St. Anselm's Observes Orange Shirt Month

Join us from September 4- 28th and we listen and engage with the stories and experiences of indigenous people, explore the calls to action from the truth and reconciliation commission of Canada, and understand the relationship between us and the land we live on via a reconciliation mapping experience facilitated by the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.

Join with us on September 10 at 1410 nanton Ave, our diocesan offices, as we take the next step into deeper relationship with our Missioner for Indigenous Ministry, Kerry Baisley. 

Over the month, we are  invited to wear orange as a visible witness to our shared commitment to be in better relationship with everyone we meet. Orange Shirt day was begun by survivor Phyllis Webstad, who as a child, was taken to residential school and forced to give up her identity, her freedom, and her new orange shirt for the school uniform. To find out more about Phyllis story, click the video below and visit this website.

To support our work of developing relationships together, we will focus, highlight, and uplift indigenous voices and artists. We will also highlight the 94 calls to action as we seek to think about how we can continue to embrace them, and hold our elected officials accountable to ensuring they are honoured.

Part of the work of relationship building starts with knowing more about the land on which we live, and its inhabitants before time-immorial- the indigenous nations of turtle island. The church, during colinization, issued a statement called a "papal bull" giving the explorers permission to claim any "vacant" lands found for their monarchs. The false reality of "terra nullis: Empty Land" meant that indigenous land was taken, renmaed, and given away to settlers. Want to know more about the mapping exercise, view the video below for more information.

Sign up sheets for the mapping exercise are available at the back of Church on sunday.

Orange Shirt pins will be on sale at church over September, with proceeds going to the Anglican Healing Fund: supporting local indigenous led healing initiatives.

For more information or with questions, speak to our Vicar Alex on sunday.