Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Vancouver were closed Sept. 30 in honour of Canada’s first National Indigenous Peoples Day, but they marked the new holiday a day earlier by wearing orange t-shirts, praying for reconciliation, and creating artwork.

At St. Helen’s Elementary in Burnaby, Grade 6 students led an assembly with prayers and Grade 4 students drew images of animals that were displayed together as a sort of class “totem pole” with descriptions of what each animal means to them.

At St. Mary’s in Vancouver, Grade 2 and 4 students led a school-wide prayer service to honour children who died while attending residential schools in Canada and for residential school survivors still struggling with the loss of loved ones, language, and culture.

Principal Brenda Krivuzoff said students in all classes wore orange t-shirts and planted tulips and daffodils as signs of their commitments to reconciliation.

St. Mary’s students at a candle-lit prayer service for residential school survivors. (Brenda Krivuzoff photos)

Various parishes and Catholic groups also found ways to participate in National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A few examples include the first Mass celebrated in the Squamish language at St. Paul’s Indian Catholic Church in North Vancouver Sept. 26 and a Cree guest speaker addressing parishioners at St. Joseph the Worker Parish Sept. 30. See next week’s B.C. Catholic for more coverage.

Deacon Rennie Nahanee, Father Garry Laboucane, and Father Thomas A.P. Kurudeepan, OMI, at a Mass in the Squamish language at St. Paul’s Indian Catholic Church in North Vancouver. (Parish Facebook) 

In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council released a prayer entitled Prayer for Tolerance, Forgiveness, Reconciliation.


O God, Creator and Father of all,

with humility we your children acknowledge the relationship of all living things.

For this we thank you, we praise you and we worship you.

We call on you, Great Mystery, the Word made Flesh

– our teacher, prophet and brother –

to open our hearts to all our brothers and sisters,

and with them to grow in the wisdom, honesty, courage and

respectfulness shown in The Sacred Teachings.

Give us the vision and honesty to recognize

that the we are all brothers and sisters of one human family,

created and sustained by the One Creator.

As we deal with many challenges, may we never give way to fear and anger, which can be the

source of division and threat amongst peoples.

We look to how God always gives to us,

as a remedy for sins of prejudice and intolerance.

We see in God the Creator of all things,

One who always provides and is generous

– even given the abuses we have heaped on one another and on the earth.

We see in the Son, Jesus Christ

- the innocent Victim who pours His life blood out from the Cross for all peoples.

We see how the Holy Spirit is God’s gift,

alive in our world today

– inspiring vision and hope that we can have

the same mind and heart of God!

May Your Spirit bless the souls

who died at the Kamloops residential school

and all souls who died at residential schools.

May this same Spirit also bring blessing and healing

to all families and communities affected in any way by the schools.

O Creator, show us the way to healing,

forgiveness and reconciliation

and a renewed fellowship.

Amen

How did your Catholic community observe the day? Send your photos with a short description to [email protected].

Orange shirt day at St. Bernadette’s school. (St. Bernadette’s Facebook)



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