Over the past several months, many of us have followed the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The work of the Commission focused on the impact of Residential Schools but the members of the Commission soon saw, in the stories they heard, the far reaching implications of the government mandated law that brought Residential Schools into being and the genocidal intent of such a decision. The Commission’s final report represented five years of work and resulted in 94 recommendations.
The TRC report put forward specific recommendations to redress the legacy of Residential Schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. The TRC report contains 94 calls to action. These are grouped under several key areas such as Child Welfare, Language and Culture, Education, Health and Justice. The final massive report is probably more than most of us will read. However, as Canadians we should become familiar with its recommendations.
As Sisters of St. Joseph, reconciliation is at the heart of all that we are and all that we do. Sister Joan Atkinson, csj stated,” I wanted to find a way for others to see the depth and breadth of the work of the Commissioner, Justice Sinclair and his many colleagues and for us to pray for the reconciliation needed for all of us in Canada to move forward and heal the wounded history between us and our Aboriginal brothers and sisters.” Sister Joan wove the recommendations that flow from the TRC report into specific prayers which reflect the individual calls to action.
We share her reflective work with you so that you may join us in taking the TRC final recommendations to heart and prayer. Our task as Canadians is to create the communal will to implement them. The Truth has been told; we now need to take the 94 concrete steps forward towards reconciliation.
PRAYERS OF PETITION PDF Booklet
Nancy Wales CSJ