“For a shared mission” is the prayer intention chosen by Francis for October: a theme linked to the upcoming general assembly of the Synod, which the Pope reflects in the message entrusted to his World Prayer Network. He asks all Christians – lay people, priests, religious – to “walk together along the path of synodality,” explaining that “we are co-responsible in the mission, we participate and live in communion with the Church.”
The video that accompanies his words is also a sign of synodality: the images were produced by the Diocese of Brooklyn, with the help of DeSales Media, the collaboration of the General Secretariat of the Synod itself, and the support of the Pope’s Fondazione Pro Rete Mondiale di Preghiera.
Working together
Whether one is a “bus driver” or a “farmer” or a “fisherman,” Francis stressed, the mission is the same: “to bear witness with one’s own life,” “each one contributing what he knows best.” In this co-responsibility, one works together, regardless of one’s vocation: “We priests are not the bosses of the laity, but their shepherds. Jesus has called us one after the other, not one above the other, but to complement one another,” he explains at the beginning of his message. And he adds, shortly afterwards: “The laity, the baptized, are in the Church in their own house, and they must take care of it. The same as we, the priests, the consecrated.”
A shared mission
The images that accompany Francis’ message tell precisely the richness of the holy people of God (Lumen Gentium, 12): the various ministers inside and outside the parishes, the different charisms, the moments of life in common. The very production of this video by the Diocese of Brooklyn, with the participation of a group of lay professionals in religious communication, is an example of a mission of solidarity. “I am very pleased that DeSales Media has been selected to work on the October Pope Video project. Through our partnership with DeSales Media, we have highlighted the contributions of the laity in our diocese and challenged the faithful to create a bold, joyful and welcoming community of faith and service,” said Monsignor Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn. DeSales Media, a communications and media ministry of the Diocese of Brooklyn, partnered with the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network to produce Pope Francis’ October message on shared responsibility. “Our team strives to live out our shared mission every day. As communication professionals, we have been called to put our talents and expertise at the service of the Church,” said Dominic Ambrosio, Director of Programming and Production for DeSales Media, adding, “We hope that our efforts in producing this video will inspire others to share even more of their talents and faith.”
Synodality as a way of life
In his address for the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, Francis said that “synodality is the path that God expects of the Church of the third millennium.” This approach requires mutual listening and close collaboration among all members of the Church. For this reason, in his prayer intention, the Pope invites us to pray so that “the Church continues to support by all means a synodal lifestyle, under the sign of co-responsibility, promoting participation, communion and shared mission among priests, religious and lay people.”
A common call
Father Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, reflects: “This month of October 2024 marks a crucial moment with the celebration of the Synodal Assembly in Rome, the culmination of a journey that began three years ago and is full of expectations, desires and hopes. A time to listen, in the midst of the spiritual combat that will inevitably be present, to what the Spirit of the Lord says to the Church. In The Pope Video, Francis emphasizes the essential: ‘We are co-responsible in the mission.’ This approach, as the Pope points out, should be natural, since we are all baptized in Christ. However, the fact that it takes three years to become aware of its necessity reflects the challenges facing the Church on its journey towards true synodality.
As the Holy Father has reminded us many times, ‘without prayer there will be no Synod’. Only prayer can transform hearts attached to human traditions and self-interest and make the Church more faithful to the Gospel. In this crucial month, the Pope invites us to join together in prayer for the Synod, so that it may be a true moment of encounter, mutual listening and communal discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit.”
This month’s Pope Video was made possible thanks to the help of the Diocese of Brooklyn through the creative contribution of DeSales Media, the support of the Fondazione Pro Rete Mondiale di Preghiera del Papa and the collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. It can be made every month thanks to the selfless contribution of many people. Donations can be made at this link.
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About The Pope Video
The Pope Video is an official global initiative that aims to spread the Holy Father’s monthly prayer intentions. It is developed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer). Since 2016, The Pope Video has been viewed more than 229 million times on all Vatican social networks, and is translated into more than 100 languages. The video is available in 23 languages and has been broadcast in 114 countries. This video is produced and directed by the Pope’s Video Prayer Network team, coordinated by Andrea Sarubbi, and distributed by the La Machi Communications agency for Good Causes. The project is supported by Vatican Media. More information at: elvideodelpapa.org
About the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a Pontifical Work whose mission is to mobilize Catholics through prayer and action in response to the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church. These challenges are presented in the form of prayer intentions entrusted by the Pope to the entire Church. Its mission is inscribed in the dynamics of the Heart of Jesus, a mission of compassion for the world. It was founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer. It is present in 89 countries and is made up of more than 22 million Catholics. It includes its youth branch, the EYM – Eucharistic Youth Movement. In December 2020 the Pope established this pontifical work as a Vatican foundation and approved its new statutes. Its International Director is Fr. Frédéric Fornos, SJ. More information at: prayerofthepope.va
About the Diocese of Brooklyn
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn serves the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. It is presided over by the eighth Bishop of Brooklyn, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan. Founded in 1853, the Diocese of Brooklyn sought to meet the needs of the more than five million Irish Catholic immigrants who, tired and poor, came to the port of New York in search of a better life, many of whom settled in Brooklyn and Queens. Today, the Diocese of Brooklyn continues its vibrant and diverse history, once again home to an immigrant population, this time driven by Hispanic, Asian, African and Eastern European migrants. Masses are celebrated regularly in 26 different languages throughout the diocese, through 175 parishes in more than 200 churches. Within its borders is the seventh-largest network of Catholic schools in the United States, with 69 elementary schools and academies educating 17,981 students. There are 9,880 baptisms, 7,488 first communions, 7,364 confirmations and 1,254 Catholic marriages celebrated each year. More information: dioceseofbrooklyn.org
About DeSales Media
DeSales Media is a communications, technology and media organization that strives to engage Catholics deeper in their faith through a data-driven approach to communications, coupled with engaging content and design. Its mission is to assist Catholic pastors, bishops and organizations with the tools and support needed to optimize their formation, education and evangelization work in a digital apostolic age. DeSales publishes The Tablet and Our Voice and produces a nightly newscast that reaches over 100,000 people on the 24/7 broadcast channel, NET TV. It supports parishes and schools with a web platform to inspire and connect Catholics. More information: desalesmedia.org
About the Fondazione Pro Rete Mondiale di Preghiera del Papa
The Fondazione Pro Rete Mondiale di Preghiera del Papa, created in January 2024, is a non-profit organization that aims to support the international activities and projects of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. The modalities can be multiple: organization and management of cultural, artistic and recreational activities; charitable initiatives in support of the most disadvantaged: promotion and protection of human, civil and social rights; support for spiritual or missionary activities in the poorest or most disadvantaged areas of the world where the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network operates, directly or through its local offices and parish groups of the Apostleship of Prayer or the Eucharistic Youth Movement. Finally, the Foundation aims to promote, through specific activities of a popular, formative or meditative nature, the importance of spirituality and prayer as effective instruments for the promotion of peace.
About the Synod on Synodality
The Synod on Synodality (2021-2024), which addresses the theme “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”, is intended to be a process that offers an opportunity for the entire People of God to discern together how to advance on the path to becoming a more synodal Church in the long term. Synodality denotes the particular style that characterizes the life and mission of the Church, expressing its nature as the People of God who walk and gather in assembly, called by the Lord Jesus with the power of the Holy Spirit to announce the Gospel. Synodality must be expressed in the ordinary way of living and working of the Church. More information: www.synod.va/en/the-synod-on-synodality/what-is-the-synod-about
