Bishop John reflects on diocese synod

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley has published a summary the diocese’s recent synod.

The synod, which looked into the role of the lay faithful in the‘New Evangelisation’, was held at Easter 2016.

And the Rt Rev John Keenan has now made public the‘Canonical Acta’that he says“gathers up the fruit of much work across the diocese in prayer, catechesis, consultation and Synod sessions”.

In a document published on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paisley’s website, he writes:“I am convinced these Acta contain the words of the Holy Spirit to our diocese, spoken from the lips of our faithful. In its pages we hear what the spirit says to the church in Paisley.”

The bishop looked to the life of a beloved Scottish saint as the synod summary was published.

“We publish our Acta on the Feast of Saint Columba, perhaps Scotland’s most fruitful evangeliser, who spread the faith in our land as part of a great missionary effort to our shores,”he writes.

“Settling in Iona with a small community he founded an abbey that would become not only the centre of Christianity in Scotland but a Gospel leaven that would influence Europe for centuries to come.

“We pray for his friendship, example and intercession to be with us – together with Saints Mirin, Margaret and John Ogilvie – in the fresh effort of evangelisation that the Holy Spirit wills us to undertake.”