The Americans

Josh Nadeau

July 6, 2017

Contributor Josh Nadeau takes Convivium readers on an examination of modern television, exploring themes like dignity and "loving one's enemy" that appear within contemporary dramas if only viewers have the eyes to see.  

What if we take the time to observe each other, to grant dignity or the benefit of the doubt? What if, in addition to giving each other space to be heard and to express ourselves, we also try to find the roots of why we believe what we do? What if we change the paradigm from us vs them to we, where ...

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The Happiest Dream

Peter Stockland

June 30, 2017

Convivium publisher Peter Stockland reflects on celebrating the dream worth having that is Canada.

What the monsters that create the need for security snake lines in the streets of the nation’s capital cannot extract from us, however, a denial of our dreams On this our 150th year, we can assert with all our honest pride that the Canadian dreams of the past 50 years have been good dreams ...

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Keeping The Faith Local

Ray Pennings

June 29, 2017

With this week’s release of a third set of Angus Reid Institute polling data on the state of faith in Canada at its 150th birthday, Cardus Executive Vice-President Ray Pennings tells Convivium Publisher Peter Stockland there are  signs of local hope, though Canadians of faith must pull up their socks when it comes to the national dimension of religious life

One of the things we wanted to do was identify the degrees to which Canadians recognize the expression of faith in their community and in their neighbourhoods, whether in hospitals, in the care for immigrants or in all the different institutions that were formed and motivated by faith communities th...

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Glorious and Free Seminar

Raymond J. de Souza and Edward Burroughs

June 28, 2017

In the last week of May, 13 young Catholics gathered together at a parish on Wolfe Island for a seven-day seminar on Catholicism in our common life.

Moreover, while our Glorious and Free Seminar was explicitly aimed at Catholic participants, its success points to similar possibilities for broader audiences, especially, I hope, the young people who follow our activities at Convivium In the last week of May I welcomed 13 young Catholics to my pari...

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Come and See Me

Peter Stockland

June 28, 2017

Blindness brought Father Jack Kennedy to the priesthood 52 years ago. Not blind faith. Not metaphorical inability to see. Literal legal blindness.  

Blindness brought Father Jack Kennedy to the priesthood 52 years ago “When dad heard, he ran out to Loyola and said to one of the Jesuits ‘my son wants to become a priest; what do I do?’ The Jesuit said, ‘Nothing Father Kennedy sees the clear parallel between his own history and the breakdown of the...

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A Great-Grandmother's Amazing Grace

Elaine Ingalls Hogg

June 27, 2017

There’s a woman Elaine Ingalls Hogg met when she was a child who had a tremendous influence on her faith. Was she rich or famous? No, not at all!   

Life on an island taught Sarah the significance of lighting the way for her loved ones as they made their way home from the fishing grounds on a foggy night Was she rich or famous? No, not at all! Sarah Maude Shepherd, my great-grandmother, lived on a tiny Bay of Fundy island in a small, neat house ...

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Psalm A Day

Carole Sebastian

June 27, 2017

To mark Canada’s 150th birthday, Providence Renewal Centre in Edmonton has initiated a 150-day prayer challenge. The challenge begins on Saturday, July 1. Read more about how you can get involved. 

The psalms are part of daily prayer for the Sisters of Providence, an order of women religious animated by a spirit of compassion and strong belief in Gospel values ...

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Silencing The Land

Rose Galbraith

June 26, 2017

Convivium contributor Rose Galbraith responds to Dr. Andrew Bennett's recent Convivum article, “To Differ Without Deferring,” drawing parallels between her father's struggle on a self-sufficient farm and the national conversation surrounding pluralism. Is it possible for Canadian's to conduct the core of their religion within the public space? 

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Kaddish

Judy Csillag

June 26, 2017

Judy Csillag shares a photograph taken by her brother Ron with Convivium viewers and reveals how a place of deep suffering can become holy ground.

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Brian Stiller

Lloyd Mackey

June 23, 2017

In the last half of the 20th century, the son of a Canadian prairie Pentecostal pastor emerged as a leader within what was then a burgeoning evangelical Christian movement, bringing to it a constructive influence in the national corridors of governance, academe and activism.

Stiller often cites a timeline of three different leadership experiences, each of which brought a range of opportunities to add vigor and thought to the Canadian evangelical Christian movement He is founding editor/director of the Online Encyclopedia of Canadian Christian Leaders, an outgrowth of hi...

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A Great Gift

Linda Couture

June 23, 2017

Photographer Linda Couture leads the viewer through a contemplation of silence and the sunset. 

The different phases of a sunset are always pure joy to watch ...

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Simply About Freedom

Peter Stockland

June 22, 2017

In the past two weeks, Ottawa lawyer Albertos Polizogopoulos has argued the case for conscience rights of doctors, and won a major freedom of information legal battle over publicizing statistics about abortion. Convivium Publisher Peter Stockland sat down with him to discuss the cases.

In 2010, the Ontario Liberal government amended the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the FIPPA, to make it more transparent by applying it to other kinds of institutions such as hospitals In the conscience case, it was all about freedom, and whether the government - the governme...

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Oh Canada

Dave Andrews

June 22, 2017

Photographer Dave Andrews brings the people of Carp together to mark Canada Day in the beauty of the Canadian landscape. 

In the second of our two part series preparing for Canada Day, we reveal the fruition of photographer Dave Andrews dream to fill in the space created in the shape of a Canadian flag on Haskell farm ...

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The Active Heart of Faith

Darryn Oldford

June 21, 2017

In his Golden Thread Submission, Darryn Oldford shares about how his faith has grown in a huge part through his parents' influence – their commitment to putting love at the center of their lives.

My faith in God tells me that people will come to me for spiritual guidance if and when they are ready, and my job is to love everyone until, during and after that happens This has been their life and mission since before I was born: to love God and to serve humanity to the best of their ability reg...

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God’s Perfect Gift Came Down

Hannah Marazzi

June 21, 2017

Convivium's Hannah Marazzi sits down with Krista Ewert, author of This is Ella to learn how Down Syndrome and her role as an advocate for inclusion and diversity have shaped her walk of faith.

When Ella arrived I, like so many other parents, had no idea what a life with Down syndrome really looked like Convivium sat down with Krista to learn about how Down Syndrome and her role as an advocate for inclusion and diversity has shaped her walk of faith ...

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