Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, said in the process to create a more "synodal church," one where every member contributes and all listen to each other, "we are touching something divine, and prayer is essential."
The synod office, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network and the women's International Union of Superiors General have joined forces not only to encourage prayers, but to collect them, share them and build a global community of people praying for the synod and each other.
Their efforts are built on two main platforms: an updated version of Click to Pray, an app and website run by the prayer network, and www.prayforthesynod.va. Both were unveiled Oct. 19 at a Vatican news conference.
The superiors general are soliciting prayers for the synod and its preparation process from members of women's and men's monasteries and contemplative communities. Through Oct. 31, those prayers will be posted on the website; beginning Nov. 1, anyone can submit a prayer, said Patrizia Morgante, UISG communications officer. The prayers also will be posted on the Click to Pray 2.0 app and can be added to the websites of religious orders, parishes or dioceses with an RSS feed.
In addition to carrying prayers for the synod, especially during the preparatory phase that began in early October, the upgraded Click to Pray app has added features, including notifications so that people can set it to remind them to pray at the time they choose each morning, midday and night.
