Mr. Stephen Pawlowski of Bensalem, Bucks County and Mr. Edward Klenk of Warrington, Bucks County are among the 27 people who have been appointed to a General Preparatory Commission for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Synod which will be held in the Fall of 2002. A Synod gathers the members of the local Church to consider prayerfully and seriously the current state of the Church's life in order to create a vision and a plan for the future.

Mr. Pawlowski is President of Archbishop Ryan High School. He and his wife Anna Marie have three children: Denise; Stephen and Christine. The couple have six grandchildren and they belong to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bucks County. Mr. Klenk is General Manager at Premier Products Co., a supplier of commercial doors and hinges. He and his wife Maureen have two sons: Matthew and Michael. The Klenks belong to Saint Robert Bellarmine in Warrington where both Klenk boys play music for Sunday masses.

The Synod to be held in the Fall of 2002 is an historic event in the lives of the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It has been sixty-eight years since the Archdiocese held a Synod. The calling of this Tenth Synod for the Archdiocese by Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, is the culmination of a series of planning programs. It affords the Archbishop a special opportunity for him to hear the voice of his people on their hopes, concerns and desires for the faith they hold in communion with him and one another. Mr. Pawlowski of Bensalem said, "This is a great opportunity for the people in the Philadelphia Archdiocese to participate and have a voice in the activities of the Church. This is an excellent way to give input and direction."

The 27 members of the General Preparatory Commission are charged with writing a Directory which guides the preparations for the Synod and the norms for conducting its meetings. One of the important tasks of the Commission is to devise a method for all of the people of the Archdiocese to express their needs and concerns to Cardinal Bevilacqua as input for the Archbishop's eventual selection of the topics for the Synod. According to Mr. Klenk, "The Synod's focus is on the future of the Church. It is an honor to be part of a vision for the Church in the Archdiocese."

The consultation of the people to have their "voices" heard will be in two parts. The first part, this fall, will ask anyone interested to write down their own needs and hopes. The second part, in the spring of 2002, will invite people to assemblies or regional meetings and ask them to respond to possible topics. The sessions of the Synod will be held on several days during Fall 2002. The matters that are placed before the Synod at its sessions will result in recommendations to be considered by the Archbishop. Additional information about the Tenth Synod of Philadelphia at www.synod-phl.org.

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Donna Farrell
Broadcast and Media Specialist
215-587-3747