SMCS Honours National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

For the fourth year, St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, as an important way for all members to listen to the stories of survivors of a tragic time in Canadian history.

To help students prepare and understand why St. Michael’s College School dedicates time to this issue, three video announcements were shared with the community. Faculty members Cory Lance, Samantha McDonald, and Chaplain Fr. William May, CSB, all helped frame the issues they would be learning about.

Fr. May’s prayer on the morning of September 30, opened with, “I have been asked to explain why Catholics should partake in any of the Orange Shirt Day observances. The short answer is that the Pope has asked us to.” Fr. May quoted from His Holiness Pope Francis’ apology, highlighting, “…the overall effects of the policies linked to the residential schools were catastrophic. This was a disastrous error that was incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Fr. May challenged all of us to remember and learn about the tragic situations and traumas of the policies of the residential school system that devastated the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Grades 7 and 8 students and teachers learned more about the meaning of reconciliation and watched an interview with Phyllis Webstad, Orange Shirt Day founder. Grade 9 to 12 students watched a documentary called, “It Had To Be Done,” directed by Tessa Desnomie of the Peepeeksis Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, AB. The 22-minute film explores the legacy of Residential Schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women, Anita McLeod and Doris Bellegarde. Teacher Jacob Lang and Human Resources Director, Sarah D’Angelo, developed a programme focused on age-appropriate learning opportunities for all students. Faculty and staff who were not part of today’s programming for students participated in a lunch-hour session to learn more about this history.

The voices and stories of survivors of the residential school system in Canada are first-hand accounts of a history that so many Canadians never knew about. The Basilian Fathers, school administration, and members of the Indigenous Education Committee are committed to helping us learn more about this history and its impacts.

A link to the transcript of the Pope’s apology is here.