First Nations Fundraising Nationally
Agnieska Ruck, The B.C. Catholic
Volume 35 Issue 10, 11 & 12 | Posted: December 23, 2021
Advance giving started in July but the fundraising campaign’s official launch was September 1, with a second collection toward the cause that took place September 11 and 12 in all churches within the Archdiocese of Vancouver. All contributions are destined for local reconciliation efforts.
“We have an obligation to do something, to extend a hand,” said Archbishop J. Michael Miller in an interview August 10. The collection “will help to fund initiatives that will go exclusively to healing and reconciliation with First Nations. We are going to take our cues from what their leadership wants.”
The Archdiocese of Vancouver is joining with the dioceses of Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, and Victoria in the campaign. The bishops, who will consult with local Indigenous leaders, elders, and residential school survivors to decide where the funds will go, said they hope the campaign will “help restore trust and further the ongoing journey to truth and reconciliation.”
The bishops of Saskatchewan have launched a fundraising appeal of their own, and the Diocese of Calgary and the Archdiocese of Toronto have made similar pledges to provide or raise funds.
Meanwhile, a lay-led national group called Catholics for Truth and Reconciliation hopes to raise $50,000 for three organizations: Returning to Spirit, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, and Reconciliation Canada. So far they have raised half of this goal. They are also encouraging Catholics to consider donating to the bishop-led campaigns.
The Catholic Church in Canada has received heavy criticism for not doing enough to support reconciliation efforts financially. In a 2006 Settlement Agreement, the federal government was to cover the “compensation” portion, while Catholic entities were tasked with providing “programs of healing and reconciliation.”
Agnieska Ruck, The B.C. Catholic