Irish Synodal Pathway Update

Here we post the latest e-mail received from Julieanne Moran, General Secretary for the Irish Synodal
Pathway. It is laden with news, views and commentary. Enjoy!

Dear Friends,

I do hope many of you kept up with all that was happening at the Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny on Saturday, 18 October through our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X and Bluesky. If not, please do head over there to hear many of the participants share their experiences on our videos and reels.

This is a particularly large update so I suggest you grab a cup of tea or coffee, get yourself comfy, and take your time to enjoy all the news, reflections, articles, and videos gathered here.

I include several articles below written just before or shortly after the Assembly, offering perspectives on hopes and outcomes, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we continue walking together on this Synodal Pathway. They capture something of the energy, faith, and honest discernment that marked the day; signs of a Church listening deeply to the Spirit and to one another.

With every blessing,
Julieann

Before our Assembly, Fr Declan Hurley reflected on it as a key milestone in building a more listening, inclusive, and Spirit-led Church rooted in baptismal dignity and renewal. The synodal journey, he wrote, is not just a process but an exodus, leaving behind old structures to embrace God’s call to a new way of being Church. Read more ➜

Garry O’Sullivan reflected the Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny (and the Catholic Education Conference in Marino) as mirrors of a Church both hopeful and hesitant, yearning for renewal yet wary of real change. Read more ➜

Sarah Macdonald wrote how Bishop Niall Coll urged a renewed theology of baptism as the foundation for the Church’s renewal in Ireland, while delegates explored seven national priorities for reform. With voices like Archbishop Eamon Martin and Fr Gerry O’Hanlon calling for inclusion, dialogue, and deeper discernment, she said, the gathering marked another step toward the 2026 National Synodal Assembly. Read more ➜

Fr Gerry O’Hanlon SJ also reflected on the Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny, noting its careful organisation, but also how he left the meeting feeling strangely flat and disappointed. He called for renewed courage, a focused priority, and honest dialogue, especially on co-responsibility and the role of women, to rekindle the flame of synodality in Ireland. Read more ➜

Julieann Moran reflected on the Pre-Synodal Assembly in Kilkenny too. Responding to Fr Gerry O’Hanlon’s article, she saw the assembly as a moment of grace and quiet transformation rather than deflation, marking a shift from listening to discerning God’s voice. She saw the gathering as a “living rehearsal” for renewal with signs of life emerging through patience, courage, and trust in the slow work of the Holy Spirit. Read more ➜