A message from Bishop McGrattan regarding the former Kamloops Residential School

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
 
The reported discovery of the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian residential school has shocked the consciousness of our country, its people, the Church, and the world to the painful and dark reality of our Canadian Indian residential school system. This has also surfaced once again the suffering and trauma which continues to mark the lives of our indigenous brothers and sisters and their communities.
 
On behalf of the people of the Diocese of Calgary, I personally share in this devastating sorrow and express my deepest regret at the loss of the lives of these children and the enduring pain which residential schools have caused within our indigenous communities. In solidarity, we must act in the pursuit of justice, reconciliation, and true healing.
 
As the Bishop of Calgary, through this statement, I personally recommit the Diocese in expressing the apology and regret made by the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories in 2014 to our indigenous brothers and sisters.

We, the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and Northwest Territories, apologize to those who experienced sexual and physical abuse in Residential Schools under Catholic administration.
 
We also express our apology and regret for Catholic participation in government policies that resulted in children being separated from their families, and often suppressed Aboriginal culture and language at the Residential Schools.
 
We commit ourselves to work in the Catholic community and the wider society to challenge attitudes of racism and prejudice that continue to exist in Alberta and Canada today. Aboriginal communities still face many serious issues that go beyond what will be addressed at the TRC, including land, treaty rights, education, health care, housing, jobs, and environmental threats.
 
We will continue to find ways for Catholics, together with other concerned Canadians, to support more effectively Aboriginal peoples in their ongoing struggles to achieve justice and equity in Canadian society.
 

The picture and images of children’s shoes placed at the front steps with lit candles remind us of the voices of these children and the need for restorative justice. In prayer, we unite ourselves with our suffering brothers and sisters so that the Spirit will show us the path of solidarity in promoting true justice and healing.
 
For those families deeply impacted, we ask for the intercession of St. Kateri Tekakwitha for them to receive consolation, healing, and strength.
 
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
  
+William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary

Download Letter in PDF

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Recent statements

• CCCB - Delegation to Holy See (June 10)
• A message from Pope Francis on Kamloops Residential School (June 6) 
• A message from Calgary Catholic School District on the renaming of Bishop Grandin High School (June 4).
  • To give feedback regarding the renaming, please this link to ThoughtExchange. Link will be open until midnight on June 8, 2021.
• A message from Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on Kamloops Residential School (May 31). ​
• A statement from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) regarding news from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation on Kamloops Residential School run by the OMI.
• A message from the Diocese of Kamloops on the findings at the former residential school site in Kamloops.
• Crisis line for Indian Residential School survivors and family: 1-866-92504419

Learn about Residential Schools

• History of Residential Schools
• Perspective on death and graves in residential schools
• Documentary: A National Crime 
• Clarification on unmarked graves

​​There were 25 residential schools in the Province of Alberta. See: Residential Schools in Canada Map. Four of them operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) were within the boundaries of the Diocese. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary did not run any residential schools. Below are links to the four residential schools:

• St. Joseph’s Residential School (Crowfoot) - Cluny, Alberta (1900-1968) operated by the Oblates of  Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Sisters of Providence
• St. Mary’s Residential School (Kainai) - Cardston, Alberta (1898-1988) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Grey Nuns of Montreal
• Sacred Heart Residential School (Peigan) - Brocket, Alberta (1887-1961) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)  and Grey Nuns of Montreal
• St. Joseph’s Industrial School (Dunbow) - East of Okotoks, near the junction of the Bow and Highwood Rivers  (1884-1922) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Grey Nuns of Montreal​​

Related resources

• Resources from CCCB on Indigenous People (pastoral and current reconciliation initiatives, TRC, letters and statements, encounters with popes etc.)​ 
• Current initiatives: The Bishops in Canada have been working with Indigenous Peoples since the 17th century. A number of religious institutes of consecrated life, as well as Catholic lay organizations, have also been involved in working with Indigenous Peoples; a more recent example is Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, a Catholic coalition of Indigenous people, Bishops, lay movements, clergy, and institutes of consecrated life. The members of the Circle are engaged in renewing and fostering relationships between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle | Listening Circles | National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous People |  Returning to Spirit 

Let us join in prayer as a community of faith:

• For the children whose death in Kamloops Residential School were undocumented and whose passing has now been recognized, may they be welcomed into the light and peace of your kingdom, and may they find the fullness of your charity and love, and live in the joys of eternal life. 
• For the families of the deceased children in Kamloops residential school, may they be lifted from the depths of their grief and strengthened in faith and hope.  
• For our current leaders and all of us, may God give us the courage to face our shared history and the desire to continue and forge new paths of justice and healing. May our respect for one another lead to acts of human solidarity and bring about spiritual and social change for the good of all.