Faith Communities

The Bible is central to Christianity, but do Canadian Christians actually read and know their own scriptures? Produced with the generous support of the Canadian Bible Society, this report tries to answer that question through Cardus's work with the Angus Reid Institute surveying Canadians on their engagement with sacred texts.

Leaders at all levels need to do more to reduce hate crimes against Canada’s religious communities. That call comes from Toward a Hopeful Future: Facing Down Religious Hate, a Cardus research brief, which notes that religious hate crimes annually reported to Canadian police more than doubled between 2009 and 2021.

Is there something fundamentally incompatible between Indigenous Canadians and Christianity or other faiths? Some might say so, but many Indigenous Canadians would strongly disagree. As part of our Indigenous Voices of Faith project, we've interviewed 12 Indigenous Canadians about their religious faith and its interaction with their culture. We’ve now collected those interviews in a new booklet that you can download here.

Dcn. Gilbert Pitawanakwat shares his story of becoming a Catholic deacon and how that relates to his Anishinaabe identity.

Melissa Mbarki speaks with Fr. Dcn. Andrew Bennett about her gradual embrace of Indigenous spirituality and the variety of religious views among Indigenous Canadians.

After decades away from her Catholic faith, Dr. Rose-Alma McDonald has returned to Catholicism and speaks about how it integrates Mohawk culture.

Dcn. Rennie Nahanee’s embrace of Catholicism sees him serving as a deacon in a church in the Squamish Nation where much of the Mass is translated into the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim language.

Tal James, whose Indigenous name is Yum’Yom ala’thut, is an evangelical Christian who says, “It’s a blessing to be able to be part of both cultures, the church culture and First Nations culture.”

John Borrows, who is of Anishinaabe heritage, a committed Latter-day Saint, and the Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, shares about his faith and his connection with the natural world.

Maria Lucas, who is a Black Métis lawyer specializing in Aboriginal law, shares about her Christian faith and the path of truth, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

Marilyn Crowchild, a member of the Blackfoot First Nation, speaks about sharing the gospel with First Nations people and her hope for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Religion holds an increasingly delicate place in Canadian society according to The Shifting Landscape of Faith in Canada. This report compiles data from nine representative surveys of the Canadian population, creating one of the most comprehensive looks at religion in Canada.

Father Cristino Bouvette, who is of Métis and Cree-Ojibwe heritage, shares his view on faith and reconciliation as an Indigenous person.

Jeff Decontie, who is of Anishinaabe and Mohawk heritage, shares his experience as an urban Indigenous professional.  

Rosella Kinoshameg, from Wikwemikong on Ontario’s Manitoulin Island, shares her thoughts on faith as an Indigenous person and working as nurse in First Nations communities.

These remarks by Bill Adsit from the 2022 National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa express his views on faith, residential schools, and being Indigenous in Canada.

Freedom of religion is one of the fundamental freedoms enumerated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Advocacy of religious freedom is often misunderstood as calling for positions that would be difficult for anyone to reasonably accept.

Are students in public schools receiving the necessary formation that will support their participation in a society that is becoming increasingly diverse in religious expression? Instructing the next generations not in a religion but about religion should be a key element of Canadian education.

Conscience, though inherently individual, is vital to the common good. Using current case studies from Canada that engage freedom of conscience, this paper offers concrete recommendations as to how this human right can be robustly protected at home and abroad.

Building community has not been easy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gathering restrictions have been difficult enough for those with strong relationships, but for those who were already struggling to develop meaningful connections, the added challenges of physical distancing requirements and stay-at-home orders have simply added to their social isolation.

When we speak about public worship, especially in the Christian tradition, we often use the term liturgy. Liturgy derives from the Greek word leitourgia which originally meant any public act. Christians in particular came to refer to religious worship, which has always been a public action, as liturgy: the coming together of the Christian community to praise and hymn God; to proclaim God’s Word; to offer petitions for the community and for the world; and, for many Christians, to participate in the Eucharist. But what then? Why is public worship important? What happens after our times of public worship? What is the liturgy after the liturgy?

Ve’ahavta is a faith-based initiative of the Toronto Jewish community. Its focus is on bringing about positive change in the lives of people who have been affected by poverty, homelessness, and related forms of hardship. Its outreach activities are available to anyone who might benefit, regardless of their faith or belief.

The Welcome Home is a Catholic ministry in the North Point Douglas neighbourhood in Winnipeg’s North End. It serves as a gathering place for residents of the neighbourhood and offers weekly and monthly programs that respond to Jesus Christ’s beckoning in the Gospel of Matthew: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you” (Matthew 11:28).

Le Service d’accompagnement spirituel pour les personnes malades ou âgées à domicile (SASMAD), or as it is known in English, Pastoral Home Care, is an outreach program of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. It is a free and confidential service that provides spiritual support through home visits to those who are sick or elderly. It is volunteer based and is supported by the archdiocese and by a private Catholic foundation.

The OUR TIME project is a service initiative by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteering at the Vanier Centre for Women, a correctional facility in Milton, Ontario. Through OUR TIME, the women incarcerated at Vanier have the opportunity to record themselves reading to their children, giving them a chance to hear their mothers’ voices while they are apart.