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Papal Visit to Canada

5/13/2022

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Pope Francis will make a pastoral visit to Canada from July 24 to 29, 2022. The Pope’s visit will provide an opportunity for him to listen and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, to express his heartfelt closeness and to address the impact of residential schools in Canada. The papal visit will also provide an opportunity for the shepherd of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics to connect with the Catholic community in Canada.

Given the vast landscape of our country, the limited time period for the visit and considering the health of the 85 year-old Pontiff, the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will adopt three communities as a base for his Canadian visit: Edmonton, Quebec City, and Iqaluit. The locations will limit travel for the Holy Father while still allowing an opportunity for both intimate and public encounters, drawing on participation from all regions of the country.
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Specific programming and events will be confirmed approximately six weeks prior to the Holy Father’s arrival. Visit www.papalvisit.ca or www.visitepapale.ca for more information and to stay updated on the latest developments. Please continue to pray for the health of Pope Francis and for all those engaged in the ongoing healing and reconciliation journey.

Please include these intentions in your prayers:
  • We pray for the health of Pope Francis as he prepares to visit Canada in July. May God bless the Holy Father with the strength and stamina to travel to our country for a visit of healing, hope and reconciliation. We pray to the Lord...
  • We pray for the Papal Visit to Canada this July. May the journey serve as a moment of healing and reconciliation for Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors and all those working on the path to truth and understanding. We pray to the Lord. We pray to the Lord...
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Read: 
  • Pope Francis to Visit Canada (Vatican News)
  • Catholic Bishops Welcome Announcement of Dates and Hub Cities for Papal Visit to Canada (CCCB)
  • News Conference re: Papal Visit by Archbishop Richard Smith, National Coordinator for the Papal Visit, May 13 at 8 am (Archdiocese of Edmonton) Facebook Live on Youtube  
  • FAQ on Papal Visit to Canada

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Pope Francis' apology to the Indigenous People

4/1/2022

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April 1 was the final day of the delegation of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada to the Holy See, where all of the delegates and those who have accompanied them participated in a final audience with Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. 
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During this final Audience, the Holy Father expressed “sorrow and shame” for the abuse and lack of respect for Indigenous identities, culture and spiritual values in the residential school system. He said, “I ask for God’s forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry. And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon.”  Read the Holy Father's full message
  • Pope Francis' full address to the Indigenous Delegates
  • Canada's Catholic Bishops welcome Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous Peoples
  • ​Final Audience between Pope Francis and all the Indigenous delegates. 
  • Final briefing with all Indigenous partners and the CCCB following the final audience with Pope Francis. 
  • To watch all the briefings, click here.
  • Métis delegate Angie Crerar touched by meeting with Pope Francis (Archdiocese of Edmonton) 
  • Indigenous leaders reflect on talks with Pope (CBC)
  • A journey toward healing and reconciliation (Salt + Light TV)
    • March 28 | March 29 | March 31
  • Chief Wilton Littlechild responds to Pope Francis' apology (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
  • Elder Angie Crerar's final briefing message and prayer on the final day in Rome with the Indigenous delegation (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
  • Raymond J. de Souza: The meaning of Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous people (National Post)
  • "Now we're brothers, sisters." Archbishop Smith recaps Indigenous visit to Rome (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
  • Father Cristino Bouvette, an Indigenous Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Calgary, speaks about the historic apology given by Pope Francis.
 
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Indigenous delegates from Canada and their families, friends, and supporters meet with Pope Francis in a final audience on April 1, 2022. Photo: ©Vatican Media

MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN CANADA
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
Clementine Hall, Friday, 1st April 2022 | [Multimedia]

​Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning and welcome!

I thank Bishop Poisson for his kind words and each of you for your presence here and for the prayers that you have offered. I am grateful that you have come to Rome despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. Over the past few days, I have listened attentively to your testimonies. I have brought them to my thoughts and prayers, and reflected on the stories you told and the situations you described. I thank you for having opened your hearts to me, and for expressing, by means of this visit, your desire for us to journey together.

I would like to take up a few of the many things that have struck me. Let me start from a saying that is part of your traditional wisdom. It is not only a turn of phrase but also a way of viewing life: “In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation”. These are wise words, farsighted and the exact opposite of what often happens in our own day, when we run after practical and immediate goals without thinking of the future and generations yet to come. For the ties that connect the elderly and the young are essential. They must be cherished and protected, lest we lose our historical memory and our very identity. Whenever memory and identity are cherished and protected, we become more human.

In these days, a beautiful image kept coming up. You compared yourselves to the branches of a tree. Like those branches, you have spread in different directions, you have experienced various times and seasons, and you have been buffeted by powerful winds. Yet you have remained solidly anchored to your roots, which you kept strong. In this way, you have continued to bear fruit, for the branches of a tree grow high only if its roots are deep. I would like to speak of some of those fruits, which deserve to be better known and appreciated.

