November 14, 2021 is the World Day of the Poor. Your Society of St Vincent de Paul invites you to help out our less fortunate brothers and sisters, especially at this uncertain time. We encourage you to lend a hand by participating in our collection of food. In this busy period, we always need volunteers and of course financial help is always appreciated. You can make a donation to the Society team in our community by calling 250-727-0007 or online at CanadaHelps.org (Vancouver Island). Thank you.
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September 27, 2021 - Canadian
Bishops announce a $30M National Financial Pledge to Support Healing
& Reconciliation Initiatives.
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September 24, 2021 - Statement of Apology by the Catholic Bishops to the Indigenous Peoples of this Land. On September 24, 2021, the Catholic Bishops of Canada issued a statement acknowledging the suffering experienced in Canada's Indian Residential Schools and expressing their profound remorse and apology. Click here for link
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September 1, 2021 - September 1st marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, an annual ecumenical celebration of prayer and action for our common home. During the Season, which runs til the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th, Christians around the world are called to renew their relationship with the Creator and with creation through celebration, conversion and commitment.. Pope Francis has invited all Catholics to participate in this annual Season, to “renew their faith in the God of creation and join in prayer and work for the care of our common home.” For more information click here for link to the Diocese of Victoria webpage
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August 30, 2021 - Letter from Bishop Gary Gordon regarding Truth & Reconciliation Day on September 30th. Click here for the letter
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August 26, 2021 - Background for Catholics on Residential Schools. Senator Murray Sinclair, the Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), once famously said of the residential school system: “It was education that got us into this mess, and education will get us out”. The Diocese of Victoria has created a new page on its website with information about residential schools. This “Background for Catholics”, adapted with permission from material provided by the Archdiocese of Toronto, includes information on the history of the schools, the recent announcements of unmarked graves, the archives and apologies of Catholic dioceses and religious orders, and past and current financial reparations. Sharing this information is part of the Diocese’s response to the TRC’s Call to Action #59: to ensure that members of our Diocese learn about our Church's role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities are necessary. Click here for link to the Diocese of Victoria webpage
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August 15, 2021 - Reflections on an evening of truth, reconciliation, healing, and affirming the path of friendship, held at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish. This powerful and important evening will certainly be remembered by all who attended, but in an extra special way by the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people selected to act as official witnesses, with the duty of communicating the oral history of the occasion. Click here for link to the Diocese of Victoria webpage
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July 26, 2021 - BC Bishops’ Campaign in Support of Healing and Reconciliation
The Catholic bishops of British Columbia recognize the need for a province-wide initiative to raise funds to support healing and reconciliation among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This appeal will launch formally in September 2021, at which time further details will be provided. The goal of the Campaign is to support residential school survivors and Indigenous communities in our province as part of our ongoing response to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. This includes projects that promote healing and reconciliation. As part of this process, each bishop will consult with Indigenous leadership, survivors, elders, and other community members. The bishops of BC sincerely hope that this Campaign will help to restore trust and further the ongoing journey to truth and reconciliation.
Full information and link to donate may be found on our Diocesan website here
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June 10, 2021 - the Canadian Conference of
Catholic Bishops (CCCB) announced that a delegation of Indigenous people is
preparing to visit Rome to meet with Pope Francis. The CCCB has been
working with Elders/Knowledge Keepers, residential school survivors, and youth
from across the country for over two years to plan this visit. Although
the trip was delayed due to the pandemic, the CCCB hopes the delegation will be
able to travel to the Vatican before the end of 2021. Click here for the CCCB’s statement
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June 3, 2021 - Please
see a statement of apology and commitment from Bishop Gary Gordon pertaining to the
Residential Schools in our Diocese. Click here for the statement.
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May 31, 2021 - Bishop Gary Gordon has issued the following statement in light of the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the site of the former residential school in Kamloops. Click here to read the Statement
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May 31, 2021 - The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement following the report of a recent discovery of graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation. Click here to read the Statement
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April 8, 2021 - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a statement regarding the expansion of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. Click here to read the letter
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