By Kati Dijane – The Department of Evangelisation hosted the third leg of its Synod on Synodality implementation phase workshop on Saturday, 18 April 2026, at Christ the King Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg.
This time, it focused on training facilitators on listening circles, which are structured, prayerful and inclusive dialogues, designed to foster a “listening church”. More than 200 people, representing the eight deaneries in the archdiocese, were in attendance. The diverse group included young people, members of sodalities, lay parishioners, priests and religious sisters.
Meaning of Synodality
Synodality, a term that comes from the Greek words meaning “together” (syn) and “way/journey” (hodos), means the Church, as the people of God journeying and working together, expressing communion through listening, dialogue and shared discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit, to fulfil its mission. Envisioned by Pope Francis, synodality, whose final document was published in October 2024 under the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission”, is a participatory church in which bishops, clergy and laity are involved in decision-making and spiritual renewal.
Under the guidance of the vicar for the department, Father Bruce Botha, those in attendance were trained to facilitate listening circles in their parishes. They were divided into groups to take part in this methodology. Facilitators were told that listening circles aimed to promote deep, respectful listening, allowing participants to share experiences and perspectives without debate. “Centred on spiritual discernment, this method,” said Father Botha, “ensures all voices are heard and valued, fostering communion and uncovering the Holy Spirit’s movement in the community.”
Listening Circles
He added that listening circles are a way for groups of people to come together and share on a particular theme. During the training exercise on the day, the methodology of the listening circle included:
- Setup, where participants sat in a circle with a facilitator managing time and ensuring everyone got a chance to speak.
- Spirituality and process, which involved prayerful silence and sharing of personal experiences in multiple rounds.
The three rounds of listening include:
- First round: Sharing, where each person shares their experiences on a topic without interruptions.
- Second round: Responding, where participants share what resonated most with them from the first round, focusing on what moved them during moments of silence.
- Third round: Discerning, where the group discusses common themes and identifies where the Holy Spirit was active in the conversation.
The focus is on dialogue and sharing, not debate or formulating immediate conclusions.
The topic that was discussed in the listening circle during the session was: How is this journeying together happening in your local church (parish/archdiocese)?
What Not to Do
After this exercise, Father Botha shared common mistakes that facilitators should avoid. These include:
- Dominance and bias, by talking too much, driving a hidden agenda, reacting instead of adapting and modelling teaching behaviour instead of learning behaviour, denying members the chance to think freely.
- Poor management of group dynamics, by allowing dominators to take more than their share of time, ignoring quiet participants and ignoring conflict by allowing discussions to become personal, emotional or confrontational rather than focusing on the theme.
- Letting sub-groups disrupt by allowing side conversations or cliques to affect the team’s performance, losing focus and not managing time.
The next workshop will be on 18 July, focusing on spirituality, governance and mission, ahead of the closing of the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality, on 18 and 19 September 2026.
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