First, your care for the land, which you see not as a resource to be exploited, but as a gift of heaven. For you, the land preserves the memory of your ancestors who rest there; it is a vital setting making it possible to see each individual’s life as part of a greater web of relationships, with the Creator, with the human community, with all living species and with the earth, our common home. All this leads you to seek interior and exterior harmony, to show great love for the family and to possess a lively sense of community. Then too, there are the particular riches of your languages, your cultures, your traditions and your forms of art. These represent a patrimony that belongs not only to you, but to all humanity, for they are expressions of our common humanity.

Yet that tree, rich in fruit, has experienced a tragedy that you described to me in these past days: the tragedy of being uprooted. The chain that passed on knowledge and ways of life in union with the land was broken by a colonization that lacked respect for you, tore many of you from your vital milieu and tried to conform you to another mentality. In this way, great harm was done to your identity and your culture, many families were separated, and great numbers of children fell victim to these attempts to impose a uniformity based on the notion that progress occurs through ideological colonization, following programmes devised in offices rather than the desire to respect the life of peoples. This is something that, unfortunately, and at various levels, still happens today: ideological colonization. How many forms of political, ideological and economic colonization still exist in the world, driven by greed and thirst for profit, with little concern for peoples, their histories and traditions, and the common home of creation! Sadly, this colonial mentality remains widespread. Let us help each other, together, to overcome it.

Listening to your voices, I was able to enter into and be deeply grieved by the stories of the suffering, hardship, discrimination and various forms of abuse that some of you experienced, particularly in the residential schools. It is chilling to think of determined efforts to instil a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots, and to consider all the personal and social effects that this continues to entail: unresolved traumas that have become intergenerational traumas.

All this has made me feel two things very strongly: indignation and shame. Indignation, because it is not right to accept evil and, even worse, to grow accustomed to evil, as if it were an inevitable part of the historical process. No! Without real indignation, without historical memory and without a commitment to learning from past mistakes, problems remain unresolved and keep coming back. We can see this these days in the case of war. The memory of the past must never be sacrificed at the altar of alleged progress.

I also feel shame. I have said this to you and now I say it again. I feel shame – sorrow and shame – for the role that a number of Catholics, particularly those with educational responsibilities, have had in all these things that wounded you, in the abuses you suffered and in the lack of respect shown for your identity, your culture and even your spiritual values. All these things are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the deplorable conduct of those members of the Catholic Church, I ask for God's forgiveness and I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry. And I join my brothers, the Canadian bishops, in asking your pardon. Clearly, the content of the faith cannot be transmitted in a way contrary to the faith itself: Jesus taught us to welcome, love, serve and not judge; it is a frightening thing when, precisely in the name of the faith, counter-witness is rendered to the Gospel.

Your experiences have made me ponder anew those ever timely questions that the Creator addresses to mankind in the first pages of the Bible. After the first sin, he asks: “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9). Then, a few pages later, he asks another question, inseparable from the first: “Where is your brother?” (Gen 4:9). Where are you? Where is your brother? These are questions we should never stop asking. They are the essential questions raised by our conscience, lest we ever forget that we are here on this earth as guardians of the sacredness of life, and thus guardians of our brothers and sisters, and of all brother peoples.

At the same time, I think with gratitude of all those good and decent believers who, in the name of the faith, and with respect, love and kindness, have enriched your history with the Gospel. I think with joy, for example, of the great veneration that many of you have for Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. This year I would like to be with you on those days. Today we need to reestablish the covenant between grandparents and grandchildren, between the elderly and the young, for this is a fundamental prerequisite for the growth of unity in our human family.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is my hope that our meetings in these days will point out new paths to be pursued together, instil courage and strength, and lead to greater commitment on the local level. Any truly effective process of healing requires concrete actions. In a fraternal spirit, I encourage the Bishops and the Catholic community to continue taking steps towards the transparent search for truth and to foster healing and reconciliation. These steps are part of a journey that can favour the rediscovery and revitalization of your culture, while helping the Church to grow in love, respect and specific attention to your authentic traditions. I wish to tell you that the Church stands beside you and wants to continue journeying with you. Dialogue is the key to knowledge and sharing, and the Bishops of Canada have clearly stated their commitment to continue advancing together with you on a renewed, constructive, fruitful path, where encounters and shared projects will be of great help.

Dear friends, I have been enriched by your words and even more by your testimonies. You have brought here, to Rome, a living sense of your communities. I will be happy to benefit again from meeting you when I visit your native lands, where your families live. I won’t come in the winter! So I will close by saying “Until we meet again” in Canada, where I will be able better to express to you my closeness. In the meantime, I assure you of my prayers, and upon you, your families and your communities I invoke the blessing of the Creator.

I don’t want to end without saying a word to you, my brother Bishops: Thank you! Thank you for your courage. The Spirit of the Lord is revealed in humility. Before stories like the one we heard, the humiliation of the Church is fruitfulness.

