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For many Canadians, Easter is a time for family and friends, celebratory dinners and children hunting for chocolate eggs.
For those of the Catholic faith, it’s also a time when new members are welcomed into the church thorough baptism and confirmation.
On Saturday, there were 27 people confirmed at St. Bonaventure Parish in southeast Calgary , which the organizers of the Church’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, says is a new record.
The increase in the number of people attending Catholic churches in Calgary appears to be a trend according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary, which claims there has been a 50-per cent increase in the number of people wanting to join the church since COVID.
“We set a record last year in the number of people coming in and we broke that record again this year,” said Brian Trafford, one of the instructors for the RCIA program at St. Bonaventure Parish.
“We’re already hearing that for next year, the class might even be bigger.”
The Bishop of Calgary says there has been a increase in the number of people from a wide variety of age groups and demographics who have been joining the Catholic Church.
Global News
Trafford, who is also a convert, having gone through the program in the early 2000s, believes there are a number of reasons for the increase.
“My own personal belief is that we’re seeing a lot more couples, which is one of the drivers,” said Trafford.
“The other one I would say is that we’ve had a fair number of immigrants coming in, probably having their first chance to hear the gospel, meet folks who are Christian themselves and as a result, saying to themselves, I like what they have, I want some of that — and so they end up coming in, maybe out of curiosity, but they end up staying.”
Michael Macleod says there wasn’t a single epiphany that helped him rediscover his Catholic faith, but it felt like coming “home.”
Global News
Michael Macleod is a convert who was initially baptized in the Catholic church, but attended different protestant churches for most of his life, before reconnecting with fellow Catholics.
“(I) decided more recently because of the richness of the Catholic traditions, the intellectual tradition, the sacred tradition, that I felt I needed to come home, in a way, and be part of this movement,” said Macleod.
“There wasn’t one epiphany, but there was a series of convictions, a series of I need to be back where the action is, I need to explore and be honest with myself about where I needed to be, and I needed to be home somewhere, and this felt like home.”
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“I’m part of the family. I’m getting to know people here. I’m going to be part of a movement, in a sense that, you know, we’re all in this together in a time of great upheaval around us, both culturally and economically. There’s crisis after crisis happening and this just seems like the place to put down my roots as it were,” added Macleod.
His wife, who was already a teacher in the Catholic school system, but, like him, not raised as a Catholic, was also recently confirmed in the Catholic church, which he believes has also made their marriage stronger.
“We talk about things and we’re agreeing on things, spiritual things, like never before. And I think it’s an opportunity to be honest and open with each other and feel like we’re contributing as part of a family,” added Macleod.
And he also feels his faith has has made him a better person outside the church, for the larger community.
“I’m more conscious of what I believe and also willing to tackle some difficult issues, willing to volunteer, willing to be part of helping out, whether it’s in the parish or in my case helping out with other non-profit organizations that I’m associated with,” said Macleod.
“I just come at this from a perspective of faith and a perspective being grounded that I haven’t experienced before.”
And it doesn’t appear to be just a Calgary phenomenon.
The Archdiocese of Toronto reported nearly 4,000 people were confirmed into the Catholic church this year, while the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton said it has seen a 61 per cent increase in the number of people preparing for baptism between 2017 and 2025.
The Bishop of Calgary, William McGrattan, calls it a great sign that the Catholic faith is being “rediscovered.”
The Bishop of Calgary, William McGrattan, says those who are joining the church come from a wide variety of demographics.
Global News
“We have people who are coming from other faiths, Eastern religions, also those who are later in life, even at age 60 or 70 (and) we had about three or four at the cathedral where there was a husband and a wife who were being confirmed.”
“When you talk to some of our young people, university students, young professionals, seeking purpose, meaning, seeing some of the traditions of the church, desiring a spirituality and a relationship with God — others, it has taken years and it’s sometimes been the example of a family member, a spouse,” said McGrattan.
“And then we have young children who come with their parents, and I think it’s a great sign that parents are including them and recognizing that the faith and the raising of the children and the faith is important as well.”
“I think there is a great dissatisfaction that people have with life and with culture around them,” said Macleod.
“People are feeling hungry, and they’re looking for hope, and they are looking for satisfaction — and it feels great to be part of it, of this collective enterprise of searching for something wholesome and something that’s real.”
