“What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?”

That’s the question we are being urged to consider as the Church in Australia embarks on the journey toward Plenary Council 2020. A tall order perhaps, but the key might be found in the Plenary Council logo: ‘Listen to what the Spirit is saying’.

Certainly, a great deal of listening will be needed, if we are not going to just talk over the top of each other on this journey.

‘Listen to what the Spirit is saying’. This is not just a superficial listening then that is needed. No, to listen to what the Spirit is saying, we will need deep listening.

It’s easy to be sceptical about initiatives like this from the bishops. These types of things come and go and we can’t always discern much real benefit to the people of God, to the people on the margins, to our communities.

But I have been encouraged in what I have seen so far of the Plenary Council endeavour, by the desire to reach out and include everyone in the process, to hear from everyone, to really listen to those who often aren’t heard. There is a sense of the Holy Spirit at work and from that rises the hope of a Spirit-led renewal in the Church in Australia.

I will be encouraging our SVD parishes and communities to take part in the Plenary Council process of promoting listening and dialogue at the local level. I’m particularly keen to ensure that the people on the margins who we serve feel that they are included, whether that is the indigenous people of Santa Teresa, farmers in outback Queensland, or new migrants in our city parishes. 

I have a feeling that if we ‘Listen to what the Spirit is saying’ together, something quite special could emerge. Who knows what it will be? We will have to look to Jesus, look to the Gospel, and trust in the Spirit.

Yours in the Word,

Fr Henry Adler SVD

Provincial