Synod on the Family

• Archdiocesan Synod Committee

Inspired by Pope Paul VI's call for every Bishop to establish a Diocesan Synod Archbishop MacNeil organized the first meeting of the Archdiocesan Synod Committee. On December 16, 1992 Tom Drinkwater, Dorothy Rudowski, Darlene Cavanaugh, Frank Bischoff, Msrg. Hamilton, and Rev. Will White formed the first Archdiocesan Synod Committee.

The first goal of the new committee was to conduct a survey to determine what topic would be most important for the first synod. The survey was based on a 1987 survey conducted by the Steering and Consultative Committees (of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council) to identify issues which parishioners of the Archdiocese believed to be of concern to the Catholic population as a whole. Evangelization, Amalgamation, Religious Education of Children, Youth and Adults, Communications, Lay participation, and Youth were identified as major issues. In addition topics of concern were social justice, abortion, vocations and parish pastoral council guidelines.

First know as the Archdiocesan Synod Implementation Committee when the topic of "family" was chosen the committee was re-named the "Synod on the Family Committee."