Synod Working Document now in the public domain
News
The countdown to the 2026 Synod in the Archdiocese of Adelaide has gathered pace with the release of a report setting out the concepts and thoughts that will help drive the Synod to be held in May and June.
The 46-page Synod Working Document was released last month and is the culmination of months of research and collaboration with parishioners across the Archdiocese.
The document centres on the work of five writing groups that were appointed after the Synod was convoked by Archbishop Patrick O’Regan in June last year. It reveals how the groups have developed and shaped the themes and recommendations that will guide dialogue and discernment at the Synod
This is the first draft of the working document and is open for consultation and feedback until later this month. Everyone in the Archdiocese, whether in Parishes, schools, communities, offices, ministries or agencies, is encouraged to spend time reading and reflecting on the papers.
The importance of discussing the papers and gathering feedback from all corners of every community was a pillar of Dialogue Week held at the end of February.
Monica Conway, a member of the 2026 Synod Preparatory Commission, said it is key that people are confident the feedback from the Dialogue Week conversations will be fed into a process and are not a discussion only.
“We’ll also be exploring ways to present the information back to everyone so all can have a chance to hear the diversity and the richness of ideas, hopes and realities in our Archdiocese,” she said.
Hearing the thoughts of the near 57,000 students attending enrolled in 101 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese (including Port Pirie Diocese) was a standout feature of the week.
The writing groups will now incorporate feedback from Dialogue Week into the final draft of the Synod Working Document. This document will be studied by the Synod Members and will shape Synod conversations over the two sessions in May and June 2026.
The theme papers are: Becoming Missionary Disciples, Communion in Grace – Sacrament to the World, The Mission of Catholic Education and Being Church Together, Formation for Mission and Leadership, Structures and Planning for Communion, Participation and Mission.
The Synod working document, which includes the five theme papers in full, is available online and as an audiobook via Apple and Spotify. For more information visit togetherontheway.au
