Synod Commission Sets Love, Listening, Faith
The 28-member Synod Preparatory Commission named three guiding values as the archdiocese prepares for Synod 2027.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Catholicism
The Synod Preparatory Commission, a 28-member body of laypeople, clergy and religious from the archdiocese, has articulated three guiding values for Synod 2027: love, listening and faith. The Commission oversees the synod's organization and reviews takeaways from Conversations in the Spirit.
Why it matters
The values set the tone for the archdiocese's synodal discernment process, which will shape how Cincinnati Catholics participate in the local Church over the coming year. The Commission also examines Vatican documents on diocesan synods and applies that guidance locally.
The Commission is composed of 28 men and women from the archdiocese, and about 10 months remain before Synod 2027 concludes at the next year's General Assembly Session. The source does not detail how the three values will translate into specific synod activities.
The players
Synod Preparatory Commission
A 28-member body of laypeople, clergy and religious that oversees the organization and progress of Synod 2027 for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Catholic archdiocese in which Synod 2027 is taking place and whose members serve on the Preparatory Commission.
The details
The Commission examines Vatican guidance on diocesan synods and discerns themes for further consideration through prayer and discussion. Articulating the top three values required significant discussion and debate among members.
Timeline
Article on the Commission's guiding values published November 2, 2026.
Commission work continues for the next 10 months through the synod's conclusion.
Synod 2027 concludes at the next year's General Assembly Session.
Culture Shift
The Commission is applying Vatican documents on diocesan synods to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, placing the local process within the wider Church-wide synodal framework. The three values it chose, love, listening and faith, frame how that framework will be lived out in Cincinnati parishes.
Catholics in the Cincinnati area who want to take part can sign up for Conversations in the Spirit through the archdiocese's website. Participation is one concrete way to contribute to the synod's listening process over the coming months.
The takeaway
Readers who want to shape the synod can join a listening conversation now rather than waiting for its conclusion. The three guiding values offer a framework for how those conversations can be approached.
What happens next
Conversations in the Spirit continues through the 10-month synod process, with sign-up available online before the synod concludes at the next year's General Assembly Session.
Further reading
For more on the local Church, see Catholicism coverage in Cincinnati.
More information
Sign up for Conversations in the Spirit through the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's official site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Catholic Telegraph.
