“Enabling everyone to participate is an essential ecclesial duty!  All the baptized, for baptism is our identity card.”
—Pope Francis

Encouraging the Participation of All

General Principles: 

• Assess who is “at the table” – what are the demographic characteristics of your parish territory?  Think about average age, race/ethnicity, if there are any dominant occupations (farming, factories, large employers), if there are any locally run facilities (prisons/jails, group homes, assisted living or long-term care facilities), what the average socio-economic status is.  Compare this to your parish demographics – who is missing? 

• Intentionally invite people from those under-represented groups to participate in the process and explain what it will look like.  Ask what will facilitate their participation and eliminate barriers when possible (specific ideas below). 

• Be flexible in planning your listening sessions and in the way feedback is received. 

• Below are some possible groups of people that may be on the margins in your parish, some of the barriers that they may experience, and some suggestions and resources of how to address these barriers.  This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor are the barriers mentioned always experienced, nor are the suggestions always the appropriate ones.  It is always best to ask the individuals involved about their own experience. 

People with Disabilities: 

Barriers 
• Physical accessibility. 
• Understanding of the documents/questions/process. 
• Transportation. 

Suggestions 
• Ensure your listening sessions are held in a physically accessible space in your parish. 
• Utilize pictures or simple questions (see guide from Newark below) in your listening sessions.  If you know participants may have intellectual disabilities, speak with them/their families beforehand about what will be most helpful and provide materials ahead of time. 
• Provide flexibility in terms of collecting responses – perhaps a facilitator can speak with them by Zoom or by phone rather than require attendance at a parish listening session. 

Resources 
• Anne Masters of the Archdiocese of Newark has put together a wealth of resources about facilitating participation in the synodal process, including questions posed in simple English and which can be found here: https://www.rcan.org/www.rcan.org/disabilities/Accessible-Synodality-Planning. 
• The National Catholic Partnership on Disability has an Inclusive Participation Assessment Tool, which can be found here: https://ncpd.org/files/resources-toolkits/LAMB_Assessment_Key_English.pdf  
• Portland Metro area transportation – TriMet Lift program: https://trimet.org/lift/  

Hispanic Community: 

Barriers 
• Language. 
• Timing of the listening sessions. 

Suggestions 
• Find parishioners who are bilingual/bicultural and willing to help serve as emcees and table facilitators.  Have bilingual tables, as well as mono-lingual tables, while encouraging as much cross-cultural sharing as possible. 
• Host listening sessions at varied times taking into account the work patterns of your community to encourage as much participation as possible. 
• Make announcements at all Masses and explicitly encourage participation of all.  Provide flexible ways to receive feedback. 
• Work cooperatively as a vicariate to make the best use of your resources (bilingual facilitators, etc.) 

Resources 
• Archdiocesan Prayer in Spanish and English: https://archdpdx.org/synod-prayer  
• USCCB Spanish Synod resources: https://www.usccb.org/resources/lista-de-elementos-y-materiales-de-referencia  

Incarcerated: 

Divorced and/or Remarried Catholics: 

Barriers 
• Timing of the listening sessions. 
• Childcare. 
• Stigma. 

Suggestions 
• Have listening sessions at various times and offer an in-person or online option.  Consider shortening some of the sessions.  Collaborate across the vicariate to make sure you have varied options and share those with your parishioners. 
• If COVID-safe, consider offering childcare for one or more listening sessions. 
• Encourage facilitators to be mindful of the stigma that divorced or remarried Catholics may feel from others in attendance and work to keep the conversation on track. 

Elderly: 

Barriers 
• Transportation. 
• COVID safety concerns. 
• Technological access. 

Suggestions 
• Offer in-person and virtual listening sessions across the vicariate.  Provide information about how to access a Zoom call, or if that is not feasible, provide a way to receive written responses.   
• Utilize already existing ministers to the homebound to collect feedback, perhaps using a simplified and/or shortened version. 
• Reach out to local assisted living facilities to see if there are residents who would be interested in participating. 

Resources 
• USCCB Resources: https://www.usccb.org/topics/marriage-and-family-life-ministries/grandparents-elderly, https://www.usccb.org/topics/marriage-and-family-life-ministries/blessings-age. 
• Sharing the Wisdom of Time: https://www.sharingwisdomoftime.com/.

Families with Young Children: