Diocese of Buffalo
Office of Communications
October 14, 2021
Bishop Michael W. Fisher Opens Worldwide Synod in Buffalo
Part of worldwide two-year Synod launched by Pope Francis to invite the entire Church
to reflect, recommit and reassert it’s mission in the modern world
(Buffalo, NY) – Bishop Michael W. Fisher will preside at a special Mass this Sunday, October 17th at St. Joseph Cathedral, formally launching in the Diocese of Buffalo the worldwide Synod convoked by Pope
Francis last weekend. The two-year global reflective and consultation process involves all levels of the Church in considering the universal mission of evangelization and in a process of discerning how to best
to engage as an active, constructive influence in addressing the issues that define modern culture and society. The Synod will culminate with the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops,
dedicated to the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” at the Vatican in October 2023.
In his remarks at the Vatican, Pope Francis explained: “…As we begin this synodal process, let us begin by asking ourselves — all of us, pope, bishops, priests, religious and laity — whether we, the Christian
community, embody this ‘style’ of God, who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity…” Describing the Synod as a “journey of spiritual discernment,” the Pope explained “That word
[Synod] summons us to discernment and it brings light to that process. It guides the synod, preventing it from becoming a Church ‘convention,’ a study group or a political congress, because it is not a parliament,
but rather a grace-filled event, a process of healing guided by the Holy Spirit…”
Further details about the Synod and the involvement of parishes across Western New York will be made available at www.buffalodiocese.org
WHAT: Local Launch of Worldwide Synod of the Catholic Church
WHEN: Sunday, October 17, 2021, 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY
WHO: Bishop Michael W. Fisher, Priests of the Diocese, Deacons, Laity, members of religious orders
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Diocese of Buffalo
Office of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2021
Labor Day Statement of Bishop Michael W. Fisher on the Dignity of Work
“Let us together honor the talents and commitment of all who sustain our communities by giving of themselves and providing for the well-being and needs of others. We celebrate the inherent dignity of labor which itself is a participation in God’s work of creation and which serves to build up the human family.
“We pray especially for those who have been displaced from the workforce as a result of the ongoing pandemic, that God will ease their anxiety and enable them to find new and meaningful ways to provide for themselves and those who depend on them.
“May St. Joseph – patron of workers – inspire employers large and small to respect and promote the dignity of their employees, end unfair disparities in pay and opportunity and to always regard profit as but a means to achieving the greater good.”
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