Representatives from dioceses, religious congregations and lay movements gathered for the pre-National Assembly of the Irish Synodal Pathway in Kilkenny on Saturday 18th October. Participants shared experiences, listened to one another and reflected on how the Church in Ireland can grow in communion, participation and mission. Many spoke of the need for continued formation and opportunities to learn how to live synodality in daily pastoral life. In the same spirit, the Evangelii Gaudium Centre (CEG) of the Sophia University Institute (Italy), in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome, is offering a new international online course:
“Praxis for a Synodal Church” beginning on 3rd November 2025.
This initiative offers a valuable next step for all who wish to deepen the journey of synodality, in Ireland and beyond.
The synodal pathway in Ireland has been marked by dialogue, listening and new forms of collaboration, for example the workshop with Maria do Sameiro, General Secretary of the Evangelii Gaudium Centre (CEG) of the Sophia University Institute and Andrew Spiteri, Consultant, held in the Focolare Centre last July (https://focolareireland.org/2025/07/15/walking-together-deepening-synodality-in-ireland-and-beyond/).
Now, as the universal Church moves into the implementation phase of the global synodal process, there is a renewed invitation to translate vision into concrete practice. The new Praxis for a Synodal Church course offers precisely this kind of formation, equipping participants to build communities of listening, dialogue and shared mission.
About the course
- Opening Webinar – Open to All:
The course begins with an online webinar on Monday, 3rd November 2025 (5.00 – 7.00 pm Irish time), held in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod.
Speakers include Mgr Luis Marín de San Martín, Sr Nathalie Becquart, Fr Giacomo Costa, and Dr Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, moderated by Prof Declan O’Byrne, Rector of Sophia University Institute.
This session is free and open to everyone, offering a rich opportunity for all engaged in the synodal journey. - Course Format:
The programme runs from November 2025 to April 2026, offering online sessions (with translation into English, Portuguese, Spanish, French and German) and a final workshop. The cost of the course is 50 euro.
Modules include:- New Paths for a Synodal Praxis (Nov–Dec 2025)
- The “Ministry” of Facilitation (Jan–Feb 2026)
- Facilitation Workshop (April 2026)
- Aim:
The course aims to support participants, lay, religious and clergy, in discovering how to embody synodality within their own contexts: parishes, dioceses, movements, schools or civic life.
A shared invitation
For the Catholic Church in Ireland, this is a timely resource to accompany the synodal process at parish, diocesan and national levels. Parishes, pastoral councils, religious communities and lay movements are encouraged to share the course information and to join the opening session online.
As we experienced last July, “Together we go to God, to be gathered into the family of believers; by living for each other in a spirit of mutual love and respect we become more ecumenical, more carers for our planet, more sensitive to God’s presence in nature…”
May this course help nurture that same spirit among us — deepening our capacity to walk together as Church, open to the Spirit’s guidance in Ireland and throughout the world.
More information and registration:
www.sophiauniversity.org/centro-evangelii-gaudium
www.focolareireland.org