St. Joseph Catholic Church - 121 E. Maple Ave. Libertyville, IL 60048

Dear St. Joseph community and all in our local area,

We are pleased to share with you the synthesis submitted to the Archdiocese of Chicago for the 2021-23 Synod on Synodality. This synod is a journey in which the worldwide Church is reflecting on how the Holy Spirit is calling it to move forward in our time, and to engage with the world. Approximately 250 people made their voices heard through the survey and listening sessions. We extend to all of you our gratitude for your honesty, openness, and sincere desire to see the Church thrive.

The synthesis was compiled by a team of fourteen. Each individual response to the questions was read by multiple team members in an effort to minimize bias in our synthesizing task, and to ensure all voices were heard. We learned there is much that brings this parish life and that there are many opportunities for growth and renewal. We recognize while we share common values at St. Joseph, often the expression of those values is where we differ. Part of our call is to learn to walk together with our disagreements in a common mission.

This is a first step in a longer journey. The Synod Team now passes the torch to the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), the leadership team representing the various aspects of parish life, from finance to faith formation. The PPC will employ the Synod Synthesis in a larger planning process for setting parish goals. This process has already begun, and continues in current Parish Pastoral Council and staff meetings. We also cannot ignore the many voices we did not hear in this synod. The demographics information about respondents on the following page reveals that a large segment of the parish did not participate. We believe there is something to hear in the silence. Thus engaging the disengaged has emerged as a major priority for the parish. We pray for God’s blessing on our parish family, and for the guidance of the renewing, inspiring, and courageous presence of the Holy Spirit.

Sincerely Yours,

Fr. John Trout, Pastor
 

SYNOD TEAM:

Sandy Carson, Deacon Dan Coughlin, Jon Monroe, Mary Catherine Nelson, Kathleen O’Connor, David Olson, Kathy Olson, Bob O’Gorman, Tom Sear, Joe Tomaso, Fr. John Trout, Lori Ventura, Janine Wilson

PAINTING THE PICTURE.

 

Here is some key data about our respondents.

   • Total individual survey respondents: 182 people

   • Approximately 15 groups held group listening sessions, including the general listening sessions.

   • Estimated total participants: 278 people.
 

Key Percentages. The below are percentages of total individual respondents (182). Some left answers blank.

92% of respondents were members of St. Joseph. 8% were from another parish.

86% of respondents considered themselves active members of their parishes.

73% of respondents have been members of their parish for 10 years or more.

68% of respondents identified as 55 years of age or older. 10% identified as younger than 45.

 

BEFORE YOU READ: 

The Archdiocese posed their questions differently than St. Joseph. The Synod team asked three questions 1.) What brings you joy in our parish? 2.) What about the Church breaks your heart? 3.) What are your hopes and dreams for the parish, Archdiocese, and Vatican? The Synod team posed these questions in this way to answer the Archdiocese’s questions while presenting them in a more clear, concise, and holistic way. The synthesis below is formatted according to the Archdioce’s questions, but is a synthesis of the responses to the three questions posed to St. Joseph. The Archdiocese’s questions are in bold below.

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION

 

A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, “journeys together.” How is this “journeying together” happening today in your local Church?

I.What experiences of our local Church does this question call to mind? Re-read these experiences in greater depth: What joys did they bring?

Sense of Community and Relationships- The people of St. Joe’s are a source of joy: worshiping, serving, and ministering together. The parish is vibrant, welcoming, and friendly. Youth and families with children at Mass and engaged are a particular source of joy. From small groups and social and service activities to the many ministries and regular Mass participants, community and relationships are a central source of joy.

Ministries- There is a wide variety, from social to social justice. People find joy in participating, and in the fact that social justice ministries in particular help those in need. Ministries are active, meet people’s needs, are engaging, and bring people together. There are many opportunities, from faith formation to service to music and more. Youth involvement in ministries is a source of joy as well.

Sacraments and Liturgical Encounters- Good homilies that are relevant, relatable, and informative. There are a variety of Mass options both during the week and on weekends, including the Drive-in Masses and the livestreamed Masses. These Masses also have a sense of community. The Eucharist is itself a source of joy, as is the work of the Welcoming Ministry. All of the Sacraments and celebrations of the sacraments of initiation are a source of joy.

Clergy and Staff - Priests at St. Joe’s have diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Their leadership, messages, and approachability are a source of joy. Deacons and staff, including the school staff, are also a source of joy.

 

II. What difficulties and obstacles have they encountered? What wounds did they reveal? What insights have they elicited?

Poor, unwelcoming behavior: Failing to live the teachings of Jesus– Living our Catholic faith and values through our daily actions and treatment of one another is extremely important to the people of St. Joe’s. It is a source of concern when members of the church behave in a contradictory manner. This poor behavior has been observed through all levels of local membership and leadership at the Archdiocesan, and national levels. It is heartbreaking for the people of St. Joe’s to see and experience judgment and exclusion within the church. Members are particularly disheartened by personal judgment of one another as well as the exclusion of various groups within the church including and not limited to LBGTQ+ members, divorced members, women, and non-Catholics. Reconciling Catholic doctrine and the teachings of Jesus also provides a struggle for some members of our church since Jesus teaches us to welcome and love one another and Church teachings prohibit the above mentioned groups from celebrating in Communion with the Church and one another.

