Diocese of Fairbanks For a Synodal Church Synthesis

Diocese of Fairbanks for a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission Synod Report

The Diocese of Fairbanks, on the behalf of the faithful who reside within it, humbly submits this report chronicling the synodal process and its findings regarding the 2021-2023 synod, For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. As all things should, the process began with a spiritual dimension relying heavily on the Holy Spirit to guide all involved and produce great fruits regarding the way in which the Spirit wants to hear from the faithful. The process in the diocese was unique because it needed to cover a rural population spreading across the 409,849 square miles of the diocese.

The diocese may be spread throughout the state of Alaska and present in small conglomerates of native communities, but that did not stop the Holy Spirit from driving participation from as many people as it could reach. The facilitation of participation in the synod process throughout the diocese was rooted in the local parishes. Each parish was equipped with a synod packet. The pages on the packet included instructions on how to conduct the synod process in the parish setting. Each listening session was to begin with prayer, the prayer recommended by the synod, as well as scriptural readings related to the themes of communion, participation, and mission. It then laid out a series of questions to help digest the larger question at hand. Parishes conducted listening sessions among the parishioners, special committees, and small groups within their community. On top of those listening sessions, the diocese also set up a means for individuals to respond to the synod if they were not comfortable attending a session amid the pandemic, or if they did not have an arranged session at their parish. Individuals had access to the same packet as parishes giving them access to the same prayers, scripture readings, and reflections. This way the diocese could maximize the synod process reach to even those on the periphery as the Holy Father has asked.
The initial response from parishes was a mix of excitement but also confusion. They did not grasp the need for a synod nor understand how their voice would play a part in the process. This was especially the case within our native parishes. Parishioners expressed concerns about participation as they are used to the elders deliberating and making decisions. They were uncertain if it was right to participate or if their participation would matter. The initial start was a bit difficult, but once parishes started to conduct listening sessions and reiterate that participation is driven by the Holy Spirit, numbers began to rise in the participants. The core piece of this process within our diocese was reminding and rereminding that we must surrender to the Holy Spirit and trust that He will guide the Church to produce what the Church needs most according to His will.

This is the background in how the Diocese of Fairbanks conducted their synod process. The next section is the synthesis of the contributions from the synod. The synthesis is broken into three parts. Each part will highlight one of the major pillars of the synod: Communion, Participation, and Mission. The views expressed are trusted to be guided under the Holy Spirit in this submission and represent not only major reoccurring themes, but also highlights issues that were expressed less, but with equal or more vigor. This is in accordance with the Holy Father’s will expressed in the preparatory documents for this process. The views expressed in this synthesis are those of the faithful within the Diocese of Fairbanks representing a diverse number of cultures, ideologies, and expressions of faith. Although different people have shared different responses to the process, one must trust that the Holy Spirit was truly guiding these responses just as one must truly trust that the Holy Spirit will guide those who review this synthesis.

COMMUNION
Communion is the first major pillar in the synod process. The act of journeying together is one that must be done in communion with the will of the Lord, with the Church, and with one another. A theme that arose in the responses is that of transparency. In order to be in communion with one another, there must be a sense of transparency. Transparency as defined in the responses is “a willing truthfulness of the Catholic church towards the people both inside and outside the institution.” Transparency leads to further communion between the members of an institution and its leadership. One way in which transparency is present in the diocese is through the communications of the bishop to his flock. In the last few years there has been a multitude of letters sent out to the faithful about diverse topics from the office of the bishop. These letters have been helpful in guiding the faithful through topics that are relevant to cultural and theological issues of today. This communication offers transparency between the shepherd and his flock to help guide the faithful towards truth and proper teaching. Responders went as far as to desire further guidance from their bishop to help them through these turbulent cultural times.

