I will give you shepherds after my own heart

​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
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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.

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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

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Questions and Answers

• FAQ - Oblates of Mary Immaculate
• FAQ - Archdiocese of Vancouver
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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.