By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

Our Lady of Guadalupe Indigenous Parish held a second four-day memorial wake of prayer and presence June 2-5 on the grounds of St. Mary Parish in Saskatoon, remembering children who died at residential schools.

The first parish event was held a year ago, in June 2021, just days after news broke of ground-penetrating radar detecting 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops residential school in British Columbia. At that time, the Indigenous parish community made a commitment to hold a four-day memorial event each year for four years to pray and to honour all those children who were lost or hurt at residential schools.

“We will be doing this for the next two years,” explained Parish Life Director Debbie Ledoux. “We committed – our community of Our Lady of Guadalupe has committed – to four years, to be out here together on that sacred ground, to pray together; to pray, pray, pray.”

Parish Elders Gayle Weenie, Irene Sharp, Sharon Genaille, and Dianne Anderson along with the parish pastoral team of Ledoux, Deacon Paul Labelle and Fr. Graham Hill, CSsR, took part in organizing and leading the four days, assisted by various other volunteers and joined by a number of special guests.

Sacred Pipe Carriers Peter Gardippi, and Elder Rod Stone, and Oskapios (helper) Michael Baldhead led pipe ceremonies during the event. “Cree Canaries” Mario Fiddler and his young family provided sacred drumming and song, including at the closing Mass on Pentecost Sunday.

Bishop Mark Hagemoen attended the opening of the four days early in the morning Thursday, June 2, beginning with the pipe ceremony led by Sacred Pipe Carrier Peter Gardippi, before celebrating an early morning outdoor opening Mass with the community. Diocesan Vicar General Fr. Kevin McGee, who is also pastor of St. Mary Parish, con-celebrated both the opening and closing Mass for the four days, and gave the homily on Pentecost Sunday.

Throughout the four days, parish Elders and leaders were on hand, ready to pray, to share, and to listen to those who would stop by – often after noticing the tipi set up on the grounds of St. Mary Parish, or reading the signs along the parish fence, each one featuring an orange shirt displaying the name of one of the 139 Indian Residential Schools that operated in Canada.

“It was a long four days, but so worth it,” said Ledoux at the conclusion of the 2022 event.

“Within these four days we heard many, many of our survivors as they walked along the fence, and found the name of the residential school that they were at, shedding tears along the fence, and one of us would go to comfort them. They would share their story with us. For me it is all worth that,” she said.

At the same time, it is always very difficult to hear the experiences of abuse and listen to the legacy of pain experienced by so many, Ledoux said, noting that she herself is a residential school survivor. “I’ve forgiven many years ago – but the findings last year ripped my heart right out.”

“I commend all the residential school survivors that are here today and thank you for being with us,” said Ledoux, addressing those in attendance at the closing Mass held in St. Mary’s Church. “It is not easy to come into this building knowing it is run by the Catholic Church, however, we are still here, because we know Creator God loves each and every one of us equally. So, some of us have come back, some are still coming back slowly – and that’s okay – as we continue to pray for each other.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe pastor Fr. Graham Hill, CSsR, said he recently explained to a friend why four days of prayer were being held again this year. “I explained to him the traditional way of doing things in cycles of four,” Hill said of the plan to hold the event over four days for four years. “But we also do it again because we don’t want to rush. We don’t want to rush this. We sit in the pain. We want to listen to people’s stories, we want to journey with them. That is important work.”

Although Hill was originally concerned about this year’s memorial wake coinciding with the Feast of Pentecost, in the end, it was a blessing, and very apt, he said.

“I know that the Holy Spirit is with us in all of this,” Hill said, pointing to the scriptures for the day and the signs of the Holy Spirit – wind and divided tongues of fire, and unity even in the midst of many languages. “I heard people speaking about the pain of their experience of residential schools. I also heard them speak of the love of the Church, and their faith and love of the Creator.”

Hill  also described how drummer Mario Fiddler spotted an eagle soaring over the site as the day wound up June 4 – a significant sign of blessing for Indigenous peoples. “We know the Holy Spirit is with us and will continue to be with us,” Hill concluded.

In her closing comments, Parish Life Director Debbie Ledoux called for continued prayer and for continuing acts of concern and caring.

“I am really, really humbled to stand up here and say that I lift up prayers, as we all do, each and every one of us – (for) our Indigenous Peoples that are out there, lost, hurting, still in pain, unsure of where to go or what to do,” she said, before calling those in attendance to ongoing compassion and ongoing listening.

“When you see our brothers and sisters, our Indigenous brothers and sisters, out there, lost and in pain – reach out to them. Reach out to them. All they want to do is to belong, to be loved and accepted for who they are.”

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Live-stream video of closing Mass on Pentecost Sunday:

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