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Primate invites House of Bishops to observe a Refugee Sunday 

Published on 
May 26, 2026

To the Canadian House of Bishops: an invitation to observe a Refugee Sunday  

Dear friends, 

In the face of acute humanitarian need around the world and alarming cuts to immigration and refugee programs in Canada, I am joining Alongside Hope in inviting dioceses and parishes across the country to mark a Refugee Sunday at a time in the year of their choosing. I commend this invitation to you and your dioceses.  

Anglicans in Canada have long been active in supporting refugees. Remarkably, fifteen of our thirty dioceses are sponsorship agreement holders (SAHs) with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, enabling them to privately sponsor refugees to come to Canada. Those who carry out the ministry of refugee sponsorship affirm how transformational this ministry is, both for the refugees and for those who welcome them. Refugees bring with them many gifts to enrich our communities and our country.   

A Refugee Sunday is an occasion to draw attention to the historically high numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons globally, which continue to increase. Even in Canada, borders are closing and support is being withdrawn for those seeking “life, liberty and security of the person” and a safe place to call home. In November 2025, the federal government made cuts to immigration and refugee programs in its budget, including a devastating 54% cut—on top of a 20% cut the year previous—to the “global cap,” which limits the number of privately sponsored refugees Canada will welcome in 2026 (a drop to 5,000 from 13,500 in 2024).   

The Alongside Hope Refugee Network has prepared Refugee Sunday information and resources to lift up the current state of refugees globally and the importance of refugee sponsorship in Canada. If you have any questions, contact Suzanne Rumsey, Public Engagement Program Coordinator at Alongside Hope.

Joining with you in the hope that our church will always strive to welcome the stranger, 

[signed] +Shane
The Most Reverend Shane Parker
Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

Acknowledging the land and God’s creation

This acknowledgement is crafted in light of the Principles of Reconciliation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as we seek to live faithfully in Christ and in right relationship with all. 

We give thanks to the Creator for this land, its waters, forests and all living beings, and for the abiding presence of Christ among us. From coast to coast to coast, these have been cared for and nurtured by First Nations, Inuit and Métis through countless generations. 

We honour the enduring relationship Indigenous Peoples have cultivated with these lands and waters, and the treaties and agreements that reflect these sacred bonds. We acknowledge the harms caused by colonial expansion, through frameworks like the Doctrine of Discovery and structures like the residential school system. We recognize our past failures as a Church, including disruption of connections to the land and suppression of Indigenous spiritualities. 

Guided by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we confess our need for healing. We commit ourselves to seeking truth, pursuing reconciliation and nurturing harmony with all creation. We place our trust in Christ, through whom all things are reconciled to God. 

May God strengthen us to live faithfully as stewards of the Earth. Let us walk in love, justice and reconciliation, joining in God’s work to restore all creation.