Schools having a say in local Church’s future
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Working out how to collect the thoughts of tens of thousands of students on the future direction of the Church in South Australia was at the fore of a meeting late last month of Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) principals from across the state.
Neil McGoran, executive director CESA, said the Catholic education leaders discussed how schools would engage in Dialogue Week in February next year.
The week forms a key part of the consultation process for the Synod to be held in the Archdiocese of Adelaide in May and June 2026.
Dialogue Week will run across all communities within the Archdiocese from February 22 with the idea of generating feedback on five draft thematic papers centred on building a church that listens, discerns and works together.
Every community will be encouraged to host dialogue conversations during that week, and school staff will be tasked with engaging young people in the Synod consultation process within schools.
Dr McGoran (pictured) said developing an understanding among children and young people of the connections between school, parish and the Archdiocese would be a prime aim of the week.
The CESA meeting of school principals on October 30 considered the logistics of Dialogue Week.
“Our challenge, which we began to discuss at the Leaders Forum, is how we might enable the children, young people, and staff in our Adelaide and Port Pirie school communities to fully participate in this significant undertaking,” Dr McGoran said.
“Who does what? Is everyone going to get a chance to have a say? How do you communicate this to the parents? Will there be scribes who take down the information? Who sifts through the answers?”
Dr McGoran said he expected schools to make a great contribution to the Synod during their engagement in Dialogue Week.
“Dialogue Week will certainly provide an opportunity for children and young people in Catholic schools to have their voices heard, and to suggest ideas and actions for broader consideration.
“At the same time, though, their active involvement in listening and dialogue processes will help develop their perspectives, build mutual understanding, and showcase a model for listening, discernment and decision making that might be an example for all of us to follow, both now and into the future.
“One of our ways of resolving tensions at the moment is to go to social media and tell everybody without listening or thinking it through, and without giving another side.”
In contrast, Dr McGoran said the Synod consultation was “really powerful stuff” and “a chance and for our schools and communities to be part of listening or dialogue”.
“You might be not be at the Synod itself, but you are part of the Church that says listening to each other and talking together matters,” he said.
The Archdiocese is preparing guidelines for the Synod feedback process within schools, which will include praying the Archdiocesan Synod Prayer and suggested questions for open discussion.
One mooted question for high school students is what they think are the most significant issues facing young people in South Australia today?
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