Lay Mission Committee

Members: Ms Sally Roddy VC (Chair), Sr Paula Molloy MSHR, Ms Rita McGuigan, Sr Carmel Flynn SSC, Mr Shane Halpin, Ms Maureen O’Dwyer, Ms Mary Winters, Mr Jim Farrell, Mr Vincent Kenny, Ms Dympna Mallon, Ms Angie Escarsa.

“The preparation for an Irish Synod is a chance to start anew, a fire! Let it take off. We should be optimistic, hopeful, positive. The Synod is like a breath of the Spirit drawing inspiration from Pope Francis. The Pope reminds us that synodality is a process, a journey and requires
trust. As laypeople we want to engage in this process. It is wonderful that lay people are interested enough to hold an online event such as this.”

These are the words of a participant who attended our webinar (May 2021), We Need to Talk! A discussion around a national voice for laity within the Irish Church. This was the first in what it we hope will be a series of events as we walk as the people of God towards an Irish Synod; listening attentively, seeking mercy and healing, and building mutuality and trust. The webinar which was attended by over 100 delegates from all walks of life heard calls for a strategy for inclusion that would bring about a coherent national plan to allow formal
engagement between the laity and Church leadership in Ireland to take place. It takes time to be a synodal church – it is not simply a structure or an event, but instead a way of being transformed together as Church.

Pope Francis reminds us that “A Church that does not listen cannot be credible” (2018, opening session of the Synod of Bishops on ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’). Without quality listening to one another, ordained and lay, the synodal church will lack an essential compass. The starting point for our vision and work is the baptism in which all the Church shares, not a clerical or a top-down approach, but collaboration, where the responsibility is on all the baptized for the life of the Church. AMRI’s lay mission committee, strives to promote a welcoming and inclusive Church for the future and over the coming year will endeavour to reach out to other organisations and individuals who share in this exciting vision of Church

Sally Roddy – Lay Mission Committee

 

We Need to Talk 2: Over 200 people attended the 2nd in a series of webinars from AMRI Lay Mission Committee. This work is ongoing in preparing for the upcoming Synod in the Irish Church and the Synod on Synodality (2021 – 2023) taking place in the entire Church.

To view information on our panellists, please click on the following link: The Panelists

As part of this event, participants had the opportunity to discuss in small groups 2 questions:

  1. What resonates with you from what you heard from the panel discussion? Has this conversation helped your understand of Synod or the Synodal Process….
  2. What would help you as a lay person, take the next step in this Synodal process? What are the next steps to engage lay people…

To view the feedback from our 20 feedback groups, please click on the following link Feedback AMRI ‘We Need to Talk 2’

The recordings of both ‘We Need to Talk’ (May 2021) and ‘We Need to Talk 2’ are available on YouTube. Please click on AMRI’s YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXRlhzZ6LKmYB8akwxxdI9w

AMRI Lay Mission Committee intend to hold another event soon. If you would like to be kept up to date on upcoming events, please contact info@amri.ie

We Need to Talk: 24th May 2021

The first of our webinars took place in Spring 2021, with a presentation by Shane Halpin CEO Viatores Christi. 

As part of this webinar, participants had the opportunity to reflect and discuss their experiences and views in facilitated break out groups. The document collates and summarises these small group conversations. It provides a snapshot capturing the many
diverse views and opinions expressed by a large group in one Zoom meeting. To view, please click on the following link: Facilitator’s Notes We need to Talk