Reflecting on Murray Sinclair

At the airport in Toronto I had just finished reading Murray Sinclair’s recently published book, Who We Are about his life and his work. Ten minutes after closing the book, I received an email saying that he had died.

My name is Mizanay Gheezhik, which literally means, “one who speaks of pictures in the sky.” It’s about philosophizing. It’s about reading, not paper, not words, but reading what’s going on around me and understanding that and then explaining it to the people.

That’s why I’ve done the work that I’ve done over the years, because that’s my name.

That was the role that I was given when I was created and when I was born.” (Pg. 229)

And there it is. In his own words. Whether it was as the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or as Senator in the government, Murray was true to his calling. This role he was given when he was created allowed him to listen deeply to the many individual voices during the Truth and Reconciliation process. It enabled those who shared their stories to reclaim parts of who they really were before the systemic violence of residential schools extinguished a light of their identity.

His life was not easy. His “speaking of pictures in the sky” called all of us Canadians to uncover and face the tragic story of our own history. And yet, he did more than that. His “pictures in the sky” took form in the 94 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Report which continues to point us in the direction of whole-making relationships in our country.

What stays with me most, however, is his love of family and the dialogues he shares in the book with his children and grandchildren. As he says, his real desire for his children and grandchildren - and all children, is that they make the world a better place.

We are grateful to you, Murray Sinclair, for making our world a better place.

-Sister Margo Ritchie, Congregational Leader, CSJ

Image: Unsplash/Troy Olson @city2forest

A New Canadian Saint for All Saints Day

Have you heard that on Oct. 20th, 2024, another Canadian was declared a saint? She is Mother Marie-Léonie Paradis from Quebec and is among the 14 new saints the Vatican recently canonized. Marie-Léonie was born in 1840 in L’ Acadia, a small town across the river from Saint John-sur-Richelieu. Throughout her life, she developed a deep spirituality, performed a mountain of good works, and exuded interior peace of heart. St. Paradis felt called to establish the order of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family with the intention of supporting the material needs of priests. In 1895, the motherhouse was transferred to Sherbrooke, Quebec, where their work continues to the present time.

Recently, in a homily to our Sisters, Bishop Greco referred to the virtues of saints. While he was in Rome with Bishop Sherlock they visited their friend Cardinal Shoka, who had been Archbishop of Detroit and now was living in Rome and working at the Dicastery for the Cause of Canonization of Saints. From his work studying the lives of saints, he realized that all of those who were deemed saints, regardless of their other virtues and good works, every one of them in their lives possessed interior peace of heart. In that moment, it was clear to me that the bedrock of good works itself does not lead to people becoming saintly. Indeed, the interior peace of heart for which we strive all our lives, saints have achieved.

Blessed Mother Marie-Léonie Paradis is the third Canadian-born saint. Sister Marguerite d’Youville was canonized by Pope John Paul II on Dec. 9, 1990, and St. Brother André Bessette was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010. All three are Quebecers. In addition, Mother Marie-Rose Durocher of Montreal was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II on May 23. 1982. We hope the day of her canonization is soon.

On November 1st let us hail the many people we call saints and emulate their lives of deep faith and feats of valor throughout many centuries. We can pray and strive to develop their interior peace of heart, a value so needed in our desperate world today.

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

Image: Unsplash/Jon Tyson @jontyson

Nature’s Artistry

“How beautiful the leaves grow old.

How beautiful their light and colour are in their last days.”

John Burroughs

I must confess, I miss the seasonal, northern beauty I witnessed firsthand during my twenty-two years of ministry in northern Canada. Although, I readily admit that Ontario’s autumns are spectacular, the fall of 2024, seems to be outdoing itself.

Everywhere I look, I see trees dressed in eye-catching finery. Nature, using her expansive colour palette, has gifted our orbs with a manifold array of varicoloured leaves.

As my eyes delight in this stunning  view, I am cognizant of its fragility. I am well aware that impending frost, forthcoming breezes, and chilly rains will all too soon strip the trees of their festive garments once again.

However, my northern experience, makes me confident that if we look closely, we will begin noticing Mother Nature weaving her winter wonders. Let us keep our eyes open to seeing each season’s beauty.

-Nancy Wales, csj

Images: UNSPLASH Claude Laprise | Emmanuel Phaeton