LUBBOCK – On Thursday, June 30, the Diocese of Lubbock submitted its Synod Synthesis Report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), concluding the diocesan phase of Pope Francis’ global synod. Most Rev. Robert M. Coerver, Bishop of Lubbock, released the Diocese of Lubbock’s report on July 1, 2022, via the diocesan website.

Pope Francis announced the beginning of the process in dioceses around the world in October 2021. Prior to the announcement, Bishop Coerver planned to conduct sessions in parishes to reconnect with Catholics across the diocese as conditions from the pandemic improved and people returned to the Sacraments and parish activities.

Bishop Coerver conducted almost every one of the listening sessions in the Diocese of Lubbock. He conducted sessions with Diocese of Lubbock Deacons, Priests, Diocesan Staff, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, the Diocesan Pastoral Council, and at each parish celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2022 before June 15.

From information gathered, several common concepts were found. The common concepts in the report were: The Journey, Communication, Formation, Relationship, and Discernment.

“To summarize, the single greatest need in the Church of the Diocese of Lubbock today is our ministry to young people,” the report reads. “We must welcome them. We must teach them effectively and in ways they can understand. We must include them, not as the Church of the future, but as the Church today.”

The report says contemporary communication methods need to be utilized to communicate with the Church. The Church must also tend to elders, especially in the wake of the pandemic, there is isolation, absence from the Church and Sacraments, and still fear of COVID-19.

The report says Catholics want basic teachings of the Church to be presented, so they can learn and apply the teachings to daily life. Many deeply appreciate their priests, however, priests can be perceived as a barrier to listening, discerning, and moving forward. Finally, an atmosphere of dialogue needs to develop.

“Listening is not always easy, and it is not highly valued in the public forum today,” the report conclusion says. “Events of the past few years have shown that as a nation, and within Church as well, greater appreciation of our multicultural reality needs to be manifested.”

The full Diocese of Lubbock synod report is available at www.CatholicLubbock.org.