Thank you for your courage.
I thank all of you!
______________________

Text courtesy of Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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Indigenous delegations in Rome (Mar 28 - Apr 1)

3/30/2022

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A delegation of 32 Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth are meeting with Pope Francis this week (March 28 to April 1). Watch the media briefing and videos below. We will share more on social media as they unfold.
  • Media briefing | Meeting between Pope Francis & delegates from the Métis National Council. 
  • Media briefing | Meeting between Pope Francis and delegates from the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. 
  • Media briefing | Meeting between the Pope and delegates from the Assembly of First Nations. 
  • Final Audience between Pope Francis and all the Indigenous delegates. 
  • Media briefing with all Indigenous partners and the CCCB following the final audience with Pope Francis will be held on April 1, 7:30 am MT. 
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Read / Watch
  • Canada’s Catholic Bishops Welcome Pope Francis’ Apology to Indigenous Peoples (CCCB)
  • Pope Francis' address to the Indigenous Delegates (April 1)
  • Canada's Catholic Bishops welcome Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous Peoples (April 1)
  • Updates from CCCB
  • Photos of important moments captured during the delegation to Rome (CCCB)
  • A historic week of meetings with Canada's Indigenous (Vatican News)
  • What brought the Canadian Indigenous to the Vatican (Aleteia) 
  • Indigenous leaders reflect on talks with Pope (CBC)
  • Métis delegate Angie Crerar touched by meeting with Pope Francis (Archdiocese of Edmonton) 
  • Fr. Cristino Bouvette talk about the meetings between Pope Francis and Canada’s Indigenous delegation (Global News).
  • Bishop William McGrattan shares how the meetings between the Holy Father and the indigenous groups (EWTN News)
  • A journey toward healing and reconciliation (Salt + Light TV)
    • March 28 | March 29 | March 31
  • Chief Wilton Littlechild responds to Pope Francis' apology (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
  • Elder Angie Crerar's final briefing message and prayer on the final day in Rome with the Indigenous delegation (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
  • Raymond J. de Souza: The meaning of Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous people (National Post)
  • "Now we're brothers, sisters." Archbishop Smith recaps Indigenous visit to Rome (Archdiocese of Edmonton)
  • Father Cristino Bouvette, an Indigenous Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Calgary, speaks about the historic apology given by Pope Francis. 
Photos:  ©Vatican Media
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Learning how to Listen

12/13/2021

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Listening is often referred to as an art — as in the ‘art of listening’. Reams of books have been dedicated to defining ‘how’ to listen, and even define ‘types’— Deep listening, Full listening, Critical Listening, Therapeutic Listening and so forth. Many motivators and healers speak about the difference between hearing and listening, with one comic wisely noting that the biggest mistake by most human beings is that they hear quickly, listen half, understand a quarter and tell double. For some commentators, the real issue is that so many of us are primed to respond even before we have fully heard another’s point of view. We arrive with our minds made up, and it is difficult to hear when we are speaking.
 
This critical fact is a major reason that so much grief continues across so many areas. It is also why many of our institutions are almost systemically structured not to allow the voice of minorities to be heard. Our dominant cultural and political institutions are structured around laws, practices and values defined and developed by those traditionally in power, and so they are often deaf to voices and practices that are not their own. We have seen this most glaringly in recent times in relation to how Governments have worked with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, often bringing settler values and solutions to issues, rather than sitting in community with Elders to understand Indigenous points of view. And then Governments feign surprise when agreements aren’t reached.
 
Sr. Helena Burns, in her column A la Carte, makes a good point about how western cultures have always approached Indigenous peoples and notes, ‘It’s of the utmost importance to listen right now. Listen to the Indigenous voices and experiences themselves — silenced for so long. Some of these are horror stories and we must not look away.’ As importantly, she argues that without listening, ‘non-Indigenous today can risk the same old rushing in, do-gooding, problem-solving — simplistically thinking we comprehend situations, and speaking “for” others.’ This reminded me of a similar conversation that was had in Australia when the impact of the missions and the Stolen Generations (equivalent to the Sixties Scoop) dominated the headlines.
 
At the time, the university I was at ran an in-country program where we embedded non-Indigenous students with Indigenous communities. I recall one of my Deans telling me that he’d taken the latest group of students up for their weeklong placement. As always happened, the kids arrived ready to transform the communities and filled with advice; and they were always frustrated when the Elders asked them to sit by the fire and to reflect, with the instruction that they would be called on when the time was right. Instead of learning about the people — and the land that they were on — they wanted to transform them. It was always a humbling experience for our students to gradually understand that reconciliation was more significantly achieved when they found a way to listen first.
 
