A Workshop on Synodality with International Perspectives 28th-29th June 2025, Focolare Centre, Prosperous, Co. Kildare
Alongside the universal Synodal Journey, the Church in Ireland continues to advance along its Synodal Pathway, marked by national and diocesan events and widespread training initiatives. In this dynamic context, a unique opportunity is coming up in Ireland in June: a weekend workshop on synodality will be hosted at Curryhills House in Prosperous, Co. Kildare.
The workshop is a welcome development linked to the pioneering three-year international online course coordinated by the Evangelii Gaudium Centre1 at Sophia University Institute (Italy), in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome. While inspired by the online course, this weekend workshop is a distinct and accessible initiative, open to all who wish to engage with synodal processes, there is no requirement to have participated in the full course. This initiative represents a wonderful opportunity for Ireland, bringing valuable global insights and engagement with synodal processes to the local context.
Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, gave the inaugural address of the international course, which began in 2022 and concludes in 2025. His opening lecture set a profound theological and pastoral foundation2. Since then, over 600 participants from around the world—including several from Ireland—have taken part. Irish participants have praised the course for its depth, practicality, and spiritual richness.
Seán O’Donnell from Co. Down, who has taken part in all three years of the course, felt that: “The course brought Vatican II alive (in an accessible and inclusive way). The group sharing was at times very powerful.” Sinead Cullen from Wexford said, “The course is helpful to explore conversations in the spirit. It is good to offer opportunities of these spiritual encounters cantered on attentive listening and discerning together what the Holy Spirit is saying.”

Responding to this enthusiasm, the in-person workshop will take place on 28th-29th June 2025, with an optional residential start on Friday evening, 27th June. It is open to all those committed to fostering synodality in their parishes, dioceses, and communities.

The workshop will be facilitated by Maria do Sameiro Freitas (Portugal) and Andrew Spiteri (Malta), both experienced trainers and members of the Focolare Movement. Maria, Secretary General of the Evangelii Gaudium Centre and coordinator of the global synodality course, brings extensive international experience. Andrew is a certified facilitator with a global portfolio of workshops on synodal processes and has contributed directly to the Synod on Synodality in Rome (2023–24). Among the contributors to the workshop is Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick, who is a member of the Irish Synodal Team and participated in the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2023 and 2024.

Participants will explore the theological foundations and spirituality of synodality, and engage in practices such as spiritual conversation, active listening, and communal discernment. The weekend offers a rich opportunity to gain both understanding and experience in making the local Church more participatory and missionary.
Registration is open until 15th June 2025. Download Flyer – A Workshop on Synodality

1 The Evangelii Gaudium Centre (CEG) is a centre for formation, study and research focused on promoting “new evangelization” within the Church. It aligns with Sophia University’s approach to education and aims to support work in ecclesiology, pastoral and mission theology, spiritual theology and the theology of charisms, considering diverse socio-cultural and ecclesial contexts. In essence, it’s a hub for academic work centred on modern approaches to Church mission and related theological fields. https://www.sophiauniversity.org/it/centro-evangelii-gaudium-2/
2 https://www.sophiauniversity.org/en/news/training-in-synodality-review-the-first-lesson-online/