Catholic Praxis

SYNERGY 2026 CONFERENCE

November 3 – 5, 2026 Chelsea Hotel, Toronto

Many Catholic organizations currently operate in silos, even though they serve overlapping populations. This conference marks a first step toward breaking down those silos, encouraging dialogue, and identifying opportunities for joint action.

The goal is not to stretch already limited resources further. In our sectors where the focus is on care, dignity, and justice, trying to do more with less can compromise the very people we aim to support. Instead, we are embracing the idea of doing more together: building stronger relationships, fostering collaborative projects, and creating opportunities that amplify our impact without sacrificing quality or compassion.

This conference, as reflected in its current title, Synergy, is about unity, clarity, and transformation. It is a strategic effort to strengthen our collective voice and capacity to serve.

Early Bird Registration is Now Open!

Program Summary

Keynote Speakers
Networking Opportunities
Panel Discussions
World Cafe Sessions
Workshops

Registration & Accommodations

To participate in Synergy 2026, attendees can register online and take advantage of early booking discounts.

Standard Registration: The cost for the full three-day conference is $600 plus tax.
Early Bird Discount: Register early to save $100 on the total cost.
Accommodations: Special group rates are available at the Chelsea Hotel (33 Gerrard St. W.) for conference attendees.

The Pricing for the conference does not include accommodations

Who Will be There?

COMING SOON

Invitation for Proposals

We invite practitioners, educators, researchers, community leaders, and innovators across both the Catholic and broader communities—including those in health, education, community services, as well as clergy and pastoral leaders—to share their insights, research, and lived experience at our upcoming conference on Catholic Social Teaching (CST) in Practice.

We welcome proposals that illustrate how CST values—human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, the common good, integral ecology, and preferential care for the vulnerable—can transform both systems and daily practice.

Presentation Categories:

Papers
Posters
Panels
Conversation Circles

Proposal submission deadline: Monday, June 1st, 2026

Sponsorship Opportunities

Synergy 2026 offers a unique opportunity to connect with Catholic leaders across Canada and demonstrate your organization’s commitment to meaningful social impact.

Why Sponsor Synergy 2026?

Brand Visibility
Mission Alignment
Strategic Networking
Collaborative Impact

Sponsorship Levels:

Platinum Sponsors: $20,000
Emerald Sponsors: $10,000
Gold Sponsors: $5,000
Silver Sponsors: $2,500
Custom Impact Sponsorship: Inquire

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching, or CST, offers the Church’s shared wisdom on how our faith takes flesh in the social, economic, and political realities of the world. Rooted in the inherent dignity of every person, CST invites us to see human flourishing not in isolation but in relationship.

As Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’, “everything is connected,” a conviction that lies at the heart of what he describes as integral human development. Rather than offering ready-made solutions, CST provides guiding principles that help us discern faithful responses to the complex challenges of our contemporary world – principles that, in Francis’s words, speak not only to Christians but also to “all people seeking paths of justice, peace, and solidarity.

1. Dignity of the Human Person

Every person has inherent dignity because they are created in the image and likeness of God. This foundation requires a focus on "Integral Human Development," which promotes the well-being of every person in every dimension of life.

2. Common Good

We must organize society—economically, politically, and legally—to prioritize the good of the entire human family over commercial interests. Human dignity can only be fully realized and protected through our relationships with society-at-large.

3. Solidarity

This is a commitment to the community and a recognition that we are all interconnected and "in this together". It involves fighting the structural causes of poverty and inequality to prioritize the life of all over the goods of a few.

4. Preferential Option for the Poor

A society is morally tested by how it treats its most vulnerable members. We are called to prioritize the needs of the poor over the desires of the rich and ensure workers' rights take priority over the maximization of profits.

5. Stewardship of Creation

The Earth is sacred and must be protected and cherished for its intrinsic value. We are responsible for holding the environment in trust for future generations, cultivating it with responsible freedom.

6. Subsidiarity & the Role of Government

Functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible, provided they can be handled adequately. The state's primary task is to promote human dignity and protect the rights and duties of all citizens.

7. Participation

Because human beings are social, everyone has the right and the duty to participate in the community and in decisions that affect their lives. No one should be excluded from contributing to the cultural, economic, or political life of their society.

8. Rights & Responsibilities

Every person has a right to the things required for human dignity, which are innately linked to the responsibility to ensure those same rights for others. A just society requires that people recognize their mutual duties to establish a fair civic order.

9. Economic Justice:

The economy must serve the people rather than people serving the economy. All persons have a right to dignified work and fair wages, and consumers have a moral responsibility to use their purchasing power for social good.

10. Peace

Peace is more than just the absence of war; it is a positive "enterprise of justice" and the fruit of charity. It represents being in a right relationship with God and with one another.

“From the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace”