New Indigenous holiday ‘a vital component of reconciliation’

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Thursday, September 30, 2021, Canadians will observe the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new annual federal statutory holiday legislated by the government in response to the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

The intention of this Day is, in the words of TRC Call to Action n. 81, “to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

For the faithful of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is also an opportunity to recognize the horrific suffering experienced by Indigenous Peoples, both historic and ongoing, as a result of the many Catholic religious communities and dioceses that helped implement government colonialist policies through a residential school system that perpetuated various forms of abuse.

As I said on June 2 in my Statement of Apology and Expression of Commitment, “we must never tire of offering our sincere and profound apologies to all who have suffered as a result of Catholics who were involved in any way with a system that resulted in so much devastation, from physical and psychological to spiritual and cultural.” 

To honour the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the John Paul II Pastoral Centre will be closed on September 30. Pastoral centre employees will also be invited in the coming weeks to take part in a truth and reconciliation workshop to study the legacy of residential schools and explore ways of working for healing and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.

On September 30 I will be offering Mass for the intention of reconciliation in our country, and I encourage all parishes to remember this intention in their Masses next Thursday.

I invite all the faithful to observe this significant Day and acknowledge the painful legacy of residential schools by praying and working for truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples in this land. I urge you to make every effort to learn more about the history of the residential school system, its impact on  Indigenous Peoples, the tragic legacy, and the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

You can find a number of resources and initiatives at the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

If you have not had an opportunity to take part in the Provincewide Campaign in Support of Healing and Reconciliation, I encourage you to visit rcav.org/first-nations for a link to the donation page. Fundraising will support healing and reconciliation projects discerned locally with Indigenous partners to help restore trust and further our ongoing journey to truth and reconciliation.

Please join with me in marking this National Day by asking the Lord to help us heal our relationships with all Indigenous brothers and sisters. 

With the assurance of my prayers, I remain,

Sincerely yours,                              

+ J. Michael Miller, CSB
Archbishop of Vancouver