Today, September 30th, is the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools in the United States and Canada -- it is a day that we are being asked to remember the harm caused to countless Native American and Indigenous children and their families and to reflect on the damage caused by the historical trauma of these events being experienced today.
We ask, therefore, for all members and friends of our Diocese to pray the Prayer for the Innocents and to pray for the work being done by the committees that the General Convention of the Episcopal Church and its Executive Council have established to explore the Episcopal Church's participation in these events and to make the truth known. Please pray, too, for the work being done by other organizations committed to this work of reconciliation and healing. Yet, most importantly, please pray for the boarding school survivors and for their families, especially those who continue to grapple with this situation mentally, spiritually, and physically on a daily basis.
Dear Lord, Almighty God, we pray for all Indigenous children who were in residential and boarding schools in Canada and the United States. Some died there; we ask that you give assurance to their descendants that their souls are with you and their ancestors. Some survived there; we ask that you give your healing grace to all who endured hardship while there and are still struggling with those memories. Lastly, we ask you to help us guard our children against harm in this world. All this we ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.