Synod
Right Reverend Patrick Joseph McKinney Bishop
of Nottingham
Pastoral Letter for the children of the Diocese
To be read in all Catholic Primary schools on or around 2nd November 2021
The Opening of the Synodal Process in the Diocese of Nottingham
Dear children of the Diocese of Nottingham
I hope you have enjoyed your half-term break and had a good rest. I am hoping
today that you might be able to help me with an important task.
Every day you are probably very used to adults asking you to listen – sometimes
you probably grow very tired of it! Listening to one another is of course so important
when we are learning from our teachers or from our parents or when we are spending
time with our friends and family.
Today, I really want to listen to you! I want to hear all about what you think and
what you feel about being part of God’s family. As His children you are loved and
cherished by Him, so it is very important that we listen to you.
I’d love to know, most of all, what your dream is for God’s Church. How would you
like it to look? What do you like about God’s Church? What would make it better?
Who would you like to invite to church?
You can share this dream in a poem or a picture or a story if you like. I would love
to see whatever it is you’d like to create. I am hoping your teachers will be able to share
some of your dreams on display boards or social media, using the hashtags
#listeningchurch or #synod.
Thank you for helping me with this important task. Never forget that God the
Father always wants to hear about his children’s plans and dreams. Don’t be afraid to
tell Him all about them. He loves you and will always help you to live your dreams.
Bishop of Nottingham
In response to the Bishop’s letter, we created a Synod committee with one member
from each class. The committee will meet each week to discuss the key questions:
• Who are the people who feel left out and excluded in the Church?
• What is my dream for the Church and my school?
• What does the Holy Spirit inspire us to do in our
Church and school?
The committee members will share these
questions in their classes and gather responses from
pupils to feedback in the next meeting. We have asked
Father Stanley to discuss at Mass on our Advent retreat
day and all classes will complete a piece of creative work
to demonstrate their dreams for the Church.
