Immigrants boosting Canada’s Christian congregations
Christian church congregations that have been steadily declining for decades are getting a boost from new arrivals to Canada.
The first Catholic Church to be built in the Edmonton area since 2002 — Corpus Christi in the Mill Woods neighbourhood — will host its first Easter service on Sunday for 500 families.
That congregation is expected to continue to grow as new subdivisions spring up in the area.
The church’s pastor, Father Joseph Vadassery, says neighbourhoods around Corpus Christi are “diverse,” with many new Canadians and people of African, Asian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Filipino descent.
“There are lots of young families and multi- generational families, and lots of immigrants,” said Vadassery, “and they come with as much of their families as they can.” Corpus Christi reflects a trend. Many immigrants today come from countries where Catholicism is strong, such as Asia, China and the Philippines, and they are keen to find a church when they move to Canada.
Religion expert and University of Lethbridge professor Reg Bibby notes that 45 per cent of the immigrants who came to Canada in 2011 were from Asian countries, up from 14 per cent in 1981. He adds that in the first decade of this century alone, 500,000 Roman Catholics immigrated to Canada.
“You can see what an incredible shot in the arm that’s been in this country for Catholics,” says Bibby, pointing out that the Corpus Christi experience is being seen coast- to- coast.
In 2015, Bibby, along with the non- profit Angus Reid Institute, published a faith survey of 3,000 Canadians. The results note that among respondents born outside Canada, some 40 per cent favour religion, while less than a quarter reject it. Twenty- nine per cent of Canadian- born respondents consider themselves religious, while 27 per cent give religion a pass.
Immigrant families tend to be larger, too, leading to growing weekend attendance; already, some 2,000 people join Corpus Christi’s three services Saturdays and Sundays.
“Their faith is important to them,” said the church’s secretary and bookkeeper, Ingrid van Dolder- Frigon.
“Back home, there are churches on every corner. And when you are new, the church brings that comfort and that fellowship.”
The church’s dedication on March 19 fell happily close to Easter, providing symbolism on many fronts.
“Easter falls in the spring time, and spring brings new life in nature,” reflects Vadassery.
“When we see a blade of grass, new leaves, all these things bring