Archbishop Bernard Hebda recently offered a glimpse into preparing for the next few years of pastoral care in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis even as he reviewed fruits of walking in synodality through Archdiocesan Synod 2022 and Archdiocesan Synod 2025.
Considering input from the faithful and promptings of the Holy Spirit during Archdiocesan Synod 2022, the archbishop outlined plans for several years of pastoral ministry with his 2022 pastoral letter “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent From the Upper Room.” Fruits of the initiatives include parishes forming small groups for faith sharing and evangelization and efforts to emphasize the Mass and the Eucharist, the archbishop said in a statement and video addressed to “My sisters and brothers in Christ,” posted Aug. 4 at archspm.org/synod-update-from-archbishop-hebda.
“So many of you have told me stories of how you have deepened your relationship with God and your friendship with others by participating in one of the thousands of Parish Evangelization Cells (PECS) small groups that have begun in parishes across the archdiocese,” the archbishop said.
“Others have shared with me how you have learned more about the meaning of the Mass and have become more aware of Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist through the videos and talks given during this past year,” he said.
On July 1, the archdiocese entered a year for reclaiming Sundays for the Lord. Beginning in July 2026 there will be an emphasis on equipping parents to fulfill more fully their role as primary educators of the faith, the archbishop said.
“I see each of these efforts impacting everyday life in the Archdiocese going forward,” Archbishop Hebda wrote.
Then on June 7, the Vigil of Pentecost, 409 lay faithful, clergy and religious from parishes and apostolates gathered for the Archdiocesan Synod 2025: Be My Witnesses Assembly at Cretin-Derham Hall and the Cathedral of St. Paul, both in St. Paul, the archbishop noted.
The focus was eight top vote-getting propositions in Synod 2022 that were not selected at that time for immediate implementation. “Through prayer, sharing, listening, dialogue and voting, each of those 409 members shared with me where they felt the Lord was leading our Archdiocese in the coming years,” the archbishop said of the June 7 gathering. “Through the next months, I will be analyzing and praying with the voting results and with the more than 3,000 comments we received on June 7, trusting in the Holy Spirit.”
After discerning and seeking the counsel of others for implementation, a short pastoral letter will be released to guide the archdiocese “from the last phase of ‘You Will Be My Witnesses’ implementation into the first phase of whatever comes next,” the archbishop said.
“While I have not yet discerned what those next priorities will be, I am happy to share with you that the three Propositions with the highest vote totals were: Discipleship in Daily Life; Adult Formation; and Welcoming & Hospitality,” the archbishop wrote.
The archbishop said his vision for the archdiocese is to continue walking in synodality for years to come. “I am already committed to convening another Synod,” he said. “While no final date or duration has been set, I did ask the members to vote on their preference: The results resoundingly suggested that we should hold another one-day Synod three years from now,” the archbishop wrote.
The pastoral planning coincides with the efforts to build small groups centered on evangelization, to pray regularly, particularly at Mass, and to “enter ever more deeply into the mystery and beauty of what is really happening in the sanctuary and the pews,” the archbishop said in his statement.
RECLAIMING SUNDAYS
Archbishop Bernard Hebda closed his Aug. 4 Synod Update statement by encouraging the faithful to read a practical “Guide to Reclaiming Sundays for the Lord” prepared by the archdiocese.
The guide provides a month-by-month framework for anyone — parents, children, single adults, young and old — to take simple steps toward reclaiming Sundays as the Lord’s Day, a much-needed day for peace and rest, the archbishop said.
The guide can be found at archspm.org/Sundays and monthly videos will be released to complement the guide, with “real-life stories from our parishes, ideal for use in our small groups or independently in your home,” the archbishop said.
