102 members of the Synod
belong to the cantonal church parliament. They decide what to do with the money collected from church tax payers and therefore have a decisive role in shaping the activities of the church in the Canton of Zurich. The members of the Synod are organized in geographical groups, i.e. in groups that represent the church districts of Albis, Oberland, Winterthur, and Zurich, and, among other things, they elect the Synodal Council (Synodalrat—the executive) and the Appeals Commission (Rekurskommission—the judiciary).
Shaping the activities of the church: the Synod (German-language)
118 Catholic church buildings
stand in the Canton of Zurich. Practically all of them were built in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since the start of the Reformation about 500 years ago, all the older churches in Zurich have been the property of the Reformed churches. The Canton of Zurich reflects architectural history, and it is also a place where modern church architecture is of great importance. The youngest Catholic church in the canton, the church building in Bonstetten, was consecrated in 2016. The money spent on the building and upkeep of church buildings also benefits the region’s building trade.
Sacral buildings in the Canton of Zurich (German-language)
485 members of the congregational administration
manage the administrative affairs (as opposed to the pastoral affairs) of 74 church congregations (pastoral matters are the remit of the “parishes”). The congregational administration (Kirchenpflege), which is elected by the members of the church, has chief responsibility for administration of the congregation (Kirchgemeinde) and also organizes the congregational assembly (the legislature) and the election of Synod members, clergy and parish commissioners Congregational administrations work in close collaboration with the pastoral teams and also maintain contacts with the relevant civic communities as well as with other religious communities.
Find out more about our church congregations (German-language)