In place of this week’s Heart to Heart, please read a Pastoral Letter from His Excellency, Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, to the faithful of the Diocese of Hamilton regarding the recent discovery of the unmarked graves of children at the former Kamloops Residential School.

From His Excellency, Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, please read this statement from the CCCB following the report of a recent discovery of children’s graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation.

From His Excellency, Bishop Crosby, OMI, Bishop of Hamilton, please read this message from Father Ken Thorson, Provincial of OMI Lacombe Canada Province, regarding news from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation (Kamloops Indian Band) on the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

“THE CALL FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO “APOLOGIZE” for our involvement in government sponsored Indigenous Residential Schools is loud and clear. The apologies actually began 30 years ago, when the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate offered an apology at the annual Lac Ste. Anne (Alberta) pilgrimage – a long-time sacred pilgrimage site for thousands of Indigenous Peoples from North America. The Oblates were marking their 150th anniversary of presence and ministry in Canada, and chose to make the apology an important part of the anniversary year.” Text copied form the St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Kitchener website, with permission.
You can read the apology here.

“AND JUST YESTERDAY the CCCB announced a long-in-the planning initiative to send a delegation of Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, residential school survivors, and young people to meet with Pope Francis in a “meaningful encounter of dialogue and healing”. The event will be a rich conversation between a diverse group of Indigenous peoples and the Pope. The pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions stalled the project; however as these restrictions ease, the delegation has resumed its planning for the visit.” Text copied form the St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Kitchener website, with permission.
You can read the statement here.

“Click here to listen to Fr. Larry’s reading of Bishop Crosby’s Pastoral letter regarding the situation with the residential schools.