Resources for Catholics on National Truth and Reconciliation Day

On Thursday, September 30, 2021, people from across the country will mark the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The ongoing journey of healing and reconciliation is particularly important to Catholics in Canada given the Church’s involvement in operating nearly half of the country's residential schools, and in recognizing the suffering and intergenerational trauma that remains for many survivors to this day.

On September 30 at 10 a.m., we invite you to join the clergy and staff of the Archdiocese of Toronto in a special online prayer service from St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, which will feature Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, and members of the Native Peoples’ Mission, in Toronto. You can watch a livestream of that prayer service here.

In recent days, the Catholic Bishops of Canada have released a national apology to the Indigenous people of this land and committed to a $30 million fundraising pledge to support reconciliation initiatives. 

Catholics who want to learn more about the legacy of residential schools can find many helpful resources in the links below:

• The Archdiocese of Toronto’s Healing and Reconciliation page. 
  
  
• Frequently Asked Questions about residential schools from a Catholic perspective. 
  
  
• A webinar presentation by the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Deacon John Brown that gives a background on residential schools, as well as a presentation by Archbishop Richard Smith of the Archdiocese of Edmonton on how Catholics should respond to this legacy. 
  
  
• The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has a page with a number of resources on the relationship between the Church and Indigenous people in this land. 
  
  
• And the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba has an abundance of resources.