The desire for transparency when it comes to Church teachings occurred in a broader sense too. The faithful expressed that they lack certain knowledge on the “why” behind many of the church’s teachings. They lack the why for teachings of theological foundations such as the real presence of the Eucharist, the apostolic succession of the papacy, and other foundational dogmas. Where is the transparency issue here? The faithful recite the creed on Sundays, they familiarize themselves with basic prayers, and they know the various dos and don’ts of what they think it means to be a Catholic, but they do not understand the why behind all these. The why of course being the origin of the teachings, the weight of the teachings, and the context in which those teachings apply to the faithful today. On top of foundational teachings, the faithful lack transparency regarding the why of social teachings. The idea of social teaching was a great discussion among the responders in the synod. The first layer of their conversation revolved around the lack of discussion of Catholic Social Teaching in the faithful of the diocese. The faithful expressed that social issues only focused on areas such as abortion or gay marriage. Although those topics are important, there was a concern expressed that the social justice tenets of the Catholic Church are dismissed or even laughed at in some settings. This is in reference to the seven tenets of Catholic Social Teaching being seen as unimportant or even part of some “progressive agenda” even though they are recognized by the USCCB and the Catholic Church as a whole. The faithful desire transparency as to why those tenets seem to be dismissed by clergy leadership even though they stand as valid teachings.

The second layer regarding the transparency of social teaching deals with the lack of proper teachings regarding the why on certain stances regarding church issues. These issues include how the Church interacts with the LGBTQ community, how the Church address and interact with the gender crisis, and how the Church address and respond to other cultural trends that contradict core tenets of the faith. Transparency on these topics in the eyes of the faithful would look like this: better discussion and advocacy for the beauty of single life and chastity among those who identify as someone with same sex attraction, rather than simply criticizing and making that believer feel unwelcomed by the Church for their deep struggle. The reality of the situation is that among the faithful there are those who reside in the camp of following these cultural entrapments. Those members have voiced that their struggle with these issues are not ones meant to change or dissent from the Church as a whole, but they are asking deep spiritual questions that are not getting answers that quench the struggle. For example, the faithful expressed that they acknowledge the stance of the Church regarding social issues; however, the struggle arises when the faithful must wrestle with stances they might find harder to agree with. How can they come to terms with identifying as catholic, yet struggle to accept various teachings? They call for transparency desiring more conversations rooted in charity and love to guide them tenderly but firmly towards the truth, rather than simply dismissing them.

Transparency arose again in discussing the role of the priests among the faithful. On one hand, the faithful praised priests who, as the Holy Father puts it, “smells like their flock.” The faithful expressed that in certain parishes, their priest makes himself known and available to all. There is a clear sense of transparency between the priest and his parish, which helps tighten the bonds between the Church’s leadership and the Church’s faithful followers. Examples of this at work in the diocese includes house visits, birthday phone calls, the simple learning of parishioner’s names, and partaking in various cultural celebrations and traditions. These open and trusting relationships help create a fruitful community that reflects the Church journeying together.

It is true that the faithful expressed joy in the transparency with priests to build communion; however, it is also true that the faithful expressed parish communities in which the priest is distant from their parishioners. A member of the faithful shared an anecdote about a priest who is only known to the faithful on Sundays during Mass. Before and after the Mass, the priest does little to socialize and tend to his flock. The member of the faithful who submitted this anecdote shared that the lack of personability creates disinterest in the faithful, which reduces church attendances and full-on belief in the Catholic Church. The faithful yearn to be seen, to be known, and to be tended to by the leaders of their community, and when a priest becomes a figure of mystery rather than a well-known voice of the faith, the transparency the faithful seek becomes blurred and stirs a sense of distrust and disinterest in the faith they love. Personal connection is something humans innately crave, and to foster that in the leaders of the faith would surely lead to growth and reinvigoration of the faith on a global scale.

