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July 1, 2021
For educator Vanessa Pinto, the discovery of unmarked graves outside of residential schools has only strengthened her resolve to raise awareness of Indigenous history, culture and perspectives in the classroom.
We ought to be feeling pretty good about ourselves.
OTTAWA -- There is no guarantee that a delegation to the Vatican will lead to a papal apology for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system but the Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations is praying it will.
July 2, 2021
In the wake of the Cowessess discovery of up to 751 unmarked graves, Western Canada’s Oblate missionary order is embracing a new level of transparency, making more documents about daily operations at the order’s 48 residential schools across Canada available.
During a shared reflection on a scriptural text one evening, a young man asked about joy. Was something wrong with him because he rarely experienced joy? Was he being punished for his mental suffering? What is joy, and do we even have any right to feel it when there is so much suffering?
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame at 25: ‘The Most R-Rated G You Will Ever See.’ ”
At the start of the pandemic, retired surgeon Dr. Frank Browne got up at 5 a.m. ready to head into the hospital to tend to the sick. He had heard the call to retired doctors to assist as COVID-19 was taking its toll on the health-care system.
There will be more … more unmarked graves, more grief, more anger, more shame.
‘Bowdlerized’ reality The horrific news of the residential schools grave sites created such an avalanche of rancour against the Catholic Church that factual information was either deliberately ignored or distorted.
July 3, 2021
“Education got us into this; education will get us out of this.” Though those words were first spoken and repeated often by Truth and Reconciliation Commission chair Sen. Murray Sinclair, they’ve become the personal motto of St. Mary’s University Elder in Residence Casey Eagle Speaker.
Forgive me for regarding with a somewhat dry eye my fellow Canadians’ umbrage gusting to apoplexy over the infamy of Indian Residential Schools, and Catholic blame for same.
July 4, 2021
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 11 (Year B) Amos 7:12-15; Psalm 85; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13 The message of Amaziah the priest to Amos the prophet was clear: You are intruding on our turf — go back to your own territory.
A virtual ceremony will be held July 16 to open Grasett Park in downtown Toronto to commemorate the physicians, nurses, clergy and other caregivers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in caring for the influx of Irish migrants struck down by typhus in 1847.
There are some days it is harder than others to get up the energy, and indeed the courage to make the trip downtown to the Church on the Street, and this was one of them.
July 5, 2021
VATICAN CITY -- The second morning after undergoing colon surgery, Pope Francis was continuing to recover well and, after a restful night, he had breakfast, read the newspapers and got out of bed to walk, the Vatican press office said July 6.
VATICAN CITY -- In an unprecedented move, Vatican prosecutors have indicted 10 individuals and entities, including Cardinal Angelo Becciu, former prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, on charges ranging from embezzlement to money laundering and abuse of office.
The Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan have begun the process for a new fundraising campaign to support survivors of residential schools.
July 6, 2021
The Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) has condemned the rash of church fires and vandalism that has taken place across Canada, particularly in the west, since the discovery of graves at former residential schools.
July 7, 2021
VATICAN CITY -- Before going to the hospital for colon surgery July 4, Pope Francis told a crowd in St. Peter's Square that he would be visiting Hungary and Slovakia Sept. 12-15.
VATICAN CITY -- Recovering from colon surgery, Pope Francis briefly ran a fever late July 7, leading his doctors to perform a CT scan of his abdomen and chest the next morning to check for signs of infection.