The Calgary Catholic School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name of Bishop Grandin High School in light of Bishop Vital Justin Grandin’s (1829-1902) key role in establishing residential schools in Canada’s west.

Indigenous scholar and former Cowessess First Nation Chief Terry Pelletier is challenging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to ensure any Cree person can look up the full records of their family members who attended the Marieval Indian Residential School, where approximately 751 unmarked graves were found in June.

Over the last five years retired Ontario Superior Court Justice George Valin has asked three different Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ presidents why the bishops can’t simply, unanimously and open-heartedly invite Pope Francis to apologize on Canadian soil for the long, sad history of Catholic-run residential schools. He has yet to receive an answer.

A renewed effort is underway to make up for the failed Catholic “best efforts” campaign to raise $25 million for healing and reconciliation projects across Canada.

With Ontario moving into Step 3 of its reopening plan as of 12:01 a.m. July 16, there will no longer be capacity limits for places of worship. That won’t mean, however, that churches will be wide open for Mass.

A national lay effort to raise funds and awareness for reconciliation is rising up out of the grassroots of the Catholic Church in Canada.

The Catholic bishops of Saskatchewan have begun accepting donations to its province-wide fund-raising appeal among Catholics for support of residential school survivors and their communities.