The last piece of transparency as it relates to communion has to do with the diocesan responses to abuse and scandal. The faithful made it known that they are proud of the way the diocese has managed their public relations when it comes to abuse and scandal. The faithful believe that as members of the Catholic Church, they deserve the right to know about the good and the bad happening within it. The transparency of both good and bad fosters a sense of trust that helps believers hold steadfast to their beliefs during times of turbulation. The diocese has responded to the recent revelation of Native American and First Nations abuse as transparently as they can. Native believers are pleased with the candor in which the information was investigated and released. Members who have walked away from the faith mentioned that certain scandals have led them to be distrustful of the Church, and although they are not fully reconciled with the Church, they are making progress in healing based on the way in which they see certain dioceses like Fairbanks respond to scandal within the Church. On the flip side however, the faithful made sure to point out that there is an exodus of individuals leaving the Church because they feel the Church is still covering up and hiding abuse and scandal. They fear that although the Diocese of Fairbanks may release information straight forward and honestly many other diocese and even the Vatican itself puts more effort in damage control rather than reconciliation and rebuilding.

PARTICIPATION
The second pillar of the synod is participation. A theme that arose in the responses is how the relationship between Church leadership and the faithful will either foster a healthy participation or discourage any participation at all. The responses praised the ample number of opportunities there are for participation in the church, but at the same time made it known that often churches poorly advertise them. They typically reside in the hands of a select few who are reluctant to abdicate their responsibilities or even share them with others. Those select few who hold onto the participation in church matters create a monopoly at the parish level. The faithful made it known that in their parishes, there are members who have participated in the same role for a decade or longer. Those who have those positions over that period can create as one responder put it “a silent leadership” in the parish. This silent leadership gets their way with all things parochial whether that be what projects the parish will prioritize, who is pious enough (in their opinion) to partake in liturgical stewardship roles, and even who else will hold participatory roles in the parish. This behavior is not uncommon according to the responses, and the faithful yearn for priests to step in and do something about it.

The lay faithful desire to participate. Examples in areas they wish to participate but feel discouraged include music ministry, parish councils, lectors, extraordinary ministers, hospitality, and catechists. Their discouragement stems from two areas. The first is their fear of those age-old volunteers who wish to see the parish run a certain way and refuse to step down or get help because they believe someone else will ruin their vision of what the parish should be. The second stems from a lack of invitation on the part of Church leaders. The faithful expressed in certain parishes the priest who attends them will allow the lay volunteers to run things however they want for as long as they want, appearing disinterested in the affairs of his parish. Parishioners notice this apparent disinterest and then they become disinterested in being a part of the parish in some way. Why would they speak up and offer their participation if participation is not actively encouraged in their parish? The simple act inviting somebody to be a part of something can go a long way.

The faithful expressed in different anecdotes that there have been times in their life where a member of the church community, priest, deacon, or fellow laity, has invited them to take part in something. These moments of being acknowledged, being valued, and being seen as a contributor to the community made these individuals feel a powerful sense of belonging with the Catholic Church. The sense of belonging to something goes hand in hand with the desire to participate in it. This idea was brought about when discussing the youth of the Catholic Church. People enjoy feeling like they belong to something. This sense of belonging gives them a sense of ownership which then leads to respect, care, and love for that which they are a part of. The question arises, how do we as a Church give people a sense of belonging? How do we as a Church give people a sense of ownership in their faith and in their Church? These two questions were core to the responses that arose within the theme of participation.

In response to those two questions, the faithful proposed a myriad of answers. To start with the first question, how do we give people a sense of belonging, responders suggested that the faithful must know what they belong to. We are the Catholic Church, what does that mean? This of course is unique and yet universal to everyone who answers the question. Those in our diocese who come from an Alaskan native background will answer that question differently than those cradle Catholics in a traditional “western” household will. The faithful call for a renewal of what it means to be Catholic. Clergy members who participated in the synod suggest that a great way to answer that call is through the Eucharistic Revival planned by the USCCB. This return to the kerygmatic roots of our faith will help ground Catholics from the societal issues that often cloud their faith. A reaffirming of what it means to be Catholic is needed to light a fire in the hearts of the faithful. This can be done, as responders suggest, by returning to our roots.

