the academic term. That was a significant and costly omission because it affected the credibility of the whole process and the church itself. Young people are not just a promise of the church's future but part of the church today. Looking through the national reports again, I noticed how the voices of young people were also missing. Hence, I started to wonder how I could use the fantastic experience of Synodality I had in Prague to involve more young people back home.
Students and the Power of Dialogue: Connecting with Different Perspectives
Upon my return, I shared my experiences and observations with fellow friars involved in the international student chaplaincy in Rotterdam. The local bishop created the chaplaincy to reach out to English-speaking students and young professionals, and has been in the care of the Dominicans since 2019. On Sunday at 18:00, the main mass is attended by well over 180 young people.
The friars decided that it would be worthwhile to get our student community ready to participate in the Second Phase, early 2024, of the consultations. But to do so, we first had to train the community in the method of synodal conversations. To do that, we first had to train ourselves to have such discussions, which are very different from our regular community meetings and conversations.
We decided to organise three meetings in October using the conversation sheets of the Instrumentum Laboris. On the one hand, this demonstrated to the students the transparency of the process; on the other hand, it gave them a relatable experience of the discussions in Rome. Our method would be the method of the spiritual conversation described in the instrumentum. We also decided that on the first evening, we would give a small introduction to the history of Synodality, and on the second evening a small introduction to the work of the Holy Spirit according to the documents of the Second Vatican Council.
That first evening, five students showed up. On the second evening, there were 15. On the final evening, we had 22 students who enthusiastically participated—seeing how the most sceptical participants from the first session became its most ardent defenders in the evaluation after the third session was heartening. It turned out that a fear of church politics and polarisation had driven their initial scepticism. Instead, they experienced a deep conversion and new connection with their fellow believers.
Synodality beyond the Synod
One of the most surprising outcomes of these evenings was a joint call for more formation in the faith in combination with a longing to be a more missionary community in the world. More interestingly, the call was not directed to the participants in Rome or us friars in Rotterdam but to each other. Instead of waiting for others to ‘create’ a more missionary church, the students discovered the power of their baptism and confirmation, namely that they can already start to deepen their faith and take action.
Our students also learned that disagreements do not necessarily have to lead to divisions or worse. The respect with which they responded to the testimonies of those with whom they disagreed was moving and healing. It reminded me how much the church as a whole needs such healing. We ended the final evening with some monastic beers and a group evaluation. The students liked the experience and look forward to the next phase.
As I write these words, some students have started volunteering in the city. We noticed an increase in those asking for the sacraments, and we welcome more visitors to our Friday evening Taizé prayers or Adoration. Furthermore, the course on Spirituality and Catholic Social Teaching is well-attended. It seems to me that there are many benefits for local churches when they realise the positive impact synodality beyond the synod could have on the presence and mission of the church in their local communities.
Dr. Richard Steenvoorde O.P. STD has recently been appointed as a Professor of Christian Philosophy at the Erasmus School of Philosophy of Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He holds degrees in theology from the Angelicum, Oxford University, and KU Leuven. He works and lives in the Dominican community of Rotterdam.