By Alison Bradish
Photo Credits Gordon West
The Pope’s representative for Canada, Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, had his first experience of a Traditional Tuesday thanks to the staff, students and Kookums (Cree for grandmothers) of Sacred Heart Community School.
Archbishop Bonazzi has been the Papal Nuncio for Canada for six years. He serves as diplomatic representative of the Holy See living in Ottawa. This was not his first time visiting the Archdiocese of Regina, but it was his first time visiting Sacred Heart Community School. The school’s new building was constructed in 2017.
Traditional Tuesdays are one way the school is putting into action some of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation commission. Each Tuesday Elder May Desnomie comes to the school and teaches Cree as part of the school’s effort to implement language reclamation. She visits classrooms and is present to students.
Once a month a group of kokums who are part of the Archdiocesan ministry “Aboriginal, Non Aboriginal Relations Community” meet with Sr ReAnne who is facilitator of ANARC, for their leadership circle. and they were also present as Archbishop Bonazzi and Archbishop Don Bolen took part in the schools’ Lenten celebration and assembly. Later the Archbishops met with the Kookums in sharing circle and smudging ceremony.
Fr. John Weckend gave a short homily based on the readings of the second Sunday of Lent. “We have to learn to appreciate each other”, he said. “A lot of our prayer is about listening, He speaks to us in many ways,” he said. He spoke about how Lent was a time for everyone to see each other differently, and like the Apostles that meant going up the mountain to get another perspective and to see things more clearly.
Afterwards Archbishop Bonazzi, addressed the school, telling them he is 71 years old and that he has three sisters and one brother who are all married. He also noted how when he went to school, they never gathered for “a moment to listen to Jesus”.
“I thank Gilles (referring to principal Gilles Dauphinais) for this beautiful moment. What can I say to you…? This morning I woke up and I told myself ‘I am here in Regina, everything is new for me. Will I be capable of meeting the people, of being prepared with my broken English…? I don’t know if I am capable of doing such a nice dialogue for you…but I think sometimes I can do one thing. You know the things that I can do? That you also can do. The thing I can do in my life always is to love. I have the possibility to love,” said Bonazzi.
Archbishop Bonazzi said he was looking at future engineers, doctors, artists, poets, and pilots. He said not everyone can be a doctor or a pilot, “But there is something everyone of you can do and is capable of, and this is very important, it is to love. To do something good to your friend or to do something good in your family, to help,” said Bonazzi.
He shared that since 1980, almost every three years he has moved to a different country, (He served as a diplomat to the Holy See in Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, Malta, Mozambique, Spain and the United States) , but he realized what was important was very simple, and that was to love, even while working, meeting people, etc.
Archbishop Bonazzi had a short tour of the school accompanied by Principal Gilles Dauphinais and Regina Catholic Schools Superintendent Stacey Gherasim. He visited the Grade 1 and 2 class of Mrs. Luce who showed the Archbishop the rosaries they made. Mrs. Luce had them hung, individually with their names and the Archbishop read each name aloud, looking for the student and blessed their rosaries. He reminded the students that in Italian their teacher’s name meant light.
He toured the library also, meeting Mrs. White, who would soon be retiring, and one of the students showed him the books he likes to read.
Later, a group of eight Kookums met with the Archbishop Bonazzi in a chapel area room. Elder May explained the meaning of the smudging ceremony. Sage is burned and the smoke rises to the Creator. The smoke symbolizes cleansing the heart and mind of negativity. She explained how sage was burned and those who wished to participate could do the actions of washing one’s hands in the smoke, and bringing the smoke to one’s eyes, lips, ears and heart.
The women spoke and Archbishop Bonazzi listened. Sr. Reanne Letourneau of Sister of the Presentation of Mary facilitated the discussion, and gave background information to Archbishop Bonazzi when necessary, as she knew the stories of many of the women present. The Kookums shared some of their experiences of residential schools, but also spoke of what helped them heal.
Many spoke about how the most difficult part was not only being separated from their parents, but also their siblings for the 10 months a year they stayed at school. One woman shared how mealtimes were particularly painful times for her while at school, as that was when she would miss her family the most. Even at Mass, one woman recalled, she was not allowed to sit with her brothers. Others shared how proud they were of their own children or grandchildren now graduating and the hope that gives them.
A common thread was the deep wound of being separated from family and losing that critical time to form a healthy idea of family life and how to nurture healthy relationships. All the Kookums present had been affected in some way. For those who did not attend residential schools, they journeyed with spouses and family members who had. For some even entering a Church could trigger painful memories. For others who continued their faith journey and healing within the Church, many of the members of their community and families looked at them as traitors because they could not understand how they could find solace in a faith they associated with abuse.
One woman spoke frankly about what they were hoping to hear from the Holy Father and why. The women also shared gratitude. Some who had previously been invited to speak to a group of clergy and seminarians said they found the experience helpful to themselves and the feedback from the participants was good. They also thanked Archbishop Bonazzi for his presence and he thanked them for sharing their stories with him.
He presented eight rosaries from the Holy Father for the eight Kookums gathered. Then he went around the circle giving each of them a sign of peace from the Pope.
Alison Bradish lives in Moose Jaw with her husband and two children. They attend St. Josephp’s Parish. She earned Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of Regina. She is naturally curious about local and world events. She writes from her home where she strives to bloom where she is planted. She often feels pulled to the topics of religion, education and politics.
