Catholic Theological
Society of America

Greetings, colleagues. I am passing on an invitation to our membership from Bishop Daniel Flores, the Chair of the USCCB Committee on Doctrine and part of the US Coordinating Team for the Synod. The US Synod Team is inviting theologians from the United States to join bishops and members of six different US theological societies to engage in two online synodal spiritual conversations on 

Thursday, May 25, 2023 from 3:00-5:30 pm EDT/2:00-4:30 pm CDT/1:00-3:30 pm MDT/12:00 noon-2:30 pm PDT

and

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 from 7:00-9:30 pm EDT/6:00-8:30 pm CDT/5:00-7:30 pm MDT/4:00-6:30 pm PDT

The conversations will focus on the North American Final Document for the Continental Stage of the Synod and will use a self-directed spiritual conversation model. Space will be limited to 120 participants for each of these conversations. Each Society has been asked to send direct delegates for each meeting, but the remaining spots will be offered for all interested theologians – you can sign up at https://airtable.com/shrHT2BDqy9S4j0yq until May 17, and we would encourage you to join in this opportunity to talk with our colleagues and our bishops. While there are other opportunities planned for graduate students and for Canadian theologians and their bishops later this year, for space reasons this invitation is being extended to US Catholic theologians who have completed their PhD in theology or a related field.

Relevant links:

https://airtable.com/shrHT2BDqy9S4j0yq (sign up here)

https://www.usccb.org/resources/north-american-final-document-continental-stage-2021-2024-synod (North American Final Document)

https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/common/phases/en/EN_Step_6_Spiritual-Conversation.pdf (conversation model)

Here is Bishop Flores' message:

Committee on Doctrine

3211 FOURTH STREET NE WASHINGTON DC 20017-1194 202-541-3015

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

May 4, 2023

I am delighted to inform you that the US Synod Team will be convening a special listening session for theologians throughout the United States to reflect on the North American Final Document for the Continental Stage for the 2021-2024 Synod. The US Synod Team wants to create a space for listening and dialogue specifically those trained in Catholic theology. The sessions will be modeled on the Virtual Assemblies of the Continental Stage (see Appendix D of the Final Document). There will be two sessions: Thursday, May 25, 2023, from 3-5:30 PM ET and Tuesday, June 6, 2023 from 7-9:30 PM ET.

The Team is asking that you, the leaders of the scholarly theological societies in the United States, share this invitation with your members who hold a doctoral degree in theology or a related field. The Team hopes to plan a listening session with graduate students in the future. This invitation is extended to the following scholarly organizations:

• Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States

• Academy of Catholic Theology

• Black Catholic Theology Symposium

• Catholic Theological Society of America

• College Theological Society

• Fellowship of Catholic Scholars

  The sessions have a capacity of 120 participants apiece. Ten (10) spots will be reserved for each society in each session. Organizations may choose to select the ten participants for their reserved spots. There will be a question on the form to indicate if the delegate was selected by the organization to participate. An invitation will be extended to bishops to attend these special listening sessions and to select a theologian from their diocese to attend as well. The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Zoom details and a preparation guide will be shared after

registration closes. Y ou can find the registration form here: https://airtable.com/shrHT2BDqy9S4j0yq

The listening session will use the spiritual conversation model, which is at the heart of all the synodal listening sessions thus far. Theologians will be placed into groups of 6-8 and introduced to one another via email prior to the listening session. In a spirit of co-responsibility, each listening circle will be self-facilitated. We are asking for volunteers to act as facilitators for the listening circles and representatives to share the fruits of the conversation in plenary.

Please contact the US Synod Team at synod@usccb.org if you have any further questions. Yours in Christ,

Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Diocese of Brownsville Chair, Committee on Doctrine