The Archdiocese of Agaña, in conjunction with the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, is pleased to announce that Sister Mary Angela Perez, RSM has been selected to participate as a member of Oceania in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops Sept. 30 to Oct. 29, 2023.
A longtime member of the Sisters of Mercy on Guam as well as past President and Principal of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam, Sister Angela is one of 10 non-bishop members from Oceania who will participate in the Synod of Bishops. Sister Angela was an important member of the Archdiocese of Agaña’s core team overseeing Guam’s participatory phase of the Synod for Synodality in 2021. She is a member of the archdiocese’s Curia group, representing the religious sisters of Guam.
In a letter to Sister Angela last month, Cardinal Mario Grech, the Vatican’s General Secretary of the Synod said, “I am writing to you as you are invited to participate as a Member in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission’, as a witness to the synodal process in the geographic region to which you belong.”
“I thank you in advance for your availability; your presence and expertise will help to enrich the synodal experience,” Cardinal Grech added.
Sister Angela has extensive leadership and ministry experience in the Mariana Islands. She has taught in Catholic schools and is currently the Director of Mission Effectiveness at the Academy. She has fought for the rights of migrant workers, especially for teachers hired from foreign countries, ensuring fair and just compensation and decent housing for workers.
In a news release last July, the president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania said the 10 non-bishop members from the region chosen for the Synod of Bishops will help amplify the voice of the Catholic population.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis invited each of the seven regions of the world to nominate 20 people who have been involved in local initiatives for the Synod of Bishops for a Synodal Church as possible additions to the Synod’s membership. From the list of nominees, the pope chose 10 members from each region as he sought to create a cross-section of the Church in terms of age, sex, vocation, and other demographic factors.
BACKGROUND ON THE SYNOD
In October of 2021, Pope Francis formally launched a two-year global consultation process leading to the 2023 Synod on Synodality, calling members of the Catholic Church worldwide to “look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say.”
The pope delivered his message while celebrating Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 10, emphasizing that Catholics taking part in the synodal path should strive to “become experts in the art of encounter.”
“Time to look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say, to build rapport, to be sensitive to the questions of our sisters and brothers, to let ourselves be enriched by the variety of charisms, vocations, and ministries,” the Holy Father said.
The Synod on Synodality opened with a diocesan phase lasting from October 2021 to April 2022. A second, continental phase took place from September 2022 to March 2023. The third, universal phase will begin 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.
On Guam, the Archdiocese of Agaña commenced the diocesan phase of the Synod of Bishops with a special Mass celebrated by then Archbishop Michael Byrnes on Dec. 7, 2021, at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatna. It began a process of reflection at the local and diocesan level. In the months that followed the archdiocese organized a series of meetings held islandwide which were open to all people.
Calling the gatherings part of a process of living and reflection, former Archbishop Byrnes said, “Our loving God gives himself to each of us. All are important. All are welcome.”
“In this synod we will journey together with a purpose of being more inclusive as we look to our future Church, paying special attention to those on the margins whose concerns and perspective are so often overlooked,” the former archbishop said. “The three touchstones of this process are communion, participation, and mission.”
For more information, please visit https://archagana.org/synod-info
Sent by Tony C. Diaz, Director of Communications, Archdiocese of Agana, tony.diaz@archagana.org, (671) 562-0065.