One incident has always stood out for me. One time my Dean noticed a bright pink building in the Bush where our students had gathered every term. Unfamiliar with this he asked an Elder about it. ‘That’s always been there, but last week a group of Social Workers hired by the Government flew up and painted the building pink to help our men reconnect with their feminine side.’ When my Dean said he hadn’t noticed it before Auntie explained that several months earlier a separate group of Government advisors had flown in to paint the building blue so that Aboriginal men could reconnect with their masculinity. Perplexed, my colleague asked what the building was for. ‘Nothing,’ said Auntie. ‘We built it to keep the white fellas busy so they would stay out of our business. They come up and paint the building and get our signatures and then go back to collect their grants. In the meantime, we focus on serving our community.’
 
In order to hear the other, we need to stop speaking. The Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel noted that the word Silent contains the same letters as the word Listen. Mother Teresa once said, ‘God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.’ True listening is clearly a difficult concept for many of us, but it’s not as though we don’t have a guide to follow. ​The Gospels show us how Jesus modelled the art of listening. He moved among the masses and heard their cries (Mark 1); he shared water with a Samaritan woman when cultural dictates forbade it (John 4); and of course, he prayed to the Lord, and guided his disciples. Jesus never spoke through formulas, but rather presented parables that reflected the complexities of the situation or teaching he presented. In the familiar, and perhaps overused phrase, he met people where they were. I believe it’s fair to say that people felt heard. And this, in the end, is what we all want, and certainly what we desperately need. Listen; Silent. They are one and the same.


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Written by Dr. Gerry Turcotte for Faithfully. Dr. Gerry Turcotte has been President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Mary’s University, Calgary, for eight years. He is the author and editor of 15 books including, most recently, Big Things: Ordinary Thoughts in Extraordinary Times, and The History of the Novel in English since 1950. He was awarded the Governor General’s Award for Canadian Studies in 2011 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. He is a regular columnist for The Catholic Register.
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Indigenous delegation to meet Pope Francis

12/7/2021

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Media updates from CCCB: December 7, 2021

After careful assessment of the uncertainty and potential health risks surrounding international travel amid the recent spread of the Omicron variant, the Canadian Bishops, Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami have jointly decided to reschedule a delegation to the Vatican in December 2021 to the earliest opportunity in 2022.

The decision to postpone was a heartbreaking one, made after careful consultation with delegates, family members, community leaders, public health officials and the leadership of each of the three National Indigenous Organizations. Particularly for many elderly delegates as well as those who live in remote communities, the risk of infection and the fluid nature of the evolving global situation presents too great a threat at this time.

We take comfort in the desire, conveyed to us by the Holy See, that the safety of the delegation should inform any decision to move forward. It is also important to note that the delegation is postponed not cancelled.
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Currently, the world’s health experts are still learning about the transmissibility of the Omicron variant. As more information becomes available, we will continue to assess the feasibility of future travel plans, based on guidance from the Canadian government and relevant international authorities.

Our shared commitment to walking together towards healing and reconciliation remains strong. We understand that the Holy See is very much committed to rescheduling this visit in the new year and we look forward to the opportunity for Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth to participate in private meetings with Pope Francis.
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For further information:
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops – communications@cccb.ca
Assembly of First Nations – jamiem@afn.ca
Métis National Council – jannav@metisnation.ca
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami – media@itk.ca

Link to
  • CCCB announcement
  • Livestream/video: Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith comment on the decision to postpone the indigenous delegation to the Vatican


Media updates: December 2, 2021
Three Alberta indigenous leaders will be among the delegates traveling to Vatican City this upcoming December to meet with His Holiness Pope Francis as part of national healing and reconciliation efforts.
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“We as an indigenous community, we never gave up the need to heal,” said Chief Wilton Littlechild, who was chosen as a delegate by the Assembly of First Nations. “We are doing this and we are going. I think that is a willingness on our part …. We are going and that should be a message within itself. We are willing to work with this and with you. Please help us now. We are putting our hand out, meet halfway and let's shake hands. It is really important to show good intent.”
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Chief Littlechild, of the Ermineskin First Nation, is a former Treaty Six Nations grand chief and former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Chief Littlechild has worked with the United Nations for more than 40 years advocating for indigenous peoples. He is a survivor of residential school.
 
Two Alberta delegates, Angelina (Angie) Crerar and Gary Gagnon, were chosen by the Metis Nation.
 
Angie is a Métis knowledge keeper and elder, from Grande Prairie. Angie has volunteered for more than 50 years. She has been a board member of the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre. She is president of the Metis Local 1990. She started an Elders Caring Shelter, the first of its kind in the country. She is a survivor of residential school.
 
Gary Gagnon is a Métis from St. Albert (Metis Settlement). For more than 20 years, he has been employed with Edmonton Catholic Schools under the Indigenous Learning Services Program as a cultural facilitator.  In 2018, Gary was elected as vice-president, Region 4 Metis Nation of Alberta
 
Twenty five to 30 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth will meet with the Holy Father at the Vatican from December 17-20, 2021, accompanied by a small group of Canadian bishops.
 
Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith, president of the Alberta and Northwest Territories bishops, and Calgary Bishop William McGrattan, vice-president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, will also travel to Vatican City.
 
The delegates represent the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the Métis National Council (MNC). Further details of the delegation will continue to be made available through these organizations as well as the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).
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About the Alberta Delegation

Chief Wilton Littlechild

Wilton Littlechild IPC CM AOE MSC QC, known as Willie Littlechild, is an indigenous lawyer, advocate, residential school survivor and Cree chief who served as Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief, as Grand Chief of the Treaty Six and as a member of Parliament.
 
Littlechild was born in 1944 in Maskwacis, Alberta, raised by his grandparents. He was brought to Indian residential school at the age of six, spending 14 years in the system until his completion of high school.
 
Littlechild graduated with a Bachelor of Physical Education degree in 1967, then obtained a master's degree in physical education from the University of Alberta in 1975. He is the first Treaty Indian from Alberta to obtain a law degree, completed at the University of Alberta in 1976. That year, the Maskwacis Cree Nations bestowed on him with a headdress as an honorary chief and endowed him with his grandfather's Cree name, Mahigan Pimoteyw, which means Wolf Walker.
 
Chief Littlechild was a member of the 1977 Indigenous delegation to the United Nations and worked on the UN and OAS Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He continues to work with the United Nations to this day. He was a Member of Parliament for Wetaskiwin from 1988 to 1993.

Chief Littlechild is a member of the Ermineskin Cree Nation. In 2009, Littlechild was appointed as a commissioner to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada where he served for six and a half years.
 
He has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. He has received the lndspire Award for law and justice, Pearson Peace Medal; four Centennial medals, the Order of Canada, the Order of Sport, three Queen's medals, and received six university doctorate degrees.
 
Chief Littlechild and his wife Helen are most proud of their children Teddi, Neil, Megan, and Angel Tina, three adopted children, nine grandchildren and three great-granddaughters.
 
Gary Gagnon
 
Gary Gagnon is a Metis from St. Albert (Metis Settlement).  For more than 20 years Gary has been employed with Edmonton Catholic Schools under the Indigenous Learning Services Program as cultural facilitator. 
 
Gagnon was seconded with the Archdiocese of Edmonton as coordinator of the Office of Indigenous relations in 2016 for a two-year term. In 2018, Gary was elected as vice-president, Region 4 Metis Nation of Alberta. Gagnon is a trustee for Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage.
 
He sits as an Indigenous Advisor the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council. He performs prayer and smudging rituals as Indigenous cultural volunteer with Sacred Heart of First Nations Peoples church in Edmonton and Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Enoch.
 
Angie Crerar
 
Angie (Mercredi) Crerar IS 85. She was born July 3, 1936 in Fort Resolution, NWT. In 1947, she was taken from her home and placed in residential school at Fort Resolution. For over 10 years, her Metis traditions, language, heritage, childhood and name were taken from her. She was known as number 6.

Angie left the residential School when she was 17 years old. She and her late husband Doug Crerar have 11 children, 24 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren.
 
Angie has volunteered for more than 50 years, celebrating her Metis heritage. She has been a board member of the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre. She is president of the Metis Local 1990. She started, fundraised and helped build an Elders Caring Shelter, the first of its kind in the country.
 
In 1987, Angie was named Volunteer of the Year. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Esquao Awards, the Centennial Award from the City of Grande Prairie, a Caring Canadian award from the Governor General, Hometown Hero award from the City of Grande Prairie and the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2014, she was awarded with a city park in her name, called the Angie Crerar Park.
 
Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith
 
Richard W. Smith was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on April 28, 1959. He studied at St. Mary's University and at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax. Ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1987, he pursued further studies in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a licence in 1993 and a doctorate in 1998.
 
Pope John Paul II appointed him as Bishop of Pembroke, Ont. on April 27, 2002. He was formally installed as the seventh Archbishop of Edmonton on May 1, 2007, the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker. Archbishop Smith serves as president of the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, and he is past president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
 
Calgary Bishop William McGrattan
 
William Terrence McGrattan was born on September 19, 1956 in London, Ont. He received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at the University of Western Ontario, followed by a Master of Divinity from St. Peter’s Seminary in London. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 2, 1987.
 
Bishop McGrattan continued his studies in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a licentiate in fundamental moral theology in 1992. He served on the faculty of St. Peter’s Seminary in London from 1997 until 2009.
 
