By The B.C. Catholic

[Vancouver – Canadian Catholic News] – In a 2024 message for the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council urges Catholics to embrace an ongoing journey of reconciliation and healing.

The day is observed annually on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.

The Catholic Indigenous council, established by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) to promote reconciliation between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples, recalled the “profound sorrow” expressed by Pope Francis during his Penitential Pilgrimage to Canada in July 2022, where he acknowledged “the catastrophic effects of the residential school system on Indigenous communities.”

The statement also noted the “journey of reconciliation and healing we have embarked upon together.”

Two years later, the statement said, “the Pope’s words still compel us to recognize this painful legacy and walk alongside the Indigenous Peoples in a spirit of repentance, solidarity, and hope.”

The statement highlighted Pope Francis’s vision of the Church as a “living body of reconciliation” that serves as a guide “in our ongoing commitment to justice and healing.”

In a statement, Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller also invited the faithful to “join in prayer for our Indigenous brothers and sisters” and reflect on the words of Pope Francis, who called the Church to be “the house where we conciliate anew, where we meet to start over and grow together.”

Prayer from Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council:

O God, Creator and Father of all, with humility and hope, we, your children, acknowledge the relationship in You of all living things. For this we thank You and praise You.

We call on You, Great Mystery, our God who comes to us in Jesus Christ, Your Son – our Lord, teacher, prophet and brother – to open our minds and hearts as we continue to walk the difficult, yet critical journey of reconciliation and healing.

In our world of such blessed diversity, we see so many struggles and obstacles to oneness and unity. We implore You to heal our brokenness and division. Show us in Jesus the way to unity among the multiplicity of Your peoples in our world.

We also pray that You will guide and lead us in the Truth, and show us how to be a people who walk with You. May we be a people of Respect, Humility, Courage, Honesty, and Compassion –as we find Your Wisdom on the Spirit-led journey that supports deep healing and fosters renewed relationships.

Lord, make us channels of Your Peace, Hope, and Love!

+Amen

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