The second question, how do we give people a sense of ownership in their faith and in the Church was met with productive ideas as well. The faithful suggested that to have a sense of ownership would mean that one must feel they have a stake in the game. What is the game? God’s ultimate plan for salvation. How do we play? By inviting the faithful to be trusted with roles within the faith. These can take form in the means of various stewardship responsibilities. One thing highlighted that the diocese does well with participation is by hosting a Stewardship Sunday in a few of the parishes. This open house style celebration allows for members of the parish to delve into the various roles that keep the parish life alive whether that be liturgical roles, hospitality roles, or even janitorial roles. Each one is highlighted on that day and is given an opportunity to invite others to play a part in those ministries.

Stewardship is something especially valued by the younger generations of the faithful. There is a heightened awareness that arose in the responses that shows younger generations feeling they can relate to the Holy Father’s call to environmental stewardship. One younger responder shared that after reading Laudato si they felt personably responsible for the world around them. They then reflected on that call and wondered why it was missing in the parish setting. Is the Church losing young people because they do not urge them to be stewards of their faith? Stewardship gives people a sense of responsibility, and the faithful express the desire for responsibility in the Church as a whole They believe that through this responsibility they will reignite their faith and make them feel as if they own something valuable, and therefore must tend to it.

The responses of the faithful then posed a question, who is responsible for fostering a sense of stewardship among the faithful? Their answer fell into two camps. The first camp is the clergy and other members of the Church hierarchy. An older member of the faithful expressed an anecdote of his childhood. In it, he talks about how priests used to honor young boys by inviting them to be altar servers. They instilled in those young boys a sense of responsibility for what is happening during the Mass, as if without them the Mass would not be the same without them. This begs the question, are the priests of the parishes inviting their flock to participate? Are they instilling in them the notion that without them the Church would not be the same? The small act of an invitation, especially from a clergy member, goes a long way, as long as that invitation is sincere. This invitation is not one that happens during the mass announcements to all the parishioners, but rather one that happens intentionally with individuals to make them understand their unique presence and value in the community of the Church.

The second group responsible for fostering a sense of stewardship of the faith is the family. The family is fundamental in forging faith formation within the Church. The faithful expressed that the generational divide between parents and children continues to get larger. The faith one’s parents may know is not the same faith their children know. There is an emphasis from the faithful on how the family needs accountability in participating in the faith. A trend arose on how parents often will dump their children into religious education programs encouraging them to learn about the faith; however, when the parents are brought into the conversation with their children, they often do not understand the basic concepts their children learned in class. This borderline hypocrisy comes off as if the parents do not want responsibility in their children’s formation. The faithful desire a call to reinforce the beauty of the domestic church. The faithful believe that by putting more responsibility of faith formation with the family would lead to fruitful generations of Catholics to come.

MISSION
The third and final pillar of the synod is mission. The faithful’s responses brought about common themes that all related to the question: what makes being Catholic unique? The question arose during the listening sessions and the faithful produced quality answer. The first major answer to this question deals with the notion of the Church as a sanctuary. The Catholic Church is unique because it has its roots in being a sanctuary. A sanctuary as defined by the faithful is a place of refuge and safety provided through the goodness of God the Father. The faithful feel that the Church has lost its sense of sanctuary. The trend of faithful feeling as if they are not safe or welcome in the church is a sad reality. There are populations of God’s children who feel outcasted. Catholics who identify with the LGTBQ community, divorcees, single adults- to name a few- all desire to be Catholic and all desire to come to know the truth revealed through God’s revelation but are met with judgement. This judgement may not be direct. It may take the form of a homily in which a priest makes uncharitable comments towards those communities. An uncharitable comment as expressed by the faithful would be any comment that condemns something without providing a loving resource for those struggling with that which is being condemned. For example, a priest might preach on marriage and the beauty of the unity between a man and a woman in that sacrament. He may rightfully say that gay marriage is in contradiction with the truth and then follow up with an aside about how it has no place in the Church and move on. This comment, although truthful, targets a particular group within the Church without providing means in which they might grow in holiness and truth. If Church leadership simply condemns without offering an olive branch of sorts to guide people to God, they will continue to lose faithful hearts yearning for the truth. Therefore, the faithful desire for larger focus on the Church as a sanctuary. A response suggested that one way the Church could do this is by doing a year of welcoming. Themed years are common among the Church, and one dedicated to emphasizing God’s desire for His children to be part of His Church could combat the unwelcoming reputation the public cast about it.

