From Waterloo to Hamilton: A Journey into Synodality
By Steve Authier
When I attended Journey of Encounter in Waterloo this past June, I had no idea I would come home so passionate about synodality. I had seen a bulletin announcement at my parish, St. Catherine of Siena in Hamilton, and, like many people, I knew little about what “synodality” actually meant. I did a bit of research, registered for the retreat, and went mainly because I wanted to learn.
I left convinced that synodality may be the most hopeful and exciting development I’ve experienced in the Catholic Church in my lifetime. In the simplest terms, synodality is the Church learning again how to walk together—listening to one another with reverence, and listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit in our shared discernment.
Before leaving Waterloo, I made a quiet commitment to myself: I would do what I could to promote synodality in my parish.
In the months that followed, I launched a synodality website, and in doing so I found myself learning more than I expected. I studied the Synod’s Final Document and Pathways for the Implementation Phase, and I explored many of the resources recommended through Journey of Encounter—books, websites, webinars, podcasts, and more. The deeper I went, the more convinced I became: this wasn’t just a “new program.” It was a way of being Church.
I shared my hopes with our pastor, Father Mark Gatto, who was supportive from the start. As a result, our parish will be holding a synodality retreat day on April 25 of this year.
At the same time, I serve on the leadership team for our Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) conference at St. Catherine of Siena. At our November monthly meeting, we found ourselves wrestling with an important question: we’re a strong group that does a lot for our community—but how might God be calling us to connect more deeply with those we serve, and to grow into the next season of our mission?
One word kept coming to mind: synodality.
I suggested we hold a day retreat using the synodal approach—especially Conversations in the Spirit. Most of our members didn’t know much about synodality, but the group agreed, and I offered to design and lead the retreat.
When I first made the suggestion, I wasn’t entirely sure how I would pull it off. But I did know this: I would lean heavily on the Journey of Encounter model.
That’s exactly what I did. I pulled out the JOE itinerary and built a one-day version. We began with prayer and worship, including the traditional SSVP Opening Prayer and the Adsumus Sancte Spiritus. I offered a short introduction to help members understand what synodality is, and we were blessed to have Concerned Lay Catholic’s own Cathie Pead offer a “From Waterloo to Rome… and back again” reflection on her synodality journey.
From there, we moved into two Conversations in the Spirit sessions designed around our purpose for the day. As Journey of Encounter did, we used both a Scripture passage and a synodal quote to ground each conversation. I also adapted the JOE Guide to Conversations in the Spirit and its “Gentle Reminders,” creating a leaflet for our retreat day.
In preparing for the retreat, I shared my outline with Cathie Pead and with Sister Jeannette Filthaut, S.P., a Steering Committee member for Waterloo’s Journey of Encounter. Their feedback was invaluable, and it strengthened the day in meaningful ways.
The feedback from our SSVP members afterward was encouraging, to say the least. Many were moved—not only by what was shared, but by the spirit of prayerful listening. It was a powerful reminder that when we make room for one another’s voices, we also make room for the Holy Spirit.
I learned a great deal from developing and leading this retreat, but the most important lesson was simple: when we stretch ourselves for God, He supports us, and the Holy Spirit guides us.
I strongly encourage others to introduce synodality in their parish in similar ways. You don’t need to start big. Even a small group, gathered in prayer and listening deeply, can become the beginning of something new.