Make a plan to vote this Monday, September 20!
Dear friends,
The big day is almost here. Monday, September 20th: Election Day in Canada. This will mark the end of our fourth Catholic Action campaign, offering formation and discernment tools for Catholic voters. First, let’s begin with the most critical message of this newsletter: please vote this Monday! If you have any questions about where your polling station is, what ID you need, or other logistical questions, visit www.elections.ca for everything you need.
As you exercise your calling to vote prayerfully and thoughtfully with a well-formed conscience, we are praying for all of you, and we ask you to keep us in your prayers as well. More importantly, please pray for your fellow Canadians. Pray that all those voting on Monday will do so with the common good of all at heart. Pray that all of those seeking elected office—whether they are elected or not—will also seek that same common good and continue putting their lives at the radical service and love of others. Pray that the party elected to form government, and the leaders elected to serve us, will make the best decisions for all Canadians, for the human dignity of all, and will be guided by the Holy Spirit to true, political love. If you would like to join us in these prayers, the final day of our nine-day rosary novena for the people of Canada is happening this Monday morning. We will pray a rosary together and entrust voters to Mary and Saint Joseph. We welcome you your participation.
We hope we have been helpful to you, your parishes, and your dioceses in supporting Catholic voting discernment and turnout in this election. Please, if you have any feedback, ideas, comments, or concerns, we always welcome your thoughts and collaboration. This work will only continue to improve if Catholics like you—passionate about bringing Gospel values into the public square—help light our way forward.
God bless you and may we all have a blessed Election Day—as well as a blessed future for this country, for our people, whom we all so deeply love.
Sincerely,
Matthew Marquardt & Brendan Steven
JOIN THE FINAL SESSION OF OUR NINE-DAY ROSARY NOVENA FOR THE PEOPLE OF CANADA, THIS MONDAY AT 9:00 AM EDT
During the 2021 federal election, it has been our great joy to host a nine-day rosary novena for the people of Canada. For eight days, we’ve prayed a rosary with brothers and sisters in Christ for Canadian voters as we collectively discern who will serve as our next federal government.
Our final rosary is being prayed over Zoom this Monday, September 20 at 9:00 AM EDT. We invite you to join us as we entrust Canadians to Mary, Seat of Wisdom and Queen of Heaven, and St. Joseph, Patron of Canada, on the day we go to the polls to vote.
Please join us as we pray for our people, our country, and our leaders during this important moment for the future of Canada.
RSVP for login details by clicking below!
ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, JOIN OUR WEBINAR ON ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION WITH SISTER DAMIEN MARIE SAVINO—PART OF OUR BEAUTY OF CREATION SERIES
In Laudato si’, Pope Francis calls us to ecological conversion, and writes that “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue.” Join us in conversation with Sister Damien Marie Savino, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist and Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College, as we explore:
- This call to ecological conversion and its meaning;
- The Catholic idea of integral human ecology, and its synthesis with the health, environmental and ecological sciences; and,
- The way forward for integrating care for God’s creation into our daily practices of discipleship.
We will be led in this exploration by an extraordinary apostle living out her vocation as both a religious and an expert at the crossroads of theology and science.
MEET OUR GUEST
Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, Ph.D., is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist and currently serves as the Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this position she oversees the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography and Environmental Studies departments and the college’s Center for Sustainability. Sister Damien Marie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biogeography from McGill University, her Master of Science degree in Soil and Plant Science from University of Connecticut, her Master of Arts degree in Theology from The Catholic University of America and her Ph.D. degree in Civil (Environmental) Engineering from The Catholic University of America. She has lectured and written widely on Laudato Si’ and integral ecology, as well as on themes related to ecological restoration and resilience theory, ecological health, ecology and theology, and science and faith.
VOTE WITH A CATHOLIC CONSCIENCE: READ OUR CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING-BASED PARTY PLATFORM COMPARISON
As Catholics, we are called to discern our vote, participate in the political process, and engage in charitable dialogue with others in our community prayerfully and thoughtfully. Our Catholic party platform comparison will empower you to look at each of the political party’s policy commitments through the lens of Catholic social teaching.
In accordance with our duty to participate, this page offers a summary of issues relevant to Canada’s next federal election, setting Catholic teachings side-by-side with the policy positions of the parties, using the parties’ own words. This summary is intended to help you in deciding your vote, whether you are Catholic or simply a good person interested in a better world.
Our party platform comparison looks at the parties’ key policy proposals from the perspective of:
- The sanctity of human life;
- Stewardship of creation;
- Family, community and the common good;
- An economy for all;
- Rights, responsibilities and subsidiarity;
- Solidarity; and,
- Good government, democracy, justice and peace;
CATHOLIC CONSCIENCE PRESENTS: THE VIRTUAL ALL-PARTIES FORUM FOR THE 2021 FEDERAL ELECTION
DEEPER CONVERSATIONS: LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER
As we approach election day in Canada this coming Monday, September 20, we are excited to share with you a virtual forum where Catholic representatives from Canada’s major parties offered their perspectives on issues facing our country through the lens of Gospel values and Catholic social teaching.
We want to express gratitude to each of our representatives for joining us and answering our questions: Filomena Tassi, the Liberal candidate in the Ontario riding of Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas; Garnett Genuis, the Conservative candidate in the Alberta riding of Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan; and Norm Di Pasquale, the NDP candidate for the Ontario riding of Spadina—Fort York. Each candidate took care in thoughtfully reflecting on their party’s platform through the lens of their Catholic faith. We appreciate them speaking directly to Catholic voters in this election by participating in this forum.
