Who Is My Neighbour?

Gideon Strauss

March 31, 2017

In the final installment of his Outremont series, Convivium correspondent Gideon Strauss reflects on the truth he has learned from journeying alongside his neighbours and the true nature of belonging.

But I think it is uncontroversial to observe that the most serious tensions in Outremont result from the differences between the ways of life of its Hasidic minority and its francophone petit bourgeois majority, and how those differences play out against the background of historical Quebecois grieva...

Read more...

Refuge of Hope

Jennifer Neutel

March 30, 2017

Jodi Lammiman and Amy Spark co-created Calgary-based Refugia Retreats in August 2016, forming a space that combines environmental concerns, spirituality and self-discovery. 

Amy: Macy speaks of three “stories” of our time: Business As Usual, which emulates the growth narrative) the Great Unraveling , the “doom and gloom” narrative, and the Great Turning, the story of hope It doesn’t deny that we are living in the midst of a difficult and uncertain time, but at the same ...

Read more...

Mea Maxima Masculinity Culpa

Raymond J. de Souza

March 30, 2017

Editor in Chief Father Raymond J. de Souza reflects on the Man Up Against Violence Week occurring at the University of Regina, socialized hypermasculinity, and the true nature of confession. 

I doubt that Blessed Pier Giorgio will figure much in the Man Up Against Violence Week, but it is true that men like Frassati are not violent It’s Man Up Against Violence Week at the University of Regina, one of those eminently respectable initiatives sponsored by labour unions, aboriginal leaders, ...

Read more...

Alphonse Dejardins

Pierre Poulin

March 28, 2017

Alphonse Desjardins was a journalist, officw holder, newspaper owner, and founder of the caisse populaire. 

Although it remained unfinished, the work of Alphonse Desjardins aroused admiration, and many of his contemporaries had been able to grasp its full social and economic significance It was a success from the start, thanks to the tireless work of Desjardins and the unwavering support of Father Gosseli...

Read more...

Blanket the Land

Jennifer Neutel

March 28, 2017

Churchgoers at Calgary’s Hillhurst United Church experienced a different kind of service recently when they participated in the Blanket Exercise — a teaching tool that shares the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Churchgoers at Calgary’s Hillhurst United Church experienced a different kind of service recently when they participated in the Blanket Exercise — a teaching tool that shares the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada An immigrant to Canada her...

Read more...

Wherefore Art Thou Peterson?

Brent McCamon

March 28, 2017

Brent McCamon recounts a visit to the National Gallery and reflects on how one evening visit to the art gallery became an opportunity to consider free speech and "the Peterson Phenomenon."

Interestingly enough, members of the U of T Administration (lovingly referred to by devotees of intersectionality as “The System”), including the Chair of the Department of Psychology, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and the Vice-Provost of Faculty and Academic Life sent Peterson two le...

Read more...

Political Potter’s Field

Peter Stockland

March 27, 2017

Publisher Peter Stockland contrasts the abrupt resignation of Andrew Potter, head of McGill University’s Institute for the Study of Canada and the lack of political consequences as connected to Montreal's latest snowstorm.

Even Andrew Potter, I know would acknowledge this wrong is hardly confined to Quebec It’s within a media class so distracted by its own timelines, so pulled by the grand sweep of history and high level abstraction, that if forgets its true value is to school the political class when it grossly abuse...

Read more...

Peter Foggin

Neil Bramble

March 24, 2017

Throughout his life Peter Foggin has been motivated by a deep sense of mission and God’s personal call. He pursued that call in the world of academia, spending his professional life as a university professor in Quebec, providing leadership to his colleagues, in field work projects, and in extensive research.

During his career, Peter carried out family planning research in Thailand (1980); researched the health status and risk factors of the Cree and Inuit in northern Québec (1980–87); did similar research in western China (1989–90); researched the health status and risk factors of semi-nomadic pastorals...

Read more...

Re-seeing Religious Resentment

Gideon Strauss

March 24, 2017

Today, Gideon Strauss introduces us to his beloved Outremont through the eyes of Valérie Amiraux, author, scholar, professor, and Outremont resident. 

“When people address religion, they address religion for what they see of religion…and what they see is people who do not behave as they would “When people address religion they address religion for what they see of religion ...

Read more...

Pure laine and Purim

Gideon Strauss

March 23, 2017

In the eleventh installment of his Outremont series, columnist Gideon Strauss takes us through Quebec history through the eyes of Guy, a “pure laine Outremonter.”

Because of this history of discrimination and a sense of precariousness with regard to the current recognition and protection of their language and culture, many Quebeckers – and Guy does not agree with this sentiment, even though he says that he can understand it – feel that the pressure towards mu...

Read more...

Post-Christian Mobs of Yobs

Raymond J. de Souza

March 23, 2017

On the heels of a full week, Editor in Chief Father Raymond J. de Souza reflects on the violence in both London, England and London, Ontario, St. Patrick's Day, and the release of Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option. 

Patrick’s Day violence seems rather a major step down from that Patrick’s Day tracing the development of Fenianism – extreme Irish nationalism – and how it was defeated as a force in Canada Patrick’s Day has become, the great Christian publishing event of the season took place, with the long-awaited...

Read more...

New Shoes. Old Leather.

Peter Stockland

March 23, 2017

A bold first step towards falling behind. Cardus Family Program Directors Andrea Mrozek and Brian Dijkema reflect on Budget 2017 and the impact that it will have on the Canadian public. 

“The most interesting thing about the budget is the way government tries to bring employment, labour and training programs into the 21st century to deal with its realities – the realities of flexible work and precarious work brought about by things such as automation,” Dijkema told Convivium Work an...

Read more...

Beyond the Usual Suspects

Barb Briggs

March 21, 2017

Beth Tzedec, a synagogue in SW Calgary chose to do something rather than nothing in the face of human trauma in Syria. They decided to sponsor a refugee family.

And there are hundreds of these miracles in Calgary unfolding as you and I sit here… It’s happening all over the country – that very ordinary people like me are taking part in this magic ...

Read more...

Building the Social City

Milton Friesen

March 21, 2017

The networks of relationships needed to make a community not only liveable but also sociable can be vast and complex. But as Milton Friesen writes, they can also be entered into, appreciated and drawn upon by something as simple and convivial as shared conversation over grits and fried catfish. 

Chief among the privileges of leading the Cardus Social Cities program are the many opportunities to meet people who are doing significant work in communities and cities across Canada, the United States and around the world On Tuesday afternoon TrueCity Hamilton director, Dave Witt brought two colle...

Read more...

Telling Our Better Stories

Doug Sikkema

March 20, 2017

Convivium's Doug Sikkema examines the role that story telling plays in his life as a Canadian and a man of faith. And as project lead for The Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Writing, he's looking for Canadian writers and poets to submit unpublished short stories or suites of poetry by June 30. There's $25,000 in prize money to be won. 

As a project lead for the Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize for Faith and Writing, I spend a lot of my week gathering short stories and poems by Canadian writers about their Canadian lives of faith Was their hospitality unrelated to their faith? Were the prayers of my elderly neighbours some erratic tic...

Read more...