Michael Swan, The Catholic Register

Michael Swan, The Catholic Register

Michael is Associate Editor of The Catholic Register.

He is an award-winning writer and photographer and holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University.

Follow him on Twitter @MmmSwan, or click here to email him.

There were 10.9 million self-identified Catholics in Canada in 2021, a sharp drop of two million from 2011, according to the latest census religion numbers. 

The York Catholic District School Board has decided against appealing a court decision that it must let a non-Catholic run as a student trustee. But it is warning parents the case reflects anti-Catholicism in society, and urges them to pressure Queen’s Park to change the law that sparked the ruling.

Mothers led the prayers for imprisoned Bishop Fikremariam Haghos Tsalim as 300 faithful of the Eritrean Catholic Community gathered in St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic Church after Mass Oct. 23.

The future of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s Sisters, is more of the same — more hope, more love, more care and compassion launched into the gaping wound of destitution, despair and neglect visible in every city in the world. 

There’s a storm coming, warns FCJ Refugee Centre executive director Loly Rico.

The Jesuits in Haiti are begging for help on behalf of a nation in chaos — but not just any help.

A handpicked team of nine North American theologians, two of them Canadian, has just published a 70,000-word report based on consultations with migrants and asylum seekers, LGBTQ Catholics, women, the disabled, prisoners and other marginalized groups.

Pope Francis is once again reaching out over the heads of world leaders to appeal directly to ordinary people — people of all faiths and none — on behalf of a planet in crisis.

Pope Francis challenged young Catholics to “transform an economy that kills into an economy of life” at a three day “Economy of Francesco” meeting in Assisi Sept. 22-24.

All histories are contested. If they weren’t, there would be no reason to study history. For an historian running a Catholic university in Canada right now, this nation’s history of colonialism and residential schools has created a special responsibility — not to the past but to our future understanding of ourselves.