In 2009, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI appointed Bishop McGrattan as Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. His appointment as the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough, Ont, took place on April 8, 2014. On January 4, 2017, Bishop McGrattan was appointed eighth bishop of the Diocese of Calgary, and was installed on February 27, 2017. Bishop McGrattan is the vice-president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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A personal testimony from Fr. Cristino Bouvette

10/5/2021

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"My hope at sharing some personal reflections from the perspective of being both a Catholic Priest and man of Indigenous heritage. In honour of the national day in recognition of Truth and Reconciliation, September 30, 2021."
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Catholic Bishops of Canada apologize to the Indigenous Peoples of this land

9/26/2021

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 ​The Catholic Bishops of Canada, gathered in Plenary this week, took the opportunity to affirm and acknowledge to the Indigenous Peoples the suffering experienced in Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. Many Catholic religious communities and dioceses participated in this system, which led to the suppression of Indigenous languages, culture and spirituality, failing to respect the rich history, traditions and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples. They acknowledged the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and sexual. They also sorrowfully acknowledged the historical and ongoing trauma and the legacy of suffering and challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples that continue to this day. Along with those Catholic entities which were directly involved in the operation of the schools and which have already offered their own heartfelt apologies, the Catholic Bishops of Canada expressed their profound remorse and apologized unequivocally.

Together with the many pastoral initiatives already underway in dioceses across the country, the Bishops pledged to undertake fundraising in each region of the country to support initiatives discerned locally with Indigenous partners. Furthermore, they invited the Indigenous Peoples to journey with us into a new era of reconciliation, helping us to prioritize initiatives of healing, to listen to the experience of Indigenous Peoples, especially to the survivors of Indian Residential Schools, and to educate our clergy, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful, on Indigenous cultures and spirituality. They further committed to continue the work of providing documentation or records that will assist in the memorialization of those buried in unmarked graves.

A delegation of Indigenous survivors, Elders/knowledge keepers, and youth will meet with the Holy Father in December 2021. Pope Francis will encounter and listen to the Indigenous Peoples, so as to discern how he can support our common desire to renew relationships and walk together along the path of hope in the coming years. The Bishops of Canada have pledged to work with the Holy See and our Indigenous partners on the possibility of a pastoral visit by the Pope to Canada as part of this healing journey.

We are committed to continue the journey with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples of this land. 

​24 September 2021 

READ LETTER OF APOLOGY

27 September 2021

​The Bishops of Canada, as a tangible expression of their commitment to walk with the Indigenous Peoples of this land along the pathway of hope, are making a nation-wide collective financial commitment to support healing and reconciliation initiatives for residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. 

With a target of $30 million over up to 5 years, this will include initiatives in every region of the country. The commitment will be achieved at the local level, with parishes across Canada being encourage to participate and amplify the effort.
READ PRESS RELEASE
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The past is never dead. It's not even past.

8/9/2021

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Blackfoot Crossing, Siksika Nation. Photo: Rebecca Bolwitt.
As we were adjusting to the difficulties of the past eighteen months something more ominous and seemingly out of nowhere, punched us in the gut as members of the Canadian Catholic Church. Ground penetrating radar studies around abandoned Indian Residential Schools had found grave sites, first at Kamloops. Common immediate responses I heard among my fellow parishioners were feelings of puzzlement, shock, and anger and expressions of general ignorance of the issue. Here was our Church, standing shamed before the Canadian public and the world, as the continuing pain and suffering of indigenous people stood revealed.

We are now challenged by these events to examine our own, and our Church’s, position in society. We might be ‘settlers’ of recent or many generations’ standing. Some of us are indigenous, and for many, perhaps most, our backgrounds are complicated. Whatever our situation we can no longer ignore questions this poses about our faith, Church, and our pasts.

I had attended the Calgary hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in November 2013. I had witnessed the grueling and painful testimonies of those affected by the Residential Schools and its related intergenerational trauma, and I had stood in the lunch line listening to Commission Chair Murray Sinclair, whom I greatly admired. I have done post-graduate studies in the fields of imperial and colonial history and I had read some of the final reports published by the TRC. Still, the news out of Kamloops, and the eruption of emotion that followed came as a shock. Partly it was the way the reports came out. I had understood the events to be historical and not as enduring injustices needing resolution.

My first visit to the church of Holy Trinity on the Siksika Nation was in July when I met with the pastor, Fr. Long Vu, to discuss what historical records Holy Trinity had that were related to the community, and to let him know what was held by the Diocese. We have no Residential School records as the Diocese was not involved in operating the schools, but we were keen to know if there was anything which we could share that would fill in gaps in the existing information. Seeing the Nation for the first time reveals the stark beauty of the grasslands and the dramatic sweep of the Bow River valley as it meanders through its wide plain. I was pleased to be back again this week to attend a meeting of Bishop McGrattan and Chief Ouray Crowfoot with Council members and a diocesan team to see if we could establish some concrete ways of moving forward together. It was a good meeting. What struck me most was the graciousness and patience of the Siksika representatives, their quiet humour and commitment to get things done on the journey towards healing.
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Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Museum. Photo: L. OHara.
Looking out over the river valley where Treaty Seven was signed almost 150 years ago it is easy to imagine the gatherings that occurred there, and to feel the tangible presence of history. A mile or so distant, Crowfoot Residential School site, which is overlooked now by Holy Trinity Church, was demolished some years ago though its outline and footprint can still be seen. It has its own historical presence which asks to be acknowledged.

