Page 33 - Presbyterian Connection
P. 33

presbyterian.ca
WINTER 2022
Evening Worship for Reconciliation
   The Rev. Susan Brasier and Shauit.
By Keith Randall, elder, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montreal, Que.
Sept. 30, 2022, marked Orange Shirt Day and Canada’s second National Day for Truth and Rec- onciliation in response to both the Truth and Reconciliation Com- mission’s Calls to Action and the discovery of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of
former Residential Schools. Al- though Quebec did not declare the day a statutory holiday, the Native Women’s Shelter led thousands of Montrealers through the streets of downtown. Additionally, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montreal, Que., held an even- ing worship service to honour the day—one of the only churches in Montreal to do so.
Inter twining the common be-
siblings. The large attendance and the sense of God’s presence were more than we could have ever ex- pected,” reflected Associate Min- ister of Community Connections and Care, the Rev. Susan Brasier. The Rev. Susan Brasier accompa- nied a group of members as they worked tirelessly to overcome a number of obstacles to create this profound worship experience.
The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul’s long relationship and journey of faith with the Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry in Saskatch- ewan has inspired many members to reach out to the local Indigenous community who are seeking the
The Rev. Dr. Robert Faris, Moderator of the 2022 General Assembly.
reconciliation that has been so long awaited.
The service may be viewed in its entirety on the Church of St. An- drew and St. Paul’s YouTube chan- nel at youtu.be/pOSqUD9s0Eg.
Connection
RECONCILIATION
PRESBYTERIAN
33
 liefs of Christian and Indigenous spiritualities, the worship service featured both gifted Innu singer- songwriter, Shauit, along with a “pop-up” choir made up of St. Andrew and St. Paul’s choristers, congregation members and folks from the neighbourhood who wanted to par ticipate. Senior pas- tor, the Rev. Dr. Glenn Chestnutt, led worship. PCC moderator, the Rev. Dr. Rober t Faris, came to Montreal in suppor t of this ini- tiative and offered the Prayers of the People. The highlights of the service were the lighting of 215 candles and Shauit’s reflection of growing up as a child of a Resi- dential School Survivor and his journey to Christ.
“This service responded to our obligation as Presbyterians to the Truth and Reconciliation [Com- mission] Call to Action #59: edu- cating our congregation and shar- ing the lament of our Indigenous
“Some found the orange shirts hanging from a tree outside the church dis- turbing,” said the Rev. Susan Brasier, “and that’s not a bad thing. What we came together to grieve is highly disturbing.”
  The Road to Healing, Hope and Reconciliation
 By the Rev. Marianne Emig Carr, First Presbyterian Church in Brockville, Ont.
Following the discovery of un- marked graves of Indigenous chil- dren on the grounds of the Kam- loops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, the Presbytery of Seaway-Glengarry in Ontario began a journey to learn more about The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s history with the Canadi- an Residential School system in an effor t to move toward healing and reconciliation. The presbytery also took to heart the Truth and Recon- ciliation Commission’s (TRC) Call to Action #59, which calls upon churches who are par ties to the TRC Settlement Agreement to “de- velop ongoing education strate- gies to ensure that their respective congregations learn about their church’s role in colonization, the history and legacy of Residential Schools, and why apologies to former Residential School stu-
dents, their families, and commu- nities were necessary.”
The presbytery was blessed with the presence of the late Rev. Dr. Cheryl Gaver during the initial portion of this journey. During reg- ular presbytery meetings, the Rev. Dr. Gaver provided education ses- sions for the court on the PCC’s history with the Residential School system, as well as conducting webinars and worship services throughout the presbytery. But the presbytery felt called to step outside of meetings and church buildings and take positive steps toward healing and reconciliation with local Indigenous peoples.
At the recommendation of the Rev. Dr. Gaver, the presbytery con- tacted the Native Nor th American Travelling College (NNATC), based at the Mohawk Akwesasne Nation (Kanien’kehá:ka) near Cornwall. Working together with the NNATC, the presbytery organized a full-day event, entitled “Healing, Recon- ciliation & Hope,” to bring together
Presbyterians and inhabitants of Akwesasne to learn, reflect and build relationships.
On Sept. 16, members of pres- bytery and local congregations travelled to the NNATC. Guided by the NNATC Manager, Iakonikonrii- osta, the group spent the morning on a guided tour of the NNATC museum, learning about Mohawk culture, traditions and history.
The group par took in a tradi- tional Mohawk meal while hearing about the experiences of Mohawk journalist, Doug George-Kanentiio, who survived the Mohawk Resi- dential School in Bradford—and proudly claimed to be one of the few students expelled from that school!
Finally, the attendees enjoyed music and dancing with two young Mohawk men, who taught us Mohawk social songs and danc- ing—and they did a very good job in encouraging a group of mature Presbyterians to dance together!
The presbytery is planning its
next steps in working toward heal- ing and repairing relations with the Mohawk people, which includes creating and building relation- ships and learning more about how much we have in common as siblings in Christ. The presbytery knows this is just the beginning of this road to reconciliation and is grateful for the guidance of the PCC Justice Ministries staff and the suppor t of the Healing and Reconciliation Seed Fund.
Hearing the history of Mohawk songs from Mohawk Youth. PHOTO CREDITS: DAVID MCILVEEN PHOTOGRAPHY
  

































































   31   32   33   34   35