In the midst of an avowedly secular Canadian public square, the increasingly pressing question for many of us is what does it mean to be a Christian in all aspects of our life?

Cardus has been thinking about this question perennially since its founding twenty-five years ago. Ever since then we have striven to translate the richness of the Christian faith tradition into the public square for the common good.

As we continue to work to that end, Cardus committed four years ago to supporting the formation and mentoring of Christian young professionals through a programme called Communio. It has the following five goals:

1. To bring together young Christian professionals to engage with the Christian tradition both ancient and modern.
2. To encourage young professionals to be confident in living out a public faith.
3. To learn from those who have gone before us, and those who are living today.
4. To build and nurture an ecumenical Christian community through convivial events and opportunities
5. To grow in friendship and love of Christ.

Launched in September 2021, Communio Ottawa now has over 100 Christian young professionals growing through fellowship, intellectual formation, and mentoring. We meet regularly one evening per month for gatherings centered around a presentation and discussion by a speaker on a topic pertinent to young Christian professionals. These monthly meetings are hosted in a spirit of conviviality and hospitality as we promote Christian fellowship.

Directed by Fr. Dcn. Andrew Bennett, Director for Faith Community Engagement, and supported by other Cardus staff, Communio inhabits that comfortable Cardus space of forming leaders and engaging in thoughtful conversations about faith and culture. In addition to regular monthly meetings, Communio also offers:

• Opportunities for mentoring from senior Christian professionals.
• Joint events with Cardus NextGen Fellows.
• Weekend retreats centred on fellowship and prayer with presentations from Christian thinkers and discussions on how to live a public faith.

We look forward to expanding the Communio network to other cities in the coming years including Montreal in 2025 and Calgary and Hamilton in 2026.

If you are interested in participating, or if you are a member of the clergy who would like to recommend young professionals from your community, please fill out the form below.