On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council and Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle honour the Survivors of the Indian Residential School System, the children who never returned home, their families, and the generations who continue to live with its legacy. We remember also the courage of those who have shared their stories and encourage those who continue to listen, so that the truth of our histories remains the foundation upon which we build our collective futures. We cannot turn away from these truths when they are painful or uncomfortable. Our faith calls us instead to encounter them with humility, honesty, and charity as we walk together and learn to live rightly with one another.
We give thanks for signs of hope this year. The ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ knowledge-sharing symposium held in Edmonton this past spring created space for honest dialogue among diverse voices about the historical and contemporary realities that shaped colonization. Through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund, Catholic dioceses across Canada have committed $30 million toward healing and reconciliation projects developed with Indigenous communities. These are two examples of the many initiatives taking place across the country as the fruits of dialogue and relationality begin to shape a brighter tomorrow.
At the same time, we cannot ignore that there has been a noticeable shift in the discourse concerning Truth and Reconciliation in recent months. There is a temptation to become distracted from the healing mission Pope Francis called us all to continue during his penitential pilgrimage to Canada in 2022. We must remain patient with one another and trust that the journey is guided by the Holy Spirit, who accompanies us at every step.
To aid in this journey, ongoing dialogue and mutual accompaniment remains paramount. Whether in parishes or at community events, occasions for learning can create opportunities for encounter, reciprocity, and relationality. We must see the faces and hear the voices of those with whom we are walking so that, in the words of the late Canadian Jesuit Michael Stogre, S.J., we might be drawn “… into the realm of discernment, decision, and action on behalf of justice and liberation.”
Finally, we wish to acknowledge that this work must be rooted in the movement of the Holy Spirit. We invite all to continue praying for this healing journey as we look ahead to December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. May Our Lady, who came to St. Juan Diego in his own language and with the face of his people, accompany us on the path of Truth and Reconciliation.
On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council and Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle honour the Survivors of the Indian Residential School System, the children who never returned home, their families, and the generations who continue to live with its legacy. We remember also the courage of those who have shared their stories and encourage those who continue to listen, so that the truth of our histories remains the foundation upon which we build our collective futures. We cannot turn away from these truths when they are painful or uncomfortable. Our faith calls us instead to encounter them with humility, honesty, and charity as we walk together and learn to live rightly with one another.
We give thanks for signs of hope this year. The ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ knowledge-sharing symposium held in Edmonton this past spring created space for honest dialogue among diverse voices about the historical and contemporary realities that shaped colonization. Through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund, Catholic dioceses across Canada have committed $30 million toward healing and reconciliation projects developed with Indigenous communities. These are two examples of the many initiatives taking place across the country as the fruits of dialogue and relationality begin to shape a brighter tomorrow.
At the same time, we cannot ignore that there has been a noticeable shift in the discourse concerning Truth and Reconciliation in recent months. There is a temptation to become distracted from the healing mission Pope Francis called us all to continue during his penitential pilgrimage to Canada in 2022. We must remain patient with one another and trust that the journey is guided by the Holy Spirit, who accompanies us at every step.
To aid in this journey, ongoing dialogue and mutual accompaniment remains paramount. Whether in parishes or at community events, occasions for learning can create opportunities for encounter, reciprocity, and relationality. We must see the faces and hear the voices of those with whom we are walking so that, in the words of the late Canadian Jesuit Michael Stogre, S.J., we might be drawn “… into the realm of discernment, decision, and action on behalf of justice and liberation.”
Finally, we wish to acknowledge that this work must be rooted in the movement of the Holy Spirit. We invite all to continue praying for this healing journey as we look ahead to December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. May Our Lady, who came to St. Juan Diego in his own language and with the face of his people, accompany us on the path of Truth and Reconciliation.
En cette Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation, le Conseil catholique autochtone du Canada et le Cercle de Notre-Dame-de-Guadalupe rendent hommage aux survivants du système des pensionnats indiens, aux enfants qui ne sont jamais rentrés chez eux, à leurs familles et aux générations qui continuent de vivre avec cet héritage. Nous nous souvenons également du courage des personnes qui ont partagé leurs récits et nous encourageons ceux et celles qui continuent d’écouter, afin que la vérité de nos histoires demeure le fondement sur lequel nous bâtissons notre avenir collectif. Nous ne pouvons pas détourner le regard de ces vérités lorsqu’elles sont douloureuses ou dérangeantes. Notre foi nous invite plutôt à les affronter avec humilité, honnêteté et charité, alors que nous cheminons ensemble et apprenons à vivre en harmonie les uns avec les autres.
Nous rendons grâce pour les signes d’espérance de cette année. Le symposium de partage des connaissances sur la « doctrine de la découverte », qui s’est tenu à Edmonton au printemps dernier, a créé un espace propice à un dialogue franc entre des voix diverses au sujet des réalités historiques et contemporaines qui ont façonné la colonisation. Par l’entremise du Fonds de réconciliation avec les Autochtones, les diocèses catholiques de tout le Canada se sont engagés à verser 30 millions de dollars pour des projets de guérison et de réconciliation élaborés en collaboration avec les communautés autochtones. Ce sont là deux exemples parmi les nombreuses initiatives mises en œuvre partout au pays, alors que les fruits du dialogue et des relations interpersonnelles favorisent un plus grand rapprochement pour marcher ensemble.
Parallèlement, nous ne pouvons ignorer qu’un changement notable s’est opéré ces derniers mois dans le discours sur la vérité et la réconciliation. La tentation est grande de nous détourner de la mission de guérison que le pape François nous a tous appelés à poursuivre lors de son pèlerinage pénitentiel au Canada en 2022. Nous devons continuer à faire preuve de patience les uns envers les autres et avoir confiance que ce cheminement est guidé par le Saint-Esprit, qui nous accompagne à chaque étape.
Pour faciliter ce cheminement, le dialogue continu et l’accompagnement mutuel demeurent essentiels. Que ce soit dans les paroisses ou lors d’événements communautaires, les occasions d’apprentissage peuvent créer des possibilités de rencontre, de réciprocité et de relations. Nous devons voir les visages et entendre les voix de ceux et celles avec qui nous marchons afin que, selon les mots du regretté jésuite canadien Michael Stogre, S.J., nous soyons entraînés « […] dans le domaine du discernement, de la décision et de l’action au nom de la justice et de la libération ».
Enfin, nous tenons à reconnaître que ce travail doit être enraciné dans l’action du Saint-Esprit. Nous invitons tous et toutes à continuer de prier pour ce cheminement de guérison alors que nous nous préparons à célébrer, le 12 décembre, la fête de Notre-Dame de Guadalupe et la Journée nationale de prière en solidarité avec les peuples autochtones. Que Notre-Dame, qui est apparue à saint Juan Diego dans sa propre langue et sous les traits de son peuple, nous accompagne sur le chemin de la Vérité et de la Réconciliation.
