The Church in Canada

A new research paper from the Cardus think tank urges Canadian policymakers to keep the Nordic Model prostitution law framework. The paper argues that terms like sex work downplay how the practice violates human dignity.

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow founded the charity Mary's Meals following a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina more than 30 years ago.

While traveling through the war-torn streets of the country, MacFarlane-Barrow and his brother delivered supplies in a Jeep. Although the brothers originally intended to return to their work as fish farmers in Argyll, Scotland, MacFarlane-Barrow transitioned from his ordinary life to lead the mission.

Joe Woodard writes in The Catholic Register that spouses should accept one another as complete gifts from God, noting that the union of paternal and maternal authority in a family requires more than one partner simply acting as a boss.

The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec held its first Great Missionary Assembly to discuss how the Church in Quebec can transform to fulfill its mission. More than 250 people from all dioceses attended the three day event to listen to the needs of the local Church.

Participants sat at tables to discern changes needed for the Church's future. Attendees included bishops, diocesan staff, priests, deacons, pastoral agents, and those responsible for parish management and chancery matters. The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec organized the gathering to address concrete challenges faced by local parishes and diocesan services.

The Diocese of Charlottetown will hold a Mass of Thanksgiving and a reception for Martin and Earla Avery on October 14, 2026. The event honors the couple following their retirement from managing the Our Lady of Hope Retreat Centre.

Martin and Earla Avery have managed the retreat centre since it opened on June 11, 2017. The diocese intends the celebration to recognize their leadership and service to the individuals, groups, and community members who visited the centre under their care.

The Mass begins at 7:00 p.m. at Glastonbury Hall, located on the lower level of St. Dunstan’s Basilica at 45 Great George Street. The hall can be accessed through the side entrance on Dorchester Street. A reception will follow the Mass.

Thousands of Iraqi Christians living in exile face unrealistic prospects of returning to their homeland without firm guarantees of security, equal rights, and equal opportunities, according to Susan Korah for The Catholic Register.

The Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland will celebrate the Feast of the Canadian Martyrs on Sept. 26 to mark 400 years since Saint Jean de Brébeuf arrived in the region.

Helena Burns reports that while God teaches which actions are objectively good or bad, humans cannot determine the exact degree of culpability a person bears because they lack access to a person's inner life.

CWL will host an evening of connection and reflection titled Women, Wine & the Word: Belonging on Friday, September 25, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Grande Prairie.

Young Professional Catholics of Toronto will hold their first major conference on September 26.

Loyola, a private Catholic school in Montreal, is becoming officially independent by choosing to forego public funding from the Quebec government.

Glen Argan writes for The Catholic Register that St. Francis of Assisi was perhaps the greatest saint after Mary, the Mother of God.

Harry McAvoy recently updated a parish sign with a verse from the day's gospel reading, stating that for God, all things are possible. He noted that he made the change after Mass with encouragement from the Church and the blessing of his pastor.

The Talitha Koum Society opened Hope House during a gathering on a Thursday afternoon in August.

Our Lady of Peace Parish in Peace River will host a first-class relic of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina for a period of veneration.

The parish scheduled a feast day Mass for Wednesday, September 23, which Msgr. Charles Lavoie will celebrate. The Diocese of Grouard–McLennan stated that the community is welcome to attend the Mass and participate in other planned activities and veneration events. This visit follows a previous visitation of a relic of St. John Paul II in May.

St. Matthew Parish in Edmonton held the first gathering of its new youth group on September 12. The event brought together 30 teenagers, eight youth leaders, parents, and volunteers for a morning of music, prayer, and fellowship.

Youth Group Coordinator Jacqui Linder reported that the participants learned about St. Carlo Acutis to inspire their own faith and service. Following this example, the teens committed to performing acts of kindness and service in the upcoming weeks. The gathering included the lighting of a candle to symbolize Christ at the center of the ministry.

Father Joy Vadakkan Poulose, CFIC, provided pastoral guidance for the group. The teens expressed interest in inviting friends to the next meeting.

Fourteen parishes across the Diocese of Hamilton hosted Vacation Bible School camps this past summer. More than 560 children attended the programs, which focused on the Gospel and the lives of the saints.

