Church Seasons and Special Sundays

In 2002, then-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson proclaimed June 27 each year as Canadian Multiculturalism Day to celebrate the contributions Canadians of all cultural backgrounds have made to Canadian society. These worship suggestions could be used on the Sunday closest to June 27, or at another time.

• Who Are We? Worship resources to Celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day [RTF: 4 pp/107 KB]
• Other intercultural worship suggestions

Background

Multiculturalism Day is an opportunity for Canadians to honour the contributions of diverse cultural groups to Canadian society, and focus on equality and mutual respect for one another.

The United Church has made a commitment to becoming an intercultural church. What's the difference between multicultural and intercultural?

In multicultural communities, we live alongside one another. We value tolerance, and celebrate one another's culturally distinctive cuisine, dress, music, dance, and related outward expressions of culture. It usually requires only superficial and polite social interaction.

In our intercultural commitment, we want to go beyond this.

In intercultural communities, there is mutuality, reciprocity, and equality. Social structures and everyday interactions are defined by justice, respect, equality, understanding, acceptance, freedom, peace-making, and celebration.

United Churches are invited to use Canadian Multiculturalism Day as an opportunity to learn more about what it means to become an intercultural church:

• Explore articles about becoming an intercultural church, suggestions for first steps, and study resources for deeper engagement.
• Read more about Canadian Multiculturalism Day.