The livestream above will be on the Kent Lambton Roman Catholic Family of Parishes website: https://klrcfp.com
(video link and reflection questions are below)
Click here for the feedback form for Presentation 2 with Christine Maracle
Reflections and Link for Presentation 1, Archbishop Murray Chatlain
Click here for the recording of the Zoom session
Discussion/Reflection Questions for Presentation 1
The Anishinabek Nation has released their 28th Annual Great Lakes Pow Wow Guide for the summer and early fall. You can download the PDF at this link, or read it as an online flipbook at this link. Pow Wow listings start on page 25 and there is a helpful glossary and etiquette guide on page 24 for those who want to know more before attending. Some of the Pow Wows in the Diocese this summer include:
You can follow the Anishinabek Nation on Twitter @AnishNation, like/follow the Anishinabek Nation Facebook page, or check out the events calendar on www.anishinabek.ca.
As guided by our own Truth and Reconciliation Committee, they are currently:
As announced by Bishop Fabbro on December 8, 2021, the Committee will be co-chaired by Mrs. Kathy Furlong and Father Michael Béchard. They will share the work with:
Progress Update on our Truth and Reconciliation Work
In a 22/24 February Letter to the Faithful (Fr | En), Bishop Fabbro provided an update on what has been achieved to date in our Diocese and with the CCCB.
Members of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee Announced
In a 27 September Letter to the Faithful, Bishop Fabbro announces the members of the diocesan Truth and Reconciliation Committee who are entrusted with guiding all of us on the path to truth and reconciliation.
My Apology to the Indigenous Peoples of this Land
(27 September 2021) This is available as a printable PDF at this link. Links to the CCCB's apology and fundraising commitment are in the text below.
"On 24 September 2021, at the conclusion of our Plenary Assembly, the Bishops of Canada issued a statement to you, the Indigenous Peoples of this land, acknowledging the suffering of those who attended Canada’s Indian Residential Schools as well as the intergenerational trauma and the tragic legacy of suffering that Indigenous people continue to experience. The whole system of the residential schools did not respect the languages, culture and spirituality of Indigenous Peoples but sought rather to suppress them. The Bishops acknowledge that the Catholic religious orders and dioceses which ran these schools participated in this system, and that terrible abuses were committed in them by some of these Catholics. In their statement, the Catholic Bishops of Canada express their profound remorse and apologize unequivocally.
In solidarity with the Bishops of Canada, I too want to acknowledge the grave harm afflicted on you, the Indigenous Peoples of this land, to express to you my profound sorrow and to offer my own unequivocal apology to you. With the Bishops of Canada, I am committed to the process of healing and reconciliation across the country and here in the Diocese of London.
As an expression of our continuing commitment to healing and reconciliation, we will take the following actions in the Diocese of London:
In union with the Bishops of Canada, I commit the Diocese of London to accompany you, the Indigenous Peoples of this land, on the journey of healing and reconciliation. I realize that there is much more work to do in our diocese, but I know that “we look forward to listening and learning from you as we walk in solidarity”. Through the intercession of our Lady of Guadalupe, may God bless you and may our efforts bear fruit in abundance."
Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB
Bishop of London
Bishop Fabbro's Statement on Residential Schools and Relations with Canada's Indigenous People
(July 2, 2021). This is available as a printable PDF at this link.
"All Canadians are deeply concerned and angry about the discovery of children's remains at burial sites of former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Parishioners have written me about the Church's involvement in the residential schools and the demand for a papal apology. At the end of May, when the horrifying discovery was made of the remains of children at the Kamloops residential school, I issued a statement promising our prayers for the families and survivors and expressing our commitment to play "a constructive role in the journey towards healing and reconciliation". I would like to draw your attention to a couple of recent statements that have been published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The statement on June 10 explains the work the bishops have been doing for several years now with Indigenous Peoples from across Canada. I encourage you to read the statement at this link. It has been important for the bishops to sit down with Indigenous communities, in "listening circles", to hear their stories and to listen to what they need from the Catholic Church for reconciliation. It also is important that Indigenous voices lead the process.
A key initiative arising from these conversations is the pastoral visit of Indigenous Peoples with Pope Francis that will take place December 17-20 in Rome. The group, which will include residential school survivors, Elders and youth, will be able to dialogue directly with the pope, and he will be able to express to them "his heartfelt closeness, address the impact of colonization and the implications of the Church in the residential schools, so as to respond to the suffering of Indigenous Peoples and the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma".
For the bishops, the conversations we have had with Indigenous Peoples, the work we are doing together and the delegation that will visit with the pope are steps on the journey of reconciliation and healing. The hope is that these common efforts will build bridges and new relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the Catholic Church in Canada, and lead to further action.
All of these statements, including my own, and resources about this important issue are available on the Diocese of London website at this link.
Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB
Bishop of London"
Bishop Fabbro's Statement after the discovery of the graves and the former Kamloops Residential School (May 31, 2021):
"I am shocked and profoundly saddened by the horrifying discovery of the remains of at least 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation.
When the operation of residential schools was delegated by the federal government to several Christian faith-based groups, there were many failures in fulfilling Christ's mission of bringing the good news of the kingdom of God and helping the oppressed, including failures of the Catholic Church.
The presence of the graves of these innocent ones sheds light on a clear failure of those responsible in not embracing the Gospel values of love, mercy, justice and compassion, and for forgetting their commitment to respect the dignity of all people. These lost innocent ones are another reason why we must continue to learn from these failings and work with Indigenous communities towards the healing called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Yesterday, a memorial was placed at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica in London as part of a nation-wide commemoration of the lost children. I visited the memorial today to pray, asking God to bring comfort to the families of the deceased and all survivors of the residential school system. We will continue to pray for the families of these children and survivors and commit ourselves to playing a constructive role in the journey towards healing and reconciliation."