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Healing and Reconciliation Sunday Reflection

Healing and Reconciliation Sunday is a designated day in the life of the church, set apart to recognize the need for healing and relationship-building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is an invitation to gather in worship with humility, prayer, and a commitment to truth.

This day was established by the 2006 General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. It acknowledges the church’s complicity in colonial racism, particularly through its involvement in the residential school system, where Indigenous children were taken from their families and communities. The deep and ongoing intergenerational trauma caused by these schools continues to bring lasting harm to Indigenous peoples today.

In light of this history, the church names truth, healing, and reconciliation as a shared and ongoing responsibility across all congregations and within Canadian society. This is not a moment of remembrance alone, but a continued call to faithful action, listening, and relationship-building.

For more information, including background and congregational resources, you can visit the Presbyterian Church of Canada website.

This resource outlines the origins of Healing and Reconciliation Sunday and offers ways congregations may participate, including reading the church’s apology for colonization and residential schools, marking the day in worship, supporting the Honouring the Children Fund, and learning more about ministries and commitments with Indigenous peoples.

May this day lead us in prayerful reflection, honest acknowledgement, and a renewed commitment to walking together in truth and reconciliation.