A call to support our Indigenous brethren

Cardinal Frank Leo’s letter to the faithful on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept. 30) and the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund, for which a special collection will be held in Masses across the archdiocese Oct. 3-4.

My dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus,

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Thank you for all that you continue to do to strengthen the Kingdom of God in our archdiocese. Be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be instruments of healing, reconciliation and hope. This requires us to listen with humility, acknowledge the wounds of the past and work together to restore relationships that have been fractured. During his Penitential Pilgrimage to Canada in 2022, the late Pope Francis invited us to walk together with Indigenous peoples of this land and to reflect upon the pain and suffering experienced by so many.

I invite you to join me in praying for all those who continue to carry emotional, physical and spiritual wounds, especially residential school survivors, their families and their communities. In a particular way, we lift our prayers to the Lord on Wednesday, 30 September, as Canada observes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

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I also ask that you prayerfully consider supporting the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) through the collection that will take place on the weekend of 3/4 October 2026. The Fund was established by the Bishops of Canada as part of our ongoing journey of healing and reconciliation. It is overseen by a national board of directors composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders and supports locally determined initiatives undertaken in collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit partners.

As we work to fulfil the February 2022 archdiocesan pledge, the Archdiocese of Toronto, to date, has already committed $4.5 million to Indigenous Reconciliation Fund projects supporting healing and reconciliation, culture and language revitalization, education and community building and Indigenous spirituality and culture. Proposals are reviewed by our archdiocesan committee before being forwarded to the national body for approval and disbursement. To learn more, please visit www.archtoronto.org/healingandreconciliation.

We remain mindful of the profound words offered by the late Pope Francis during his Penitential Pilgrimage to Canada: “Our own efforts are not enough to achieve healing and reconciliation: we need God’s grace.”

Through prayer, generous support and a sincere willingness to listen and learn, may we continue walking together in faith and hope, guided by the Holy Spirit toward truth, healing and renewed relationships. May the Blessed Mother accompany us on this journey.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Protectress of Canada, pray for us.

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Sincerely yours in Jesus with Mary,

Frank Cardinal Leo,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto

A version of this article appeared in the October 04, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "A call to support our Indigenous brethren".