The second major answer to the question of what makes being Catholic unique has to do with the Church being a Church of joy. The responders expressed that there is a difference between being solemn or reverent and being gloomy and filled with doom. The first is rooted in a sense of deep joy and respect for something, while the second is rooted in fear and hate. Jesus Christ built the Catholic Church based on His example and teachings. Exemplified best by the apostles, there is a fire of joy that comes with being Catholic. The faithful expressed the desire to hear and learn more about the challenge of being on fire with joy for being Catholic. One of the faithful responses expressed that the Catholic Church has produced martyrs, preachers, and artist who all attribute their work to the joy they encounter through being Catholic. The same responder asks the question, why today do we see less martyrs, less preachers, and less artists willing to shout the joy they have because of being Catholic to the heavens? The faithful worry that the Church has become a place of suppression. They expressed concern over zealots who distort reverence into some sort of fire and brimstone fear, as if the best way to be Catholic is to follow strict rules, prayer a certain way or else, dress a certain way or else, as if one does not do those things, then they are bad Catholics. Shame, fear, and submission lead people to see the Church as an institution fostering doom and gloom, meanwhile the truth of the faith points to joy indescribable to any other joy in the world. Catholics should not feel discouraged about identifying as Catholic but should wear that identity with pride.

The third and final answer that arose to the question of what makes being Catholic unique has to do with what the Church believes. The faithful shared their worried about today’s culture. Wild ideologies have somehow solidified themselves in the minds of the masses as the proper way to view the world. Issues such as relativism and humanism feed the fruits of falsities in youth, in marginalized peoples, and in the hearts of those who yearn the most to belong to something. These ideas grasp hold of people and spread lies about what the Catholic Church truly believes and professes. The faithful yearn for clarity in combating these cultural and societal traps. They desire to know more concisely what the Church teaches, and why. The public perception of Catholics permeates into the minds of the faithful causing them to question truth and turn to lies. The faithful believe that the Church is not doing enough to combat these ideologies. Condemnation only goes so far. The Church must not stop at condemning the false creeds present in the world, but also reaffirm and reteach the Church’s believes making them accessible to all the faithful. The faithful proposed that better formation of the clergy regarding preaching would assist in this mission. A priest who preaches poorly can accidently feed these false ideas because the parishioners lose interest. A priest that does not proclaim the truth fervently, confidently, and joyously cannot expect their flock to live in the truth fervently, confidently, and joyously.

The faithful also brought forth the notion that to combat the rapid rise of lies in the world, the Church should expand on the teachings within the parish settings. Their suggestions included expansion of topics explored in homilies, a wider variety of offerings for classes outside of the rite of Christian initiation and religious education, and more material for families to take home and expand in faith formation at their homes. The topics the faithful expressed interest in learning more about includes moral teaching, teachings regarding gender and sexuality, teachings on Church history, and teachings on major figures such as saints or those in the process of canonization. The expansion of topics for Catholics to learn adds tools to their bag when confronted with the false ideas that are present in the world.

IN CONCLUSION
The synod process shines light on both areas of success in which the faithful in the Diocese of Fairbanks feel they are journeying together and on areas in which the journeying together might be lacking. The voices represented in this synthesis belong to a group of faithful children of God who desire a closeness to their Heavenly Father. All the listening sessions and individual responses pointed to a question of yearning to know what happens next. On behalf of the faithful within the Diocese of Fairbanks, this synthesis represents a yearning for action to be taken soon regarding this journey together. The faithful, when given a voice, have much to say but still seek and trust the guidance of the Church leadership to do something about the joys and concerns expressed in their responses. May the Holy Spirit guide the Church firmly and confidently through this synodal process. May the Holy Spirit guide this synthesis as it becomes part of the larger discussion with the multitude of synthesis submitted. And May the Holy Spirit guide each and every one as they journey together towards the truth and love given to them by the Lord.