Grace Church forming relationships with Indigenous people after being targeted with red paint this summer
The staff at Grace Church Calgary held a steps toward truth, healing and reconciliation event on Sunday afternoon, lamenting about the nation’s history surrounding residential schools.
Dozens of Calgarians were in attendance, listening to stories and crying out for peace and justice for indigenous people in Canada.
Grace Church was one of the dozens of Alberta churches vandalized with red paint this summer, following the discovery of remains at former residential school sites including in Kamloops, B.C.
“When we had the red paint splattered on our doors, we recognize that we didn’t have really great relationships with Indigenous people,” said Reverend Jake Van Pernis.
“So we had to form them and recognize that we were going to make some mistakes in those relationships but be brave enough to risk making those mistakes and asking for forgiveness to continue moving forward.”
Shirley Shingoose Dufour is a residential school survivor.
She shared her story on the steps of the Presbyterian church saying she was put in the system at age 5, leaving a decade later.
“All those years that I was in that residential school, there was a lot of damage done to me,” said Shingoose Dufour.
“So I had to go to psychologists, I’ve had to go see therapists, I’ve had to see pastors, I’ve had to get prayer.”
Mayor Naheed Nenshi also spoke at the event saying there is still a lot of work left to do to bring forth a sense of reconciliation and healing.
“A lot of people's hearts are broken now, but broken hearts are also open hearts and this is a chance to be able to work together to figure out what to do,” said Nenshi.
Grace Church says it now does land acknowledgements at its services and tries to foster budding relationships with Indigenous people on a path to reconciliation.
The church says it decided to keep the splattered paint across its doors to serve as a daily reminder it still has a lot of work left to do.
Canada will recognize for the first time the national day of Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th, as a federal statutory holiday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.