During his visit, he met with representatives of the diocese, deans, formators of the seminary, and members of the diocesan synodal team. The visit culminated in a Solemn Holy Mass at the Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows in Poprad.
The Goal of Synodality Is Evangelization
Cardinal Ryś’s morning meeting with the deans, seminary formators, and those responsible for the diocesan centres for youth, family, and Roma pastoral ministry focused primarily on synodality and its significance for the life and mission of the Church.
The Cardinal emphasized that synodality is not an end in itself – the goal is evangelization. According to him, the Church evangelizes above all through the witness of a community that is able to live in unity amid diversity.
He also recalled the dignity and unique gifts of every baptized person. The Holy Spirit distributes his gifts throughout the entire community, and therefore it is important to learn to listen to one another, discern together, and cooperate.
As one of the images of a synodal Church, he pointed to the liturgy, which is not celebrated by an individual alone, but by the whole community. Each person does what belongs to them according to their particular ministry, and together they form one body.
Cardinal Ryś also stressed that synodality is not primarily about reforming structures, but an invitation to personal and relational conversion, to mutual listening, shared responsibility, and unity.
Creating Space for the Holy Spirit to Act
In the afternoon, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś met with members of the diocesan synodal team. The meeting focused primarily on the practical implementation of synodality in the diocese and individual parishes, the role of pastoral councils, the charisms of the laity, and the action of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.
The Cardinal encouraged those present not to be afraid of taking gradual steps and to begin implementing what is already possible today. “Do what is possible. Not everything can be done at once, and not everyone will get involved. It is a process,” he emphasized. According to him, synodality requires time, patience, and, above all, a concrete experience of community.
He devoted particular attention to parish pastoral councils and the role of the laity. The Church, he said, should recognize the charisms that the Holy Spirit gives to individual members of the faithful and create space for these gifts to serve the good of the whole community. Synodality should therefore not remain merely a topic of discussion, but should become a way of listening together, discerning, and making concrete pastoral decisions.
A central theme of the meeting was the action of the Holy Spirit. “We are not here to control the Holy Spirit, but to create space for him to act,” the Cardinal said.
He recalled that Christians are called not merely to create their own projects “for God,” but above all to recognize what God is already doing and to take part in his work.
“We are called to look at what the Holy Spirit is doing in the Church and join in. Let us take part in God’s works, rather than only in our own works for God,” he said during the meeting.
Cardinal Ryś concluded by recalling that the synodal journey takes place above all through concrete relationships, communal discernment, and the experience of a living Christian community. Evangelization is never the work of an individual, but of the whole community.
Celebration of Our Lady of Sorrows in Poprad
Cardinal Ryś’s visit culminated in an evening Solemn Holy Mass at the Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows in Poprad, celebrated on the feast of the Patroness of Slovakia.
In his homily, the Cardinal encouraged the faithful to entrust their lives, worries, and difficult situations to the Virgin Mary. The Mother of God accompanies us and leads us to Christ even in situations where human strength is no longer enough.
Cardinal Ryś also emphasized the importance of regularly reading Sacred Scripture. The Word of God, he said, should not remain merely a book on a shelf, but should become a daily light for our decisions, relationships, and the whole of Christian life.
Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś’s visit thus offered the Diocese of Spiš not only an opportunity to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows together, but also a space for reflection and dialogue on synodality, evangelization, and building the Church as a community in which every baptized person has their own place and mission.
