'Dear brothers and sisters, have a good journey! May we be open to the Holy Spirit's surprises, the grace of encounter, receiprocal listening and discernment, joyfully convinced that, even as we seek the Lord, He always comes with his love to meet us first'.
                                                                                                                                                                                           -Pope Francis

Walking Together/Synodal Journey during Advent 

Dates, Venues and times of sessions for our 'Walking Together' program

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1st Meeting
  • CATHEDRAL - MONDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 7 - 8:30PM

  • CATHEDRAL CENTRE - TUESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER (After coffee) 11:00AM

  • ST JOSEPH'S HALL, DEVONPORT - THURSDAY 2ND DECEMBER 1;30PM

  • NOTRE DAME HOUSE - tba

Honouring Sunday

Honouring Sunday

As the Synodal Pathway of listening and discerning unfolds, we the bishops of England and Wales, are paying particular attention to the hopes and fears, the joys and anxieties of all who are sharing their thoughts and feelings with us.

Longing for our Lord
We are attentive to the experience of the last year or so, when we have lived our faith through the limitations of the pandemic. We have heard of the longing which some express as a “homesickness.” We want to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We yearn to celebrate the sacraments together, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We desire to be nourished by our Lord in Holy Communion. The live streaming of the Mass and the remarkable response of our Catholic communities to those in need, have provided comfort, sustenance and resilience.  
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Walking Together/Synodal Journey during Advent

Pope Francis has invited the entire Catholic Church across the world to take part in a listening journey. As a Church we are invited to reflect on how we respond to today’s problems and needs and how we become a listening Church. Our parish is starting its listening journey in Advent
 
We have set aside 4 Mondays during Advent to meet at the cathedral, which will be begin on Monday 29th November. 7-8.30pm.
 
 This will be led by lay facilitators. They are time for prayer, reflection, listening to the Word of God, and to each other. Leaflets will be provided for each week which contain passages of scripture, reflections, and questions to ponder. We very much hope you will join us.
 
The facilitators are Anne Duell, Sue Rock and Margaret Hawe.
 
 ‘I encourage you to fully engage with this important process in the life of the Church, locally and universally, so that we can all be more effective missionary disciples. Very important is our prayer to the Holy Spirit so that we listen to what God is saying to us, as well as listening deeply to what we are saying to one another. May the Holy Spirit guide us on this journey together and give us a share in God’s wisdom and    understanding.’
Bishop Mark O’Toole.
 
Facilitators L to R ​: Margaret Hawe, Anne Duell & Sue Rock

Walking Together - Our Synodal Journey
 Austen Ivereigh 

​As part of our Diocesan ‘Walking Together’ we were joined online by Austen Ivereigh on 16 November to explore the topic: “Behind the global synod: why Pope Francis wants you to speak boldly and listen carefully.” You can access the recording here, but well worth listening to it for some super inspiration 

 
Austen Ivereigh is a leading writer, journalist and commentator best known for his books on and with Pope Francis, and for his role in the media explaining the convictions of the Catholic Church. He is a Fellow in Contemporary Church History at Campion Hall, Oxford and a regular contributor to The Tablet.
 

Synodal Journey - Online Even

We are really pleased that Austen Ivereigh will be joining us on Tuesday 16 November via Zoom to explore the Synodal journey and what it means for us all.
 Everyone is invited to a Diocese of Plymouth online event on 16 November at 7pm  where Austen Ivereigh will explore the topic:
 
 “Behind the global synod: why Pope Francis wants you to speak boldly and listen carefully.”
 
Austen Ivereigh is a writer, journalist and commentator best known for his books on and with Pope Francis, and for his role in the media explaining the convictions of the Catholic Church.
He is a Fellow in Contemporary Church History at Campion Hall, Oxford and a regular contributor to The Tablet.
 
Please register if you would like to join us for what will be a really interesting discussion, with an opportunity for Questions and Answers. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/behind-the-global-synod-a-talk-by-austen-ivereigh-tickets-196421952347
Bishop Mark launches Diocesan synodal journey – ‘walking together’.
​​On Sunday 17th October Bishop Mark launched the Diocesesan synodal Journery -‘ Walking Together.
A two-year ‘synodal’ process taking place in the Catholic Church from October 2021 that culminates in the final Synod Gathering of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. The overall theme is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission”. Pope Francis opened the Synodal Journey in Rome on 10th October.
Together with members of the Clergy, Religious and lay men and women – who  each gave testimonies during the service at Plymouth Cathedral, Bishop Mark spoke about how important home is for us.  How we all long for a place to call home where we are secure, where we can rest.  This journey where we recognise that we walk together.  We too long to be at home. To be secure, to find a place of rest and of safety.  Ultimately that will come for us when we find our place in the Father’s House. Will be embraced by Him in an eternal face to face.
To find out more details about this Synodal Journey and read Bishop Mark’s full homily please follow the links below. If you wish you can also see the service in full which was streamed live.
Launch of Walking together in the Diocese
https://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/walking-together-the-process/

Our Diocesan Synodal Journey - MESSAGE FROM BISHOP MARK O’TOOLE

A two-year ‘synodal’ process is taking place in the Catholic Church from October 2021 that culminates in the final Synod Gathering of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. The overall theme is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission”. Pope Francis will open the Synodal Journey in Rome on 10th October. We will be launching our diocesan phase on Sunday, 17th October with Mass in our Cathedral.