Below you can watch the full forum, where these candidates offer their party’s vision and policy ideas related to the common good, life and dignity of the human person, Reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, building an economy at the service of people, care for God’s creation, rights, responsibilities, and participation in society, solidarity, and Canadian culture.
Please share this forum with your family, friends, and parishioners! Thank you. We hope you enjoy, and that this forum aids your prayerful discernment of conscience as you prepare to vote.
Click here to watch the full Forum:https://youtu.be/VH_1KdrV-xI
You can also watch answers from each individual party representative.
From the Liberal Party:https://youtu.be/fFxLZMrSums
From the Conservative Party:https://youtu.be/PZMPVQqzTA0
From the New Democratic Party:https://youtu.be/sJClxUBRA1s
MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20!
This Monday, there’s one way we are all called to love and serve our neighbours—by voting in the federal election.
Make a plan to vote. It’s simple. Consider:
- Where your polling station is;
- How you will travel there;
- What time you will travel there;
- What ID you will need to vote; and,
- Of course, if you haven’t decided yet, who you will vote for!
To answer those first five points, visit the Elections Canada website. There you can input your postal code and find out where your polling station is. You’ll also find a list of all the ID you can use to vote.
For help deciding your vote, you can visit the Catholic Conscience website. There you’ll find our party platform comparison tool, where you’ll see side-by-side the parties’ key policies across a range of issues through the lens of Catholic social teaching.
Thank you for loving our people by voting!
👉 CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ELECTIONS CANADA WEBSITE
👉 CLICK HERE FOR OUR PARTY PLATFORM COMPARISON TOOL
OP-ED: A CRITICAL MOMENT FOR YOUNG VOTERS
We usually reserve this space for news or comment from our Holy Father, but with Election Day on Monday, we instead wanted to share the words of 18-year old Kathleena Henricus—a first-time Catholic voter—and her call to action for all young people to vote in this election.
My hope for our the 44th Canadian Parliament is the amplification of Indigenous voices, the devising of a serious plan to bring back our economy, a focus on reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions and reversing climate change, a commitment to increase public-health funding and overall enhancement of safety, mental health and legal access systems. It sounds like a big ask, and it is, but it is exactly what we need to expect when the House of Commons reconvenes.
And it is up to us, particularly youth. So many of us in Generation Z are being empowered with the ability to participate in the democratic process in a new, impactful way — and it is important to participate.
It is often a trope, among news anchors and teachers, that young people don’t vote, don’t engage, don’t take part.
Our aim, if we could only choose one, should be to turn that stereotype completely on its head. Participate in the greatest generational voter turnout this country has ever seen — in spite of the pandemic, the lack of on-campus voting, the exhaustion of the past two years.
I hope all Canadians vote on Sept. 20. And I hope all vote for kindness and respect, amplification of the underrepresented and overall progress and growth. I hope your choice will help manifest the Canada you want to see.
We couldn’t agree more, Kathleena!
👉 CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL OP-ED
TALKING ABOUT THE 2021 FEDERAL ELECTION AND CATHOLIC POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THINKING FAITH PODCAST
Brendan joined Deacon Eric Gurash and Dr. Brett Salkeld, the hosts of the Archdiocese of Regina’s Thinking Faith podcast, to take a closer look at the 2021 federal election from a Catholic perspective.
In episode one, they discussed the need for deep, prayerful discernment on the part of Catholic voters in this election.
“We have in front of us a pretty wide range of policy options that have been placed on the table by the different party leaders. And so, I think this places a lot of focus on us as voters to do our research and to prayerfully discern and to think deeply…”
👉 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO EPISODE 1
In episode two, they discussed Catholic social teaching and Catholic political engagement.
“I want more Catholics to learn more about Catholic Social Teaching, and…how blown away you will be about the consequences of Christ’s love for all his people, and the way that manifests in how the Church teaches how we live in community with one another.”
👉 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO EPISODE 2
A PRAYER FOR CANADIAN VOTERS
With Election Day this Monday, September 20, we once again want to share this beautiful prayer, written by Regina’s Archbishop Donald Bolen, for entrusting your vote and the votes of all Canadians to the Holy Spirit.
God bless you as you vote this Monday—we are praying for you, for all the candidates, and for whoever will serve in the next government of Canada. May we all serve the common good and the dignity of our neighbours!
Lord, father of our human family,
Your son Jesus taught us in the parable of the good Samaritan that each of us is called to care for our brothers and sisters without concern for our differences, or what divides us.
Pour your spirit out upon each and every one of us. Give us, and all involved in the forthcoming election,
A spirit of humility to acknowledge our failures,
A spirit of gratitude for each of the gifts you have given us,
A spirit of wisdom, to guide our actions in accordance with your teaching,
A spirit of fraternity, so that we might have concern for the most vulnerable,
And a spirit of love, so that we might abide even more fully in You.
O God, Trinity of love, from the profound communion of your divine life grant each and every one of us a deeper sense of unity. Give to us a desire to sacrifice ourselves for our brothers and sisters. Help us to live like your family did, with simplicity in Nazareth, and as the early Christian community did, whose charity has spread throughout the world.
O Good Shepherd, Christ the King, you are our Guide. Continue to guide us then to your will in this, and in every moment of our lives.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
St Joseph, pray for us.
St Joan of Arc, pray for us.
San Juan Diego, pray for us.
St Keteri Tekakwitha, pray for us.
Ste. Marguerite Bourgeoys, pray for us.
St André Bessette, pray for us.
St Vincent de Paul, pray for us.
Amen.