
Pope Francis is visiting Canada July 24-29 on a penitential pilgrimage to visit, listen and dialogue with Indigenous peoples.
Live-stream of events by Salt+Light Catholic Network | PDF of SCHEDULE (note that times are ET, will be 2 hours earlier in SK.
The visit will provide an opportunity for Pope Francis to listen and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, to express his heartfelt closeness and to address the impact of residential schools in Canada. The papal visit will also provide an opportunity for the shepherd of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics to connect with the Catholic community in Canada.
The Holy Father will travel within Alberta (based in Edmonton) from July 24-27, followed by a visit to Quebec City and Ste. Anne-de-Beaupré, July 27-29.
Pope Francis will visit Iqaluit, Nunavut the afternoon of July 29 before returning to Rome.
IN OUR DIOCESE – Events and plans for the pilgrimage of reconciliation and healing during Pope Francis’s visit to Canada:.“Walking and Healing Together” – A local Saskatoon event is being planned in conjunction with papal visit on Tuesday, July 26 – which is the Feast of St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus – to be held at St. Mary’s Education and Wellness Centre, 327 Avenue N South, Saskatoon, for those wishing to participate in a gathered local event during the papal visit.
This come-and-go event is FREE. It would be helpful for planning if those planning to attend would please register ahead of time – LINK to online registration.
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Volunteers are also needed! If you can volunteer at the local Saskatoon event for any time between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, please contact Myron for more information mrogal@rcdos.ca
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Support for Residential School Survivors and Elders to visit Edmonton during the visit of Pope Francis to Canada: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon is committed to sponsoring a number of Residential School Survivors and Elders to attend papal visit events July 25 and 26. This diocesan support includes covering expenses on the trip for Survivors and Elders, such as accommodation, transport, etc.
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DONATIONS – To support a Residential School Survivor to attend, to support the Catholic TRC Healing Response and/or to support the papal visit, see the Diocese of Saskatoon Catholic Foundation: dscf.ca/papal-visit-2022.
Message from the organizers of the papal visit: “As the Church, it is our shared responsibility to facilitate this apostolic journey and the planning that it entails. There are many costs associated with the papal visit which are the direct responsibility of the Church, and we need your help to ensure the financial means that will further support this journey of healing and reconciliation with our Indigenous brothers and sisters. To make a donation, please visit our website, papalvisit.ca.” – Donation Information Brochure PDF (English) / (French)
PRAYERS – Saint Anne Novena for the Papal Visit: From July 18 to 26 Saint Anne Parish in Saskatoon will host a novena of Masses, praying that the visit of Pope Francis to Canada will be a source of healing and reconciliation. A novena is a nine-day series of prayers. Every evening from July 18 to 26, Mass will be offered at 7:00 p.m., followed by Indigenous teaching (Please note one exception: on Saturday, July 23, Mass will be held at 5:00 p.m.). Please join any of these Masses, held at Saint Anne Catholic Church, 217 Lenore Drive, Saskatoon.
Highlights of the papal visit program announced by the Vatican include:
July 24, 2022
The Holy Father will arrive in Edmonton, Alberta on Sunday, July 24. Following a brief airport ceremony, the 85-year-old pontiff will take the remainder of the day to rest.
July 25, 2022
On Monday, July 25, Pope Francis will visit Maskwacis, home to the former Ermineskin Residential School, one of the largest residential school sites in Canada. The Holy Father will join former residential school students from across the country as part of a formal program. Alberta is home to the largest number of former residential schools in Canada.
Later in the day, the pontiff will visit Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, a National Indigenous church in downtown Edmonton. Following extensive restoration after a devastating fire in 2020, the parish will re-open its doors after using a nearby school the last several years to offer hospitality, spiritual care and supportive outreach programs serving a diverse urban Indigenous community. This will be an invitation-only event.
July 26, 2022
Tuesday, July 26 is the feast of St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus, a day of particular reverence for Indigenous Catholics and often the focus of pilgrimage in various parts of the country. In an event that will be open to the public, the Holy Father will celebrate an open-air Mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The facility can accommodate up to 65,000 attendees for a program that will incorporate Indigenous traditions as part of the gathering.
In the early evening, the Holy Father will travel to Lac Ste. Anne, the site of an annual pilgrimage that welcomes tens of thousands of Indigenous participants from throughout Canada and the United States each year. Programming will be offered throughout the day leading up to the Holy Father’s participation in a prayer service.
July 27, 2022
The Holy Father will depart Edmonton for Quebec City on Wednesday, July 27.
Upon arrival in Quebec, the Pontiff will visit La Citadelle, where he will take part in private meetings. Pope Francis, as both a spiritual leader and head of state, will also offer a public address.
For events in Quebec City, the public is also invited to participate at a dedicated area on the Plains of Abraham, where there will be opportunities on July 27 and 28 for Indigenous cultural expression as well as the chance to view papal events on large screens. The detailed program of activities on the Plains is being developed with Indigenous and community partners.
July 28, 2022
Pope Francis will travel to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Thursday, July 28, where he will celebrate Mass at one of the oldest and most popular pilgrimage sites in North America, drawing more than a million visitors to the site (including annual Indigenous pilgrimages) each year. Organizers anticipate between 10,000 and 15,000 guests may attend with space for guests both inside and outside the basilica.
Later in the day, the HolyFather will meet with bishops, priests, seminarians, consecrated men and women as well as those who work in various church ministries, as is customary with most papal visits. The pope will have the remainder of the evening for rest while a dinner focused on friendship and ongoing dialogue will bring together Indigenous leaders from Eastern Canada and representatives of the Catholic Bishops of Canada.
July 29, 2022
Following a private meeting with members of his own religious order (Society of Jesus) Friday, July 29, Pope Francis will meet with Indigenous leaders from Eastern Canada before departing for Iqaluit, where he will spend the afternoon in a private meeting with residential school survivors before attending a public community event hosted by Inuit.
The Holy Father will depart for Rome from Iqaluit in the early evening of July 29.
Related: Catholic TRC Healing Response (information and to donate)
Related: Pope Francis coming to Canada
Related: Saskatchewan Catholic bishops respond to news of papal visit
Related: Archbishop Bolen and Chief Delorme call for new ways of “Walking With Your Neighbour”
Related: Manitoba Métis praise Pope Francis for listening
Related: Indigenous leaders see “fresh tracks” in hunt for healing
Related: Pope apologizes for treatment of Indigenous People, promises to visit
Related: Text of Papal Apology
Related: Indigenous People want truth about past, partnership for future

On April 1, 2022, Pope Francis apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system. The Holy Father expressed “sorrow and shame” for the abuse and lack of respect for Indigenous identities, culture and spiritual values in the residential school system. (Image courtesy of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops)
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