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Prayer for the Students of Kamloops Residential School

O God, we are grieving.
O God, we are shocked.
O God, we are horrified.

But, God, if we truly listened, we can’t be surprised.
The Elders and the Communities had already told
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
told the governments and the world,
the stories of the children, dead and buried,
unnoted by the settler systems,
but never ever forgotten by their siblings, their parents,
their communities.

We grieve for the Indigenous children,
taken from their homes and parents by the government,
handed over to the responsibility of the Christian church,
the children who died under its care,
never to be held by their families,
never to be returned to their communities―
not only the 215 children of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc
and other Indigenous communities along the west coast and interior whose bodies have now been found
on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School grounds,
but all of those children
whose bodies have not yet been found
who died in any of Indian Residential Schools.

We grieve for the survivors of the Indian Residential Schools,
the children who did come home,
but were changed by their experience,
the children who grew up,
and have the trauma of remembering, again,
what happened to them.

Even as we give thanks for their families and communities,
who hold the stories of the children,
who have kept searching,
who keep searching,
we grieve that that search is even necessary,
that even one child was taken,
that even one child died,
that even one child’s death went unnoted by the system.

Help us to stop, to sit in silence,
to remember the names we do not know.
May their spirits have peace,
and their bodies be brought home to their lands.

And God?
Help us to take this grief,
this shock,
this horror,
and turn it into right action―
action that works for right relations―
action that works for healing and justice and hope.

And, please,
don’t let those of us who are settlers
and descendants of settlers,
newcomers to this land,
let the horror, the shock, and the grief
just be an outpouring of words,
or tears,
or ineffectual hand-wringing.

Let this be a moment that changes,
a moment that transforms the brokenness,
that we might walk in right relations,
for the good of your children,
for the good of your world.

Please, God.

These things we pray,
in the name of the one who brought Creation into being,
in the name of Jesus, our teacher and friend,
in the name of the Holy Spirit,
whose wings spread across the sky.

Amen and amen.

by Moderator Richard Bott, The United Church of Canada ... See MoreSee Less

A display at St. Francis to remember the mass casualties. ... See MoreSee Less

Wolfville, let's come together with empathy, love and support. In memory of the souls we lost and to stand with all who suffered from last year's tragic events, you are invited to participate in tomorrow's province-wide vigil.
Here is how to participate in Wolfville:
You are encouraged to wear something red, find a bell, print a list of the names of the lives we lost, make or find a Nova Scotia flag and/or red heart.
2:45 pm - Step out onto your doorstep, driveway, yard or window with a bell, a flag, a heart, a candle etc.
2:50 pm - You are invited to take a photo of yourself or of the people who are with you. You are welcome to share it on social media if you wish.
3:00 pm - Ring your bell, or read the 22 names of individuals we lost, then observe a 2 minute moment of silence.
3:02 pm - We invite you to place your flag and/or heart in your
Let's paint the Town with love and support
CBC - Remembering April 2020
At 3 p.m. ADT, there will be a two-hour, Atlantic-wide episode of Maritime Connection with Preston Mulligan on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen.
You can watch the memorial ceremony on cbc.ca/ns and CBC Nova Scotia's Facebook page.
Names of the lives we lost - www.cbc.ca/.../photos-nova-scotia-shooting... ... See MoreSee Less

Interfaith Engagement: Reflections of Passover. March 31, 7pm, Zoom: tiny.cc/wbc_interfaith ... See MoreSee Less

The Wolfville Area Inter-Church Council: Faith in Action
A story of Ruth
"I volunteer with the Wolfville Area Food Bank and I want to tell you a story about a woman I know – I’ll call her Ruth. To keep her costs down, she turned her heat way down. She wore double socks and sweaters around the house. And, right after supper she spent the evening in bed because her apartment was cold and she could stay warm under blankets. She couldn’t afford enough food, so finally she broke down and came to our Food Bank. When she got home with her food she spread it out on the table and made a list of everything she’d been given. She thought that like other “banks” she had to pay it back some day. And then she sat down and she cried because she could not imagine how she would ever be able to do that. When Ruth came to see us again, we explained that the food was a gift; from kind and generous people in our community. Again, she cried; from relief. And gave me the most genuine hug and thank you that you can imagine. "

Did you know that the Wolfville Area Inter-Church Council (WAICC) provides outreach ministry to assist people like Ruth on behalf of local churches? Here are a few interesting facts to help you get to know WAICC a little better.

Who is WAICC?
Founded in 1970, WAICC has offered ecumenical worship, education, and humanitarian action for over 50 years! The Council was established by area churches to respond to needs in the community that could be best served through common action. Today, it works on behalf of eight local Christian churches and organizations: Orchard Valley United Church, Wolfville United Baptist Church, St. John’s Anglican Church, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Port Williams Baptist Church, Manning Memorial Chapel – Acadia University, Religious Society of Friends – Quakers, and L’Arche Homefires.

What does WAICC do?
WAICC’s initiatives, that reflect faith in action, are made possible by people in our community who provide essential resources: volunteers give their time and talents; donors give money and food. Initiatives focus on two broad areas:
 Attending to Spiritual Needs by hosting worship services for residents of the Wolfville Nursing Home and Wolfville Elms, and by organizing ecumenical worship services, and community events such as speakers, workshops, and vigils.
 Addressing Social and Humanitarian Needs through a school supply program, support for student food programs and for individuals’ emergency and special needs, the Wolfville Area Food Bank, and the Christmas hamper program.

Where does WAICC operate?
WAICC’s outreach initiatives assist people in the service area (see map) regardless of religious affiliation.
WAICC’s ministry was aptly described by Rev. Doug Hergett in his book, Visible Faith, when he observed that WAICC’s good work in the community is possible because “church members have been joined and supported in their endeavors by many others whose motivation is a social or humanitarian concern.”
As members of the the local churches that make up WAICC you can be proud of the work being done in the community on your behalf by WAICC volunteers to help our neighbours with very real needs. If you would like to learn more please contact the church office. ... See MoreSee Less