Inside the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park there is so much to see and I would recommend you visit. What seemed to me most poignant was the space being created for the historical artifacts that once belonged to Chief Crowfoot (1930-1890), an original signatory of the Treaty, which are currently awaiting repatriation from a museum in Exeter in the United Kingdom. This is a sign of hope for the Nation – and of the erosion of the old power of colonialism.
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Over these places, and in all of us who met together, I felt the spirit of God asking us to stay with the suffering and to work hard together and attempt to mitigate the ill effects of the Residential Schools. We cannot change history but here is an invitation we cannot ignore. We can seek the truths and lessons of our history by studying reliable authorities, records, the oral testimonies of elders and through honest, prayerful reflection. We are obliged by our God to do so. The past is not past – it is with us. But God is with us too.

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Written by Carol Hollywood for Faithfully. Carol is the archivist for the Diocese of Calgary and a member of St. Bonaventure Parish. She has three grown children and two grandchildren. 
3 Comments

I will give you shepherds after my own heart

6/11/2021

0 Comments

 
​At St. Peter’s Seminary where I was a rector before being named a bishop by Pope Benedict, the mission of our formation ministry was guided by this verse from scripture, “Dabo vobis pastores iuxta cor meumn, et pascent vos scientia et doctrina - I will give you shepherds according to my own heart, and they will feed you with wisdom and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15). The Solemnity of the Most Sacred of Jesus is the very heart of God spoken by Jeremiah, and it is to be the model of a priest’s heart in the exercise of his ministry.  

Having been rector in the seminary for many years, I have met many seminarians who walked through the doors of the seminary and after years of formation became ordained for service in the ministerial priesthood or through discernment discovered that we were being called to another path in life. Whether or not they found their vocation ultimately in the priesthood, the call to have the heart of Jesus is one that we all have received in our baptism to the ongoing conversion that we experience through God’s loving mercy.  

Many factors shape our lives… personal life history and experiences, attitudes and personality flaws, the brokenness of our humanity, and personal sinfulness can prevent us from having the heart of Jesus. Yet our hope lies in the love and mercy of the Lord Himself who calls us to follow Him even in the midst of struggles and suffering. It is He, after all, who shows us the way of love and provides the grace that we need to live this love in becoming His disciples. 

In recent weeks there is a lot of pain in the heart of our Lord with the reality of the suffering brought about by the long history of residential schools in our country. If our hearts are truly patterned after our Lord then our hearts will also be filled with sorrow and will grieve for our indigenous sisters and brothers who are suffering once again this trauma. Pope Francis, in his message after the Angelus on June 6, said, “These difficult times are a strong call for all of us to turn away from the colonial model and from ideological colonisations, and to walk side by side in dialogue, mutual respect and recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada.” Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we need to discover the strength to carry the cross and to acknowledge how we have contributed to the crosses that others have had to carry in their lives. This is the path of justice, healing, and reconciliation which flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

We turn to the Lord for mercy. We also ask the Lord to help us grow in compassion. As Christians, we desire for our hearts to be formed after the heart of our Lord Jesus in His wisdom, understanding, and most of all in seeking forgiveness from others. 
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Written by Most Revered William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
​
June 11, 2021

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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

​June 4, 2021


Questions and Answers
  • FAQ - Oblates of Mary Immaculate
  • FAQ - Archdiocese of Vancouver
    ​
Statements
  • CCCB - Delegation to Holy See
  • A message from Pope Francis 
  • A message from Bishop McGrattan 
  • A message from Calgary Catholic School District on the renaming of Bishop Grandin High School.
  • A message from Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops  ​
  • ​A joint video statement from Chief Littlechild and Archbishop Richard Smith. Watch Statement |  Interview
  • 2014 Pastoral letter from Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories on Truth and Reconciliation
  • CCCB Resources:  Past statements | Encounter with the Popes | Initiatives

​Learn about Residential Schools
  • History of Residential Schools
  • Perspective on death and graves in residential schools
  • The policy battle that set the stage for a century of residential school death
  • Documentary: A National Crime 
  • Clarification on unmarked graves

​​​Crisis line for Indian Residential School survivors and family: 1-866-925-4419
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​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 Bo and Highwood Rivers  (1884-1922) operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and Grey Nuns of Montreal​​

​​Truth and Reconciliation Findings
  • A Catholic response to Call to Action 48 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

​A brief guide about Treaty & Alberta Treaty Map (Alberta Teachers Association)

Let us join in prayer: 
  • For the children who died in the former Kamloops Indian Residential School and for all those impacted by this tragedy, that there may be healing founded on truth and that the Spirit will inspire our ongoing commitment to reconciliation. Amen.
0 Comments

A message from Bishop McGrattan regarding the former Kamloops Residential School

6/4/2021

3 Comments

 
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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

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.
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3 Comments

CCCB statement regarding recent discovery at former Kamloops Indian Residential School

5/31/2021

6 Comments

 
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​Statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops following the recent discovery at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation 

On behalf of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), I express our deepest sorrow for the heartrending loss of the children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. 

