The journey during 2025 will be approached through the stance of “Hope,” which reflects the spirit of the Jubilee Year in the Universal Church. In spring 2025, diocesan and parish gatherings will bring people together to review the themes that emerged from listening in Ireland and identify priorities for action to be considered at future Synodal Assemblies in October 2026 and beyond.

These spring gatherings will lead to a national pre-assembly on 18 October 2025, where representatives will reflect on the year’s insights and set future priorities for the Catholic Church in Ireland. Throughout the year, parishes, dioceses, and groups are encouraged to implement the Universal Synod’s outcomes, considering them in light of Ireland’s unique context.

Dioceses, parishes and groups holding gatherings this spring will find the resources they need here. These resources include:

• a guide for the facilitator(s)
• accompanying PowerPoint presentation
• a video resource on hope
• a handout of the themes that emerged in Ireland during the universal synodal process for participants attending a local gathering
• videos of the themes that emerged in Ireland during the universal synodal process for participants to reflect upon before attending a local gathering

Below are the 17 themes that emerged during the listening conversations in Ireland for the Universal Synod. These include the 15 original themes from the National Synthesis and the additional themes that emerged during the further consultation between the 2023 and 2024 assemblies in Rome. Participants are invited to watch each of the videos in advance of attending a gathering in their diocese/parish/group.