“Do Canadians Really Have Religion?”
The Mission of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Alberta (1910‑40)
Abstract
This article examines the mission of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians) in Alberta. It traces the mission’s development from difficult beginnings to its progressive crisis. It also considers the practical challenges of pastoral work among scattered, multilingual Catholic communities, and the pressure exerted on religious vocation by life in a markedly secularized and utilitarian society. The article concludes by analyzing why the mission failed to consolidate a stable Dehonian presence in Alberta.
Submitted: Feb. 5, 2026 | Accepted: March 3, 2026 | Published April 30, 2026 | Language: en
Keywords Canada • Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus • Religious congregations • Alberta • Catholic missions
Copyright © 2026 Luca Sandoni. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/JoMaCC/2785-6046/2026/01/002