The extended timeline for the Synod will allow more time for an extended discernment from both the members of the Synodal Assembly, as well as the People of God. The Universal Phase of the Synod will be held in two parts, the first in October 2023 and the second a year later in October 2024.
To further develop the Church’s understanding of the synodal dimension of the church, Pope Francis recently added women and young people to the body of persons who will participate in the prayer and discussions during the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of the Bishops. The Synod of Bishops will remain a synod of bishops will remain, but it will be enhanced by representatives of the whole Church. Past synods have included women as non-voting “auditors,” but Pope Francis has eliminated the “auditor” category, and at least three dozen women will be voting members of the assembly.
Wyatt A. Olivas, from Cheyenne currently is studying music education at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He attended Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cheyenne, where he received his sacraments. Wyatt served as a catechist at Saint Joseph’s for five years; he taught third graders and was an assistant instructor for confirmation classes. For many years, he served as a music minister at Saint Joseph’s, where he sang solo during Mass, including special occasions like funerals and weddings. While at UW, Wyatt attends Mass on Sundays at Saint Paul’s Newman Center, where he is a music intern. He recently started a position at St. Paul’s, assisting the youth at the Newman Center, with a focus on working with high school parishioners. He is one of the youth representatives on the Diocese of Cheyenne Pastoral Council and was a delegate from the Diocese of Cheyenne to the Synod Continental Assemblies.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, who has been shepherding the United States on the synodal path said, “With the announcement of the names of delegates to the October 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome, the Church enters into the Universal Stage of this synodal journey. The moment is a joyful one, as bishop delegates and non-bishop delegates now begin their proximate preparations for the Assembly. This will involve prayer and study, and a deep reading of the Instrumentum Laboris. All the delegates express gratitude to the Holy Father for the invitation to serve together for the good of the Universal Church.”
Please keep in your prayers Wyatt and all delegates who attend the October session.
Canada
United States
If you have any questions about Synod 2021 - 2023 in the Diocese of Cheyenne, send email to:
Executive Director of Communications Diana Marie Waggener at [email protected]
Legislative Liaison Deacon Mike Leman at
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Please note: Not all parishes shared reports.
Those parishes interested in more opportunities for gathering to listen to one another, may email:
Diana Marie Waggener, Executive Director of Communications
[email protected]
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