Friday, September 4th, 2026 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM, Lunch Provided B101 Jenkins-Nanovic Halls
Faith in the Afterglow examines the changing relationship between Catholic identity and active congregational engagement in Canada. Drawing on demographic, congregational, and geographic data, the talk explores how immigration, secularization, and disaffiliation are reshaping both who identifies as Catholic and how that identity translates into participation in parish life. Particular attention is given to the growing distance between religious affiliation and active engagement, as well as the ways this relationship varies across regions, generations, and immigrant communities. Rather than assuming that Catholic affiliation represents a single form of religious belonging, the talk maps an increasingly complex landscape in which identity, participation, migration, and place interact to reconfigure Catholicism in Canada.
Steve Hewko is Director of the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. Working at the intersection of theology, social science, and data science, he studies religion in Canada with a focus on congregations, migration, and diaspora communities. His research uses quantitative methods, including machine learning and geospatial analysis, to examine changing patterns of religious identity and participation. He holds a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta, an MTS from Wycliffe College, and a PhD in Theology from the University of St. Michael’s College.
Support provided by the Franco Family Institute Global Micro-Residency Grant Sponsored By: Global Catholic Research Initiative, Department of Sociology, Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate Church Properties Initiative, and Center for the Study of Religion and Society