The Diocese of Hamilton reported that the camps relied on 219 youth volunteers and 129 adult volunteers, along with the support of pastors and parish ministers. Participating parishes included St. Gabriel in Burlington, Regina Mundi in Hamilton, St. Louis in Hamilton, St. Thomas the Apostle in Waterloo, St. Mary of the Visitation in Waterdown, St. Francis Xavier in Cambridge, St. John the Baptist in Stoney Creek, Holy Rosary in Guelph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Burlington, St. Ambrose in Freelton, Most Blessed Sacrament in Cambridge, Holy Rosary in Hamilton, St. Michael in Milton, and St. Anthony of Padua in Waterloo.

Sister Sue Kidd, CND, will begin a new role as a councillor and member of the leadership team for the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame on November 1, 2026.

The Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame announced that Sister Sue will use her experience to support her religious community. She concludes 16 years of service as the Roman Catholic campus minister at the University of Prince Edward Island. During her time at the university, she worked to help first-year students transition to university life and build relationships with people of other faiths.

Diocesan Administrator James Willick and the staff of the Diocese of Charlottetown expressed gratitude for her years of ministry at the university.

The Catholic bishops of Quebec are inviting citizens to vote in the upcoming provincial elections on October 5. In a statement released during their plenary assembly at Mont Sainte-Anne, the bishops of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec (AECQ) described voting as a way to love one's neighbor.

The bishops stated that democracy is fragile and can be threatened by imbalances that ignore human rights and communities, leading to manipulation or violence. They urged all eligible voters to prepare for and exercise their right to vote as a duty.

The AECQ noted that Catholic faithful, along with all citizens, should take the democratic election process seriously to uphold the evangelical values of Christ. The bishops highlighted that Quebec and Canada provide a high quality of life, including social services, healthcare, education, freedom of expression and religion, and gender equality.

Nearly 250 people from across Quebec will gather in Beaupré from September 15 to 17 for the first Grande assemblée missionnaire. Organized as part of the plenary assembly of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec, the meeting focuses on the theme Il nous presse d’annoncer l’Évangile !

Participants include representatives from the 18 Latin Rite dioceses of Quebec, three eparchies, various partner groups, and councils of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec. Attendees will share their visions for the future of the Church and engage in collective discernment regarding transformations for the coming years.

Organizers Élisabeth Garant and Simon Bournival describe the event as a community discernment process rather than a conference or a symposium. They stated that the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec dedicated three days of its autumn plenary to this effort to allow baptized members holding various responsibilities to engage in mutual listening and respectful discussion.

The Diocese of New Westminster has opened registration for its monthly online catechists' meetings for the 2026–2027 year. The program begins in October with a meeting for the Ukrainian-speaking group on October 5 and a meeting for the English-speaking group on October 6.

The first sessions will introduce the year's plan and discuss expectations. Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski, the newly elected Metropolitan and Head of the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission, will attend as a special guest.

The annual registration fee is $50. The diocese encourages parishes to cover this cost for their catechists whenever possible.

The Encounter School of Ministry Edmonton Campus has opened as one of 54 satellite campuses worldwide to train Catholics in demonstrating God's love through the Holy Spirit. The school offers a two-year, part-time program that follows the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.

The curriculum consists of eight quarters covering identity, spiritual gifts, healing, prayer, and leadership. Students participate in practical experiences to build confidence in sharing the Gospel, which the Archdiocese of Edmonton identifies as a pastoral priority. To graduate, students must complete a team ministry project. Previous projects include healing services at parishes and seniors' homes, family workshops on hearing God's voice, and identity-focused events for young adults.

The Diocese of Charlottetown is hiring a baker, cook, and kitchen assistant for the Our Lady of Hope Retreat Centre.

Loyola High School in Montreal will become an independent school in 2029 by forgoing provincial government subsidies to protect its 130-year-old Jesuit Catholic identity.

The House of Commons is scheduled to hold a second hour of debate on the Help Not Harm Act on September 23. If the current schedule holds, Bill C-218 will undergo a second reading vote on October 7.