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Jane Korvemaker struggles to come to terms with the reality of racism and abuse in Church-operated schools in Canada, as well as misinformation that encourages anti-Church hate.

If you haven’t seen the headlines, there have been discoveries of unmarked graves at residential school sites in Canada that number in the hundreds. Previous official records indicated much, much lower deaths at residential schools, and this revelation has been horrifying, to say the least. What are we to do?

I reside in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which is in Treaty 6 territory. While the diocese of Saskatoon never operated residential schools, the negative impact permeates all Canadian culture. I sit here still struggling to come to terms with the reality of such failures, both in faith communities and the government.

News of churches being burned by arson indicates the growing hate being fanned toward Catholics in particular. I see friends of different Christian churches post such claims as "Well, at least my church apologised!" (the Catholic Church has done so a number of times and may it continue to do so). I see friends spreading articles laced with misinformation aimed at fanning blame and hate toward the Catholic Church. It has been extraordinarily hurtful (even done by Catholics!). There is no doubt or question that the Church participated in (and encouraged!) the horrors of residential schools sanctioned by the government, but there is enough to be angry and frustrated about without adding in false claims.

I hold feelings of anger, deep sorrow, frustration, and a sense of helplessness about it all. I hold encouragement and hope from the bishops who are not downplaying any of this, but who are meeting with the elders and chiefs, planning out pathways of healing with them, and many who have been doing so since the early 2000s (contrary to what the media would like us to believe).

 

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Cyclic abuse is not something we can tell our brothers and sisters to just "get over it." My life and my family has benefited from it, and the fact that I do not know all the ways in which I have benefited shows exactly how much of it has influenced my life. It is not just the Church that has participated this, but all of Canadian society, of which the Church (made up of these people) belongs.

There is a stripping away of the blinders that must happen. Perhaps we need to be like St. Paul and be struck off the horse by a blinding light in order to be brought into real communion and to truly work for God’s purpose. My faith has never sided with those in power, but with those named the least in society. If I find myself on the side of the powerful I must question myself deeply; it is not in arrogance that we are saved, but in humility, admitting our failures both personally and communally, and choosing to suffer the sins of our past so that this cross might be transformed in Christ Jesus.

 

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We need the salve of Christ for this wound; I need his grace to be transformed. #catholicmom

I can walk away from this cross, either by ignoring the Church’s culpability or downplaying it, or by leaving my faith. For some, the latter may be necessary to avoid major trauma, which saddens me immensely. But for those who find themselves (as I do) carrying the sins of previous generations (both in Church and society) and unaware of the fullness of their impact due to privilege, may we take this cross to Christ and pray for transformation, pray for healing, and pray for resurrection.

As much as I suffer the hurtful misinformation, may it in some very small way be a participation in solidarity to the way aboriginal peoples have been perceived and judged, and may it never overpower the suffering of the cultures and people who have been violated. We need the salve of Christ for this wound; I need his grace to be transformed.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

 

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Copyright 2021 Jane Korvemaker
Images (from top): Sonja Romanovska (2021), Unsplash; Tandem X Visuals (2020), Unsplash