Canadian vs US Catholic Church

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Depends where I guess. I’ve never seen milk sold in bags in BC in my 32 years of life. Must be an Ontario thing? Lots of Canadian stereotypes apply to only Ontario and/or Quebec, which to be fair accounts for the lionshare of the total population. Also, Starbucks is definitely bigger out here than Tim Hortons… but that’s definitely a Vancouver thing.
 
Catholic schools in BC are private but receive 50% government funding. The remainder is made up by modest tuition fees and subsidies from the parishes. We have about 70 parishes and 50 schools in our archdiocese… so gives you an idea of the ratio.
 
It’s going to vary by region / diocese and, of course as Ora says, French Canada vs English Canada. Just a few random thoughts…

I find that rural vs urban dioceses are also very different. In BC, the archdiocese of Vancouver tends to be pretty conservative… at the cathedral people receive kneeling at the altar rail… the chalice is rarely distributed… lots of chant and Latin. The other more rural dioceses of the province much less so. Vancouver parishes are full of immigrants (especially Filipinos and other Asians), so lots of packed Masses, the sign of peace is usually just a bow… while the rural dioceses are more white / native.

In many Canadian dioceses (probably the vast majority), the norm is to kneel only from the end of the Sanctus through the consecration. In Vancouver and Toronto the US custom of kneeling for the entire Eucharistic prayer is observed.

There are only two holy days of obligation in Canada (Christmas and Mary, Mother of God), compared to the US’ 6.

Canadian bishops, like American bishops, are properly “your excellency”, but Canadian archbishops use the British style of “your grace”.
 
Liturgically you will not notice much of a difference, but there are several cultural differences:
  1. Church leaders are less inclined/invited to speak out in the public space
  2. With the exception of immigration in the major urban centres, church attendance is declining
  3. There is a broad anti-clericalism in Quebec - clergy rarely wear their collars in public; yet,
  4. Quebec is “visibly” more Catholic. The crucifix hangs above the Speaker’s chair in the National Assembly (provincial legislature), many municipal meetings still begin with the Lord’s prayer and there is a provincial government department that distributes over $50,000,000 annually for the upkeep of houses of worship
  5. In some parts of French Canada, small shrines dot the country-side or people’s front lawns
  6. A large cross adorns Mount Royal in the heart of Montreal
  7. Most of our Prime Ministers have been Roman Catholic though their faith is not an issue of public discourse
  8. Stewardship education is not promoted as widely
Hope this helps
 
No catholic schools in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick either. PEI I’m not sure. When we lived there 30 years ago there was Catholic instruction in the school our kids attended but I’m not seeing that when I look on the school’s website now.
 
dochawk said:
Or would that be, “Caunaudian Eunglisush?” :confused:😖
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That sounds more Australian when you sound it out.
JohnStrachan said:
Quebec is “visibly” more Catholic. The crucifix hangs above the Speaker’s chair in the National Assembly (provincial legislature)
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I read a story the other day that a municipal government in Quebec was removing the crucifix from the council chamber. With the increasingly hardline secularization, that will probably happen in the NA eventually.
 
I don’t very well understand regional differences in Canada. But I do a little. I have a relative by marriage from Alberta, and it’s very plain to me that there’s a world of difference between Albertans and Quebecois or Newfoundlanders.

But it also sounds to me as if there is no trace in Canada of something very common in the American south. I live in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri, very much a “Bible Belt” place. I will have to admit that there’s a bit of Bible Belt fundamentalism that rubs off on the Catholic parishes. For one thing, Catholics and Fundamentalists share most beliefs. Also, some of the actions are similar. Catholics and Fundamentalists are allies in the prolife cause…very openly and actively. Most of our converts are from Fundamentalist sects, and they bring some of their practices with them. Sometimes in one of my parishes, music is played by the convert daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher on the hammered dulcimer. It’s actually beautiful and conducive to contemplation because you don’t sing to a hammered dulcimer.

