On September 27, from noon to 2:00 p.m., Marymound hosted an on-site ceremony called Journey of Reconciliation: Celebrating 110 Years. To celebrate their anniversary, Marymound acknowledged its past, present and future.
“While thinking about how we honour Marymound for providing services to the community for 110 years, I reflected on four questions that Justice Murray Sinclair originally presented to educators: Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I?” says Nancy Parker, Executive Director at Marymound. “These questions are relevant to Marymound, as an organization, as we keep the legacy, mission, and values of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd alive and relevant, but also as we recognize that we are in a different place. We are in a place of acknowledging and understanding the harms that colonialism brought upon Indigenous people. We are in a place of actively learning and working towards creating a space for both Indigenous and Western approaches.”
At the ceremony, Marymound honoured their founders, the Sisters, but also apologized for the harms caused by the Catholic Church and the colonial institutions that the Sisters and the organization were part of. With the guidance of their Elder in Residence, Elder Louise, Marymound renamed its chapel to help it evolve into a healing room called noojimowinan abiwin (Healing Room). The purpose of the healing room is to heal the body, the mind, the spirit and emotions. It’s part of Marymound’s continued journey towards building a culturally-safe environment for the large number of Indigenous youth they support. In addition to the naming ceremony, there was a tree planting ceremony. The planting of the poplar tree represented a new life and new beginnings.
“Réseau Compassion Network continues to see Marymound as a source of inspiration and knowledge for us as a network,” says Daniel Lussier, CEO of Réseau Compassion Network. “Creating a safe space is the first step to being able to best support anyone in need. I commend Marymound on all of their efforts. They are helping us all to understand the work ahead of us, and exactly why it’s so important.”
Significant events across Canada took place before Marymound’s ceremony and highlighted its timing. “When we first planned this event back in January we had no idea truth and reconciliation would be such a high-profile theme in Canada,” says Nancy. A few months before their ceremony, the remains of hundreds of children were found on the sites of former Canadian residential schools. In the weeks leading up to their ceremony, Canada declared September 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Days before their ceremony, the Catholic Bishops of Canada released a statement of unequivocal apology to the Indigenous people of Canada. “It was meant to be,” says Nancy. “Our ceremony on that specific day was meant to be.”
