[From the Catholic Spirit] "Cynthia Bailey Manns, one of the original members of the Lay Advisory Board that advises Archbishop Bernard Hebda and adult learning director at St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis, is one of 10 non-bishop voting delegates chosen by Pope Francis to represent the North American region at the first general assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality in October. The delegates were announced July 7 at a Vatican news conference.
The theme of the Oct. 4-29 synod in Rome is For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. Synod members are being asked to continue a “process of spiritual discernment” that was begun in 2021 and will continue with a second synod assembly in October 2024.
Bailey Manns, 65, said she is humbled and excited about the prospect of experiencing the Holy Spirit “as we do this sacred work of vulnerable sharing, deep listening and discernment regarding important issues impacting us individually and collectively.”"
From Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda: "Pope Francis honored our Archdiocese with the appointment of Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns as one the voting participants at the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality, beginning this October. Dr. Bailey Manns is a resident of Bloomington and presently serves as Adult Learning Director at Saint Joan of Arc parish in Minneapolis. I have come to know and respect her for her significant contribution as one of the original members of the Archdiocesan Lay Advisory Board constituted in 2018. Not surprising for someone with years of experience in parish ministry and spiritual direction, Dr. Bailey Manns is a superb listener and articulate dialogue partner, skills that will serve her well at the Synod. She managed her parish’s participation in our Archdiocesan Synod efforts and was one of our six Archdiocesan representatives in the continental phase of the pre-Synod preparations.
She also ably represented the Archdiocese at my request on the team that worked with theWorld Council of Churches and the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity to draft the international materials for the 2023 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I am grateful that her voice, grounded in the lived experience of our local Church, will be heard at the Synod."
You can read the full article in The Catholic Spirit online here.
We have posted the video of the announcement made at the end of Masses on Sunday, July 9th. You can view it here.
You can read more about the Synod on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Office of Public Affairs web page.