September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. On September 30th, all Canadians are invited to wear an orange shirt to honour Indigenous people and to show a commitment to the idea that every child matters.
It is a time for remembering — to recall Canada’s residential schools and their sad effects on Indigenous families and cultures. It is a time for healing — to celebrate the beautiful gifts of Indigenous cultures. It is a time for hope — for us to walk forward together as children of God’s loving family. Today we focus on healing. Every time we welcome someone as they are, we are helping to heal. Every time we show friendship, inclusion and kindness, we are helping to heal. Every time we stand up for the dignity of someone’s culture and identity, we are helping to heal.
Join us in prayer:
God our Creator,
You heal broken hearts with Your love and call us to share this love with one another.
Open our hearts, that we might learn to walk with one another — as Indigenous peoples, peoples of settler origin, and newcomers — along Your healing path.
Give us the courage to see You…in every human face, in every language and culture, in every gift of creation.
Make us stewards…of one another’s dignity, of one another’s safety, of one another, ’s lands, of one another’s rights to cultural identity, as unique peoples…as gifts to the human family…as Your beloved children.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We encourage staff and students to wear an orange shirt to honour our indigenous brothers and sisters.