From the Cassock to the Referee's Jersey
Fanny Lévesque
September 2, 2025
From the Cassock to the Referee's Jersey
African music blares from a portable speaker. The atmosphere is festive around the soccer field located a stone's throw from the CEGEP. It's final day. Cameroon and Senegal are facing off in Sept-Îles, their home country.
Awulu Innocent takes on a serious expression as he dons his fluorescent green jersey. With his whistle around his neck, he gathers the players and gives them a few instructions: be respectful of one another, focus on fairness, fraternity... The pre-match speech almost takes on the air of a homily.
Not surprisingly, the referee is also a priest.
"Some people tell me I'm not like the others, but I don't know exactly what they mean,"
— Father Awulu, laughing
A smile lights up his face when we meet him before this football grand mass.
From Nigeria to Sept-Îles
Father Awulu Innocent arrived in Quebec in January 2024.
“Awulu Innocent, but not in the Quebec sense,” he says, spelling his unusual name on the North Shore before bursting out laughing.
At the request of the Diocese of Baie-Comeau, the Nigerian from the Congregation of the Holy Spirit was sent to Sept-Îles as a missionary “to lend a hand”.
He arrived in Montreal in the middle of January 2024. “There was the shock of the snow!” says the man who had never set foot in the country before. Upon arrival, he knew even less about where Sept-Îles was. “I imagined a lot of things. Sept-Îles… Can you only get there by boat? I thought there was no road,” he confides.
“It's not my habit to research where I have to go to work. I studied for 11 years to be trained as a missionary. We are available to go wherever we are asked,”
— Father Awulu
But a divine surprise awaited him: the presence of a rapidly expanding African community at a time when immigration was exploding with the labor shortage. “I didn’t expect to find Africans!” he exclaimed.
“Every week the number of African immigrants increases, that’s news to me,” he adds.
Sport to bring people together
This is evident as he referees a match for the young Sept-Îles Intercultural Soccer League. Founded just six months ago, it consists of six men’s teams grouped by African country. The women are not far behind and occupy the neighboring field.
Children play nearby, while babies sleep in strollers despite the noisy crowd. “Sports help us integrate. Sport has no boundaries; it brings us together,” says the missionary.
La Presse reported on Sunday that temporary foreign workers are giving a boost to the Sept-Îles economy at a time when the North Shore is emptying. A devitalization that is unsurprisingly felt in church pews, reports Father Awulu.
"The reality is a little different than in Africa. There aren't many people who come to church, and not many young people either. […] The church here is very much characterized by the presence of the elders.",he notes
“The children are often no longer here, they’ve left. There are many people who leave for the big cities. So, the grandparents find themselves alone. It’s part of my duty to support them,” says the missionary, who visits CHSLDs and seniors’ residences.
On the pitch and in the parish
On the artificial turf, the intensity rises quickly. Tempers flare, players bicker, and challenge his decisions. The referee intervenes calmly each time.
"I'm not bragging, but [I come with] a certain background, a certain self-control."
— Father Awulu
Players notice and thank him at the end of the match, some even apologizing for having cursed in the heat of the moment. Father Awulu is not offended. He sees his talent “as a gift from the Lord” to bring him closer to his host community.
“Reflection of our society”
Although his dual occupation may seem surprising in Quebec, it is not unusual in Nigeria, he assures us. His congregation even paid for his professional referee training.
“The Church encourages us to reach out to the people.”
— Father Awulu
The Diocese of Baie-Comeau recognizes his commitment. “Father Awulu is not only involved in his parish, but also with the African community in Sept-Îles; it’s something truly interesting,” says Bishop Pierre Charland.
The diocese, which covers the entire Côte-Nord region, increasingly relies on foreign priests to fill the needs of local churches. The labor shortage also affects the priesthood, Father Charland notes. Of the 23 priests in the Diocese of Baie-Comeau, nine come from abroad, especially Africa.
“It’s a reality that we didn’t see 20 years ago. It’s truly rich and it reflects the changes we’re seeing in our society.”
— Bishop Pierre Charland
Looking ahead
Back on the pitch, the match was decided in the final moments. Cameroon celebrated the victory, while Senegal suffered defeat.
Father Awulu will remain in Sept-Îles until the end of his first six-year term in 2031. And after that?
“It’s not about saying whether I love the presbyteral city. It’s the Holy Spirit who decides. I have no other ambition than to serve. In life, there are ups and downs. You have to commit yourself to the end.”