The Abuse Crisis - People are heartbroken that the scandals occurred at all levels in the church and that it was covered up, including moving abusing priests to different parishes. There has been a lack of accountability. There is a great need for transparency, accountability, and restructuring in the church to prevent abuse. People have left the church because of this crisis, and it has led people to no longer trust the church.

Declining engagement–A full and vibrant church community is important to the people of St. Joe’s as it reflects an understanding of the importance of our faith. The declining membership and engagement are concerning. This is apparent through people leaving the church, disengaging on a consistent basis, and a decline in new membership. The ultimate concern being the lack of faith formation for our community and future generations who feel unwelcome, judged, and excluded.

Declining Vocations - The lack of men joining the priesthood as well as the limited options for female leadership also concerns people. An evolution of the role and lifestyle of priests is also important to people of our parish.

Crisis of Identity: The people of St. Joe’s value a strong identity. Church identity is being questioned from a diversity of perspectives on the balance between maintaining traditions and modernization. Some are heartbroken and concerned about compromising or losing Catholic teachings and traditions for the sake of modernization. Others are heartbroken that we are not accepting of all people, have not adapted to modern circumstances to meet people where they are, and are becoming irrelevant. Both perspectives are concerned about how to be in this world, and are concerned about people’s spiritual health and well-being.

 

III. What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our “journeying together”? Where in these experiences does the voice of the Holy Spirit resound? What is the Spirit asking of us? What are the points to be confirmed, the prospects for change, the steps to be taken? Where do we register a consensus? What paths are opening up for our local Church?

Inclusivity- Welcoming and accepting of all people. LGBTQ+ and those who have gone through divorce were specifically identified as people to welcome, accept, and include. Embracing a diversity of people in the church is our dream.

Greater Role for Women- Women as priests, deacons, and in leadership roles. Women giving homilies and being recognized by Church leadership.

Youth Engagement- We dream of youth, young adults, and families engaged and connected to the parish community. We dream of outreach and re-connecting with youth who are disengaged and keeping youth who participate in Religious Education and Youth Ministry engaged after Confirmation. We dream of our youth understanding our faith and staying connected to it.

Married Priests- Reasons include: improved mental health and well-being for priests. Married priests will also be able to better relate to the congregation.

Evangelization and Formation- We dream of renewed evangelization. Meeting people where they are, building bridges and serving as a beacon of hope; especially reaching young people. We dream of evangelization by example: following Jesus and spreading love. We dream of growing through robust faith formation at all ages through the Bible, the teachings of Jesus Christ, moral teaching, and learning about our Catholic faith.

Transparency and Leadership- We dream of effective leadership at all levels. We dream of leadership that is transparent and addresses the abuse crisis by bringing abusers to justice and preventing future abuse. We dream of leadership that is Christlike, accessible and able to adapt to meet people where they are in modern life.

Community Life- We dream of greater community bonds, relationships, and opportunities to connect through social events.

SYNOD THEMES: COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION, MISSION

 

What follows is a synthesis of where these themes emerged in our synodal journey.

Communion for us means:

Warm Inclusivity. Genuinely welcoming the marginalized, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, those who have experienced divorce, abortion, and other life experiences so all may call the Church their spiritual home.

Bringing Diverse People Together. With political division in our country, the Church can be a role model for engaging in challenging conversations while respecting diversity of thought so all feel heard and respected i.e. the Latin Mass, the different perspectives on the pro-life issue, the pull between Church tradition and modernization and the public bickering between clergy, etc.
 

Participation for us means:

Broader participation in Leadership. Make building up the Church a priority by becoming less clerical and less focused on rules and protocol. Allowing women to become ordained and to take on leadership roles and allowing priests to marry.

Re-Engaging the Disengaged. Building a stronger community by reaching out to youth, young adults, and those who have left the Church with a greater sense of urgency. Providing opportunities for faith formation and fellowship so together we grow as a community of faith.

Shared Experiences and Relationships. Through our participation in Mass and ministries, friendships are formed and relationships are strengthened by the shared experience of actively living our faith.
 

Mission for us means:

Healing and Rebuilding Trust in the Church After the Abuse Crisis. The church must communicate a genuine and heartfelt acknowledgment and ownership of the destruction and pain. The church must focus less on protecting the institution and must hold people accountable for this scandal. These are important steps to healing and rebuilding trust.

Spiritual Growth and Accompaniment. To support and encourage the spiritual growth of our community by offering a full spectrum of faith formation opportunities for all ages so we meet people where they are on their spiritual journey and form parishioners to be evangelizers. Base decision making on people's spiritual health and leading people to the Eucharist. For example, evaluate the annulment process and the pain it might cause.

Practicing Our Love and Acceptance of Others. Preaching to all people and reaching out to new groups of people to lend support and love, and not dividing each other.