Recently the practice has arisen of making a public acknowledgement of Treaty land at the beginning of civic events. The motivation is the desire to reach out to the Indigenous peoples of Canada in reconciliation and friendship through an acknowledgement that the territory they now share with non-Indigenous people is…
by Rev. Raymond J. de Souza Somehow a story about hundreds of unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School became a story about what Pope Francis should do, not a story about the lives lost or why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau only rushed to provide money for documenting…
Episcopal Ordination of the Most Reverend Stephen Andrew Hero Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Homily [Hosea 11:1-4, 8ac-9; Isaiah 12; Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19; John 19: 31-37] It feels like quite a while has passed since we heard the announcement that Pope Francis had named Father Stephen Hero…
A meeting between Pope Francis and a delegation of Canadian Indigenous people at the Vatican is being planned and expected before the end of the year. A statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said the pastoral visit will include “the participation of a diverse group of Elders/Knowledge Keepers,…
There has been considerable media coverage and discussion in recent days following the discovery of children’s remains at the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.. The discovery has reopened a painful wound for many in our country. It has identified the need for all Canadians to learn more about our…
After his Angelus address June 6, Pope Francis led hundreds of pilgrims and visitors in St. Peter’s Square in a moment of silent prayer for the Indigenous children who died in Canadian residential schools and for their grieving families.
Pope Francis’ new ambassador to Canada has often defended the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world and earlier this year noted they were being hard hit by the ongoing COVID pandemic. The pope has named Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič the new apostolic nuncio to Canada, a position that had been…
Terry O’Neill Canadian Catholic News When the Chief of the Kamloops Indian Band announced on May 27 that researchers had located the remains of 215 children in unmarked graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, she said the discovery confirmed what she and her people had long known, that…
OFFICE OF THE ARCHBISHOP June 4, 2021 Dear Faithful People in Christ, In recent days, the people of Canada have been shaken by the news that what is believed to be the remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. No one,…
The people of the Archdiocese of Edmonton share the deep pain felt by Indigenous Peoples, and indeed all Canadians, arising from the disclosure that what is believed to be the remains of 215 children were found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. The painful legacy of residential…