Creator God of love and justice,
Comforter of those who mourn,
We turn to you acknowledging the actions of your church, our complicity in running residential schools and taking children from their families.
We have asked forgiveness and committed to work for healing and reconciliation.
But we recognize that for some, that change came too late.
We now have a first list of the names of students who died and never made it home from residential schools.
We know the list is incomplete; that there will be more names and that some names may never be known.
But you know, Loving and Healing God, their names and their stories.
For those children whose names we now know, those we do not yet know and for the intergenerational harm still present today that grew from their absence, we ask for forgiveness and pray for healing for those whose children, siblings, family and friends were taken from home but did not return.
For where there was joy, and we took it;
laughter and we stifled it
play and we turned it to tears
family and we broke it
We repent and renew our commitment to walk a new path.
We honour the children lost and hold the memory of their lives in our hearts.
Comforting God, we pray for healing in the communities and families of all who experienced residential schools, and strength for all who pursue reconciliation.
AMEN
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