Brother Dickson was very excited as he shared his experience of a community which he had visited recently. He had been to an international seminar in Rome. One of the participants of the seminar, a student-brother, invited him to his community where the community members were from different countries. Being an international community, that day they were felicitating those from South America. They reached the community around 9.30 p.m., after the community had finished their dinner. This is how Dickson describes his experience: “We were welcomed with hugs and warm greetings. This seemed quite strange to me as the brother who was with me had been away from the community only for three days, and yet there was so much joy and excitement on seeing him. After welcoming us, we were served whatever food was there and, though it was late, the rector and administrator and at least ten or twelve brothers sat with us till almost midnight, talking and laughing. There was so much of joy, concern, listening to each other and a genuine respect for each person. I really admired the rector and administrator for the way their presence enriched the gathering. The rector, a listening presence and so very welcoming; the administrator, a jovial man, full of life, who gave a bear hug to both of us. The brothers at the table too were incredibly open and hospitable … Their ability to allow everyone to talk, to pay attention to each one’s opinion, laugh at each other’s jokes, going beyond cultural and personal differences, was truly a blessed experience for me.”
As I was listening to Dickson, sharing his experience with such excitement, I felt that he was describing a community with many synodal characteristics.
What is a Synodal Community?
The word synod comes from the Greek words syn which means with and hodos which means way or path. It refers to “walking together,” or an “assembly,” or the “path along which the people of God walk together.” Integrating these different meanings, in relation to consecrated life, we may describe a synodal community as a group of consecrated person, who are brought together by God, to live in communion, and carry out the apostolate that God wants to be done in a place, in a participatory way. We are not looking at a synodal community in general (a parish is also synodal community), but at a synodal community of consecrated persons. And we focus our attention on the dynamics within the community. Synodality is not new. It goes back to the early Church (Acts 15). And religious communities usually had elements of synodality – being together, listening in prayer, sharing responsibilities. Today we are asked to make synodality our way of life, and journey together, not only with the members of our community, but with everyone and the whole of creation.
Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB
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