Mary, the mother of God, is always with us on the synodal path, for she is also ‘Mother of the Church’ (Mater Ecclesiae); mother of all those who are companions and disciples of her Son. (Towards a spirituality for synodality, p.45)

The General Secretariat of the Synod has invited the Synods of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Episcopal Conferences and Marian Shrines to celebrate a moment of prayer on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, the liturgical memorial of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the end of the Marian month, to entrust to Mary, Mother of the Church, the work of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

Among the indications provided by the General Secretariat of the Synod is that the moment of prayer should be celebrated:

• at a Marian shrine of particular national importance,
• or at several Marian shrines chosen for their representativeness,
• or in all the Marian shrines present in the territory.

The realization of the moment of prayer is entrusted to each Episcopal Conference, which will be responsible for informing the diocesan Ordinaries and the Shrines of its ecclesiastical circumscription.
Individual parish communities, in agreement with their diocesan bishop, are also invited to celebrate a moment of prayer for the work of the Synod on that day.

A specific section is being developed on synodresources.org with useful material for the preparation and realization of the moment of prayer.

Visit Synod Resources website

Visit the official Synod 2021-2024 website