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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
Judy LaGrandeur
5/31/2021 05:35:51 pm

This is a start, but I don’t see anywhere where the church is standing up and taking the blame for the way the people were treated in the Catholic run schools. Our Pope must issue a news release accepting blame for this unbelievable news.

Because I am Catholic, for the first time in my life I am embarrassed to admit it

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Mona Patterson
6/2/2021 08:28:04 am

Thank you for putting forth this statement to your faithful flocks. So, so heartbreaking and we must all accept responsibility, our challenge is acknowledging the truth in all humility, insist on active means of reconciliation and forgiveness and not in just a monetary way. We must always turn to God as He reveals sin to us. The horrors of the disregard for human life, created in God’s image has to make us determined to do all we can, not just make us uncomfortable in our seats.
“With my God I can scale any wall.” Psalm 18

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Craig MacFarlane
6/2/2021 03:20:41 pm

The news of the discovery at the Kamloops Elementary School is alarming at first. Thinking about this discovery and asking questions, I began to wonder how did the mass grave come about? Was there an epidemic at the school and the children had to be buried quickly? Were these children orphans with nowhere to bury them? Was this burial site present prior to the residential school being built? What was the historical context of this situation? The media certainly does not want to ask questions and find facts. They have already made their judgement. They want to blame the Church and make Her look bad and discredit Her. They always assume the worst with the Church. They are not on our side.

What will this lead to? Discrediting and erasing Canada's past for sure. Goodbye John A. MacDonald, Bishop Grandin, Fr. Albert Lacombe. Anyone connected with Residential schools in any way whatsoever will be erased from history. Very sad. Our Catholic Heritage is being quickly erased.

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Lawrence Beaton
6/5/2021 06:29:59 pm

I would disagree that the entire Church is to blame for what transpired in residential schools. As many First Nations have told us, it is the responsibility of the Black Robes. Also remember that not all 143 residential schools across Canada were administered by various religious congregations. Several residential schools were administered by other religious denominations.

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Eugene
6/5/2021 08:39:53 pm

Jesus Christ our Saviour, Master and Lord said; "I m the Way, the Truth and the Life ....."
Saint Pope John Paul II said; "Be not afraid, open your hearts and minds, doors and windows of your homes to Jesus Christ.... "Let the Holy Spirit descend and renew the face of the Earth, of this Earth....."The country that kills own children that country doesn't have a hope for the future...
Saint Mother Teresa said; "When mother is able to kill a baby in her own womb what will stop us from killing each other .....
His Excellency, retired Bishop Frederick Henry said to me few times; "Be strong, don't give up....

Unfortunately our silence, our lukewarm and humble attitude as Christians, shyness, compromise and acceptance of of grave sins regarding abortion, the gravest sin, so currently majority rulers and governors of this World allow moving us towards the culture of death by accepting not only abortion but euthanasia as human rights.
Pandemic and recent developments, manipulations by some around the World indicate dark future. How can we accept, allow that the whole World is confined to own homes by questionable coronavirus pandemic which claimed so far 3 400 000 lives in 16 months when abortion rate of innocent, voiceless, Gods babies in own mothers wombs is claiming over 70 000 000 lives annually not counting chemical abortions (over 100 000 000 during this pandemic) but the whole World is silent, ignorant of the life sanctity, the truth, but arrogant to destroy life for many, many years.
More, Pope Francis requested all Catholics and Christians to pray marathon rosary during May, 2021 by 30 Marian Sanctuaries but nobody came out with an idea to put the whole World on knees, to acknowledge, to repent for the babies genocide, the future of the World, the future of our families, our countries and next generations.

Where are we heading, how come we don't learn lessons from the past, don't open hearts and minds for truth, for the culture of life and love, but with lukewarm attitude and silence accept moral degradation and potential destruction of the World.
How our Merciful and Omnipotent God can still tolerate and be Merciful for us as a free and in some way comfortable society.

We don't have a choice. We have to stand up for Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Master and Lord. He is the Way the Truth and the Life.

With love and life above my own life for the culture of love and life ......
Eugene

Reply
Ron Hierath
7/5/2021 03:33:07 pm

We (Canadian catholics) are being bullied by our Prime Minister demanding that the Pope show up on Canadian soil and apologize for abusing children in the residential schools in Canada. They, the Federal Government funded and over saw the operation of the indigenous residential schools. Our Bishops need to be more proactive in making truthful statements about the accusations of abuse and the causes of students deaths while under the schools care. There has to be tons of documents of communications between the gov't and Bishops which would shine some light on this subject to give us an honest look at what happened over the yrs.

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