Personally, as I perceive slippage in Catholicism in the “Yankee” parts of the U.S. I am inclined to
agree with author Flannery O’Connor who opined that eventually the most fertile ground for converts to Catholicism in the U.S. will be among fundamentalists in the American south.
 
twf said:
Depends where I guess. I’ve never seen milk sold in bags in BC in my 32 years of life. Must be an Ontario thing?
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I a tally saw it in Iowa in the late 90s. About two bucks a gallon in the grocery store, but .79 for half gallon bags (of course, another buck or two for the pitcher that clapped on to them. It was at the QT gas/convenience places, iirc.
Cruciferi said:
It’s tasty though, eh? :canada:
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We Easterns drink the Theophany water (which is actually consecrated, rather than blessed), but drinking Holy Water? But then, if it’s maple . . . 🤣
 
May I ask you a question, precipitated by something I saw on TV the other day? They were going around asking folk to spell certain street names in Toronto.

How do you pronounce your last name? Strawn or Strack-han?
 
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In Canada, the Church uses a different English translation of the lectionary than the U.S.

In Canada, the English lectionary is based on the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) of the Bible.

(The United States uses a lectionary that’s based on an older version of New American Bible.)
 
The most beautiful church I set ever foot in, Notre Dame de Montreal, has a total Sunday mass attendence of 200. It seats 3500…

That I think is the major difference between the US and Canadian church.
 
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most peoplehave covered everything, one more, no Friday abstiance during lent, the custome of choosing your penance is used instead on Fridays, during and outside of lent
 
Well that’s going to depend on the region. But I think as a general principle the US is probably more religious than Canada. We have full churches in Vancouver, but that’s mostly thanks to immigration.
 
In Canada the only two Holy Days of Obligation are Christmas Day and the Solemnity of Mary Mother if God (January 1).

Friday abstinence from meat is also observed year round not just during Lent, however someone may substitute acts of piety or charity for this abstinence.
 
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angell1 said:
most peoplehave covered everything, one more, no Friday abstiance during lent, the custome of choosing your penance is used instead on Fridays, during and outside of lent
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From the CCCB: "Throughout the year, every Friday is a day of abstinence from meat, obliging all Catholics who are 14 years or older.

We may also substitute other good actions for abstinence from meat. These could include special acts of charity (visiting the sick or aged, helping those in any need, contributing time or money to a work of charity) or other acts of piety (taking part in a service of worship with others, praying with our family, spending some extra time in personal prayer, especially with God’s holy word in the scriptures)."
 
Neithan said:
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angell1:
most peoplehave covered everything, one more, no Friday abstiance during lent, the custome of choosing your penance is used instead on Fridays, during and outside of lent
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From the CCCB: "Throughout the year, every Friday is a day of abstinence from meat, obliging all Catholics who are 14 years or older.

We may also substitute other good actions for abstinence from meat. These could include special acts of charity (visiting the sick or aged, helping those in any need, contributing time or money to a work of charity) or other acts of piety (taking part in a service of worship with others, praying with our family, spending some extra time in personal prayer, especially with God’s holy word in the scriptures)."
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I’m 65 and I can honestly say that when the “choose another penance” option became a reality that’s not what we heard in our churches. We were simply told we could now eat meat on Friday. I found out about abstinence still being a requirement, though other things could be substituted, about 20 years ago when I read the Ordo and discovered a note about abstinence which I researched further.

After my reading I pondered things for a while and decided to return to abstaining from meat on Fridays.

For the record there is at least one diocese where you have to abstain from meat on Lenten Fridays and that’s the Archdiocese of Ottawa.
Abstinence from meat binds all persons who are 14 and older, unless prevented by poor health. In the Archdiocese of Ottawa, the consumption of meat is not allowed on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent.1The Archbishop mandates this observance for the spiritual well-being of the faithful.
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https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2437/documents/2019/2/190205 Norms - Normes-6.pdf
 
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