By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News
A Pentecost message from the national Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle affirms the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and calls for renewed commitment to a path of healing and right relationship.
“As a coalition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Catholics focused on reconciliation and right relations, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle encourages the Catholic community and all people of good will in Canada to recognize that, while we have all taken many very important steps on a long journey, this is not a time to rest but a time to deepen our commitment,” says the message, which is released as Canada approaches the 10th anniversary of the completion of the TRC hearings.
Co-chaired by Indigenous member Tom Dearhouse and Donna Geernaert, SC, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle includes representatives from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, the Canadian Religious Conference, the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Women’s League, and at-large members from First Nation communities, and religious orders.
Entitled “Drawn Together by the Spirit of the Creator,” the Pentecost reflection cited the leadership of Pope Francis “who showed us how to walk that path with humility and courage” and expressed hope in the election of Pope Leo XIV “whose first words speak of peace, bridge building, and walking together.”
In the face of today’s many challenges, increasing polarization, insecurity, and worry, the Circle noted how during his visit to Maskwacis, Pope Francis “recognized that we would at times experience weariness on the way, and during those moments he encourages us to recall that, ‘Our Lord Jesus Christ took a grave, which seemed the burial place of every hope and dream, leaving behind only sorrow, pain and resignation, and made it a place of rebirth and resurrection, the beginning of a history of new life and universal reconciliation.’”
“Times like these are an occasion for a true manifestation of the power of Pentecost and the gift of the Spirit,” states the Circle’s message.
“We are encouraged to persevere in Hope – which finds its source in our one common God and Creator. As we say in this Jubilee Year of Hope: ‘… hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us.’ (Romans 5:5).”
The message also reflects on the “fruitful diversity” of God’s creation and of humanity, including the diversity of languages as shown during Pentecost, as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. “The ability to hear and speak one’s own language is of crucial importance; words give a unique worldview and precision to what is being communicated,” stresses the Circle’s message.
The meaning of hope as “a call to act,” and the signs of hope that “make visible the presence of the Creator,” are also explored in the message.
“Signs of hope are many and diverse. The elder who is taking time to teach children traditional stories in their traditional languages; counsellors at summer camps focused on indigenous languages and ways of living with Creation; prayer leaders who gather to pray the rosary in different indigenous languages, all of these and countless more help to make visible the presence of the Creator who loves the diversity of Creation. This is a great gift to those they serve now and to the future of our life together.”
The message concludes: “As the tenth anniversary of the TRC approaches may we have the wisdom to embrace the challenges and changes that reconciliation demands.”
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Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – rcdos.ca
Diocesan Communications and Catholic Saskatoon News are supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca/baa .