Exploring next steps on our synod journey - Pathways event success
As the Final Document has been brought into church teaching, and we seek to embed synodality in our everyday Catholic life and culture, the School for Synodality has been exploring what the next steps could be at grass-roots level.
We held a very successful online event to understand more of this, called 'Pathways for Implementation: Next steps on our Synod Journey', held on Saturday, 18th October 2025 and hosted by our Directors Avril Baigent and Fr Matthew Nunes.
This event was inspired by the guiding document for synodality released by the Vatican in June 2025, called ‘Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod’ (you can find this document and more in the resources here>>).
Author and commentator Austen Ivereigh give us an insightful ‘whistle stop tour’ of the Implementation Document, answering some of the key queries we’ve been hearing since this the phase was announced. He took us through the recent history of the Vatican and synodality, including analysing the approaches of both Popes Francis and Leo. Austen then outlined the impact the implementation phase on the wider church, including who will take part, and what are their tasks and responsibilities, how do we engage with the Final Document during this phase, and what methods and tools can we use in that implementation.
“The document stresses that this is not to be reduced to a series of techniques for managing meetings. It’s above all, and firstly and primarily a spiritual and ecclesial experience, which is about growing in a new way of being Church and everything else, the methods the so on are about either to facilitate that or which are the fruit of it”
We were also pleased to welcome a conversation with Bishop Brendan Leahy from the Diocese of Limerick, who has been heavily involved in the synodal way in Ireland and was present at both 2023 and 2024 Synods. In a discussion with Avril Baigent (you can view in full here >>) he shared his impression that synodality is a way of bringing out what the Second Vatican Council, deep down, was about, rediscovering our place in the world today. Bishop Brendan Leahy said:
“The Church, in its forms and its expressions and its way of doing things, it'll always have to be brought up to date in a certain sense, and I think that's what Synodality helps us to do. That's not easy, because it does require us have a shake up in how we view things. And the Vatican Council was clear: the Church today has a role to play. It has to be in the world, an instrument, a sign of unity, unity with God, of course, but unity among humankind, that's our mission and it's a mission for peace. But it's a mission that starts with recognising we ourselves of Church have to, in a way, become experts in this, to put it like that, and that means we have to focus more on relationships.”
Attendees also heard from the Blessed Sacrament Parish of Exeter, England, on how synodality is being successfully implemented on a local level. Fr Jonathan Stewart and Angela Folden shared how they realised upon learning more about synodality, that the parish was already trying to be more synodal naturally – the interest and drive was already there. Synodality gave not only a term to their mission - but also a focus, resources and a journey supported by others. They shared about a renewed sense of belonging happening amongst the congregation, the enthusiasm for weaving in of methods like Conversations in the Spirit into meetings and groups, and the positive impact its already having.
Near the end of the event, the School for Synodality Directors Dr Avril Baigent and Fr Matthew Nunes were also joined by Austen Ivereigh for a panel discussion, and to answer any questions from attendees that arose.
We are so pleased many of you attended! We have a resources page with recordings of the presentations, transcripts and more available, explore here >>.
Full recording of the Pathways event 18th October below: