Honouring Residential School Victims
Posted on May 31, 2021
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9
Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education would like to express its sincere condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation and those impacted by the recent discovery. We are devastated and deeply saddened by this news and want to offer our support and deepest sympathies to the community.
This past weekend, we learned that the remains of at least 215 children we discovered at residential schools in Kamloops, B.C. Lord, we pray for all indigenous peoples and communities as they grieve and process this tragedy, and the many tragedies that remain left unspoken. May we band together as parents, teachers, school staff, administrators and students in remembrance for all lives lost.
In conjunction with our local partners, all flags at MHCBE schools and central office will be flown at half-mast from 8 a.m today until the evening of June 8th. Flags will be flown for 215 hours, one hour for every child whose remains were discovered on the grounds of a former Residential School in Kamloops.
We acknowledge the shameful truths about residential schools and understand the importance of recognizing this history to foster greater truth and reconciliation in the future. We ask that staff and students take a moment to say a prayer at 2:15 p.m. today, in honour of all lives lost in Residential Schools (prayer will be sent shortly). Staff and students are invited to wear an orange shirt tomorrow, June 1, in honor of the 215 children who lost their lives.