The news of the recent discovery is shocking. It rekindles trauma in numerous communities across this land. Honouring the dignity of the lost little ones demands that the truth be brought to light. 

This tragedy profoundly impacts Indigenous communities, with whom many people across this land and throughout the world now stand in solidarity. 

As we see ever more clearly the pain and suffering of the past, the Bishops of Canada pledge to continue walking side by side with Indigenous Peoples in the present, seeking greater healing and reconciliation for the future. 

We lift up prayers to the Lord for the children who have lost their lives and pledge our close accompaniment of Indigenous families and communities. 

May our Creator God bless all of us with consolation and hope. 

+ Richard Gagnon 
Archbishop of Winnipeg and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, ​31 May 2021


Related articles
  • A statement from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) regarding news from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation on the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Residential School run by the OMI. Read message
  • Diocese of Kamloops: Bishop Joseph Nguyen's message about the findings at the former residential school site in Kamloops. Read message
  • Archdiocese of Edmonton: Video message from Archbishop Smith after the tragic discovery made at the former Kamloops Residential School site, and the way forward through the intercession of St. Kateri. Watch video ​
  • 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 
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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.
6 Comments

Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples

12/5/2019

1 Comment

 
The Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples is celebrated annually on December 12th and it normally falls during the second week of the Advent Season.  This initiative was started in 2002 by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ through the work of Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council.  This Day of Prayer encourages the faithful to pray for the needs and intentions of Indigenous Peoples and to seek from God the wisdom that will inspire and guide us in the efforts to address the past with justice and to walk forward together in peace. 

In his homily to Native Peoples of Canada in 1987, St. John Paul II said, “Life in God’s kingdom is based on a true sense of solidarity, sharing and community. His is a kingdom of justice, peace and love. It is our task to build a society in which these Gospel values will be applied to every concrete situation and relationship. … It is a time for reconciliation, for new relationships of mutual respect and collaboration in reaching a truly just solution to unresolved issues.” (Homily of His Holiness John Paul II, September 20, 1987)
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In 2016, Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle was founded to develop and further relations with Indigenous peoples.  The Circle takes its name from Our Lady of Guadalupe who Saint John Paul II named the Patroness of the Americas. This devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe demonstrates how the Catholic faith is to be celebrated and lived in Indigenous cultures. 

The Circle brings together representatives from the Catholic Church in Canada - Indigenous peoples, bishops, priests, lay associations and members of institutes of consecrated life. The Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle includes membership from seven national Catholic organizations and four Catholic religious orders. Member-at-large positions were created to allow for additional Catholic Indigenous representation. The Circle is committed to making a conscientious effort to ensure a balance of Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices who are united by their common baptism and faith as Catholics.    

The members of the Circle are engaged in renewing and fostering relationships between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples in Canada.  The vision of the Circle is “Catholics Engaging in Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.” The Circle describes its mission and purpose to be in four key areas:  
​
  • To provide a forum for dialogue to encourage a deeper understanding of the relationships between the Church nd Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous spiritualties in Canada,
  • To serve as a united Catholic public voice on relations and dialogue between the Church and Indigenous Peoples,
  • To assist Catholics in engagement with the Truth and Reconciliation process and its Calls to Action, and
  • To carry out agreed upon initiatives and concrete actions. (OLGC)

These four dimensions of the Circle speak to the importance of listening, of entering into prayer, dialogue, the understanding of indigenous spiritualties, an openness to reconciliation, and the commitment to concrete action. The coming together to form a Circle also serves to communicate the symbolic image of God’s presence in their midst and the desire for its members to be united in one voice. 

On the First Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis spoke of Advent as a season of awakening to the needs of our brothers and sisters, “The sleep from which we must awake is created by indifference, by vanity, and by the inability to establish genuinely human relationships and to take care of our brothers and sisters ...” (Pope Francis, December 1, 2019)  The Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle seeks to bring about this awakening of the need to be in solidarity with our Indigenous brothers and sisters and to speak with one voice in their initiatives to bring this about. 

As we celebrate this Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples during the Advent Season, let us embrace a new spirit of accompaniment with our Indigenous brothers and sisters so that we might seek a deeper understanding of one another and thus respond with charity and generosity which is a sure sign of our mutual faith in Christ. As we seek to journey together in Christ, is this not what the Advent Season invites us to do as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas?  

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A message from
Bishop William T. McGrattan,
Bishop of Calgary

Written by Bishop William T. McGrattan | December 5, 2019
1 Comment

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