consult members about the future direction the church should take.

The announcement was made by the Most Reverend Robert Kurtz, Bishop of Hamilton, in a letter to parishioners which was handed out at mass.

The bishop identifies the lack of priests as the most serious problem facing the 8,000-strong Catholic community on the Island.

At present, there is only one Bermudian-born priest, Father Glen Baptiste, the rector of St. Theresa's Cathedral in Hamilton.

Synods are rare occurrences and this will be the first one to be held in the 33 year history of the diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda.

In his letter, the bishop notes that in the diocese of Angra in the Acores, only one synod has been held in its 466-year history -- and that was in 1599.

The synod will take place on December 9 and 10 and its purpose is to help the bishop formulate his pastoral plan for the Catholic Church in Bermuda.

The synod will be composed of the Island's priests, members of the Diocesan Pastoral council and Finance Committee, one from each of the parish pastoral councils, and one lay member from each of the six parishes.

In his letter, Bishop Kurtz states: "Our church is facing serious challenges, not the least of which is the lack of priests to assure us the possibility of our sacramental life in the future.'' Parishioners will be asked to prioritise five needs which have been identified: promoting young men to join the priesthood; encouraging inactive Catholics to come back to the church; encouraging greater church involvement; tending to the needs of single parent families as well as traditional families; and providing chances for people to learn more about the bible.