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Bishop Hagemoen celebrates Mass to open four-day Memorial Wake for those lost at Residential Schools

By June 11, 2024June 28th, 2024Bishop Mark Hagemoen's blog

Our Lady of Guadalupe Deacon Paul Labelle, St. Mary Pastor and diocesan Vicar-General Fr. Kevin McGee, Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Pastor Fr. Graham Hill, CSsR (left to right) at the memorial wake opening Mass June 6, 2024. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Bishop Mark Hagemoen presided at an early-morning opening Mass Thursday, June 6, 2024 for the first day of a final four-day Memorial Wake for children who died or were lost in other ways at Residential Schools. The fourth and final annual event was organized by Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.

Once again a tipi was set up on the grounds of St. Mary Parish, where Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioners worship each Sunday afternoon, and once again prayers, hymns, and ceremonies were offered throughout the four days — along with a welcoming and listening presence for any who passed by or stopped in.

At the opening Mass, Bishop Hagemoen expressed his hope that the event would again be a lesson in how to walk together.  “In order to do that, we pray ‘teach me your ways, O God,’” the bishop said, citing the psalm response for the day.  “The best way we learn about God is to walk as God does… with no competition, and with compassion.”

“We remember and pray for the children who went to Residential School and never returned home to their communities and families, and those who did return home, but returned home lost – physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually,” said Our Lady of Guadalupe pastor Fr. Graham Hill, CSsR, during the closing Mass June 9.

The event first started in June 2021 in the wake of news reports about unmarked graves found at the former site of a residential school at Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops B.C.

Once again a tipi was set up on the grounds of St. Mary Parish, where Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioners worship each Sunday afternoon, and once again prayers, hymns, and ceremonies were offered throughout the four days — along with a welcoming and listening presence for any who passed by or stopped in.

READ MORE: LINK to article on Catholic Saskatoon News portal

Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen, Knowledge Keeper Lyndon Linklater, and Vicar-Gneral Fr. Ivan Nahachewsky of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon, wait with others for the early morning opening of the first day of the four-day Memorial Wake vigil June 6. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Traditional drumming and singing by Mario Fiddler and his children (the “Cree Canaries”) was again part of the four-day event to pray for all those lost at Residential Schools. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskaton News)

An early-morning outdoor Mass opened the 2024 four-day memorial wake, with Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen presiding. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Our Lady of Guadalupe parish Elders Irene Sharp, Dianne Anderson, and Sharon Genaille (left to right) at the opening Mass June 6. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Bishop Mark Hagemoen presided at the opening Mass June 6 for the 2024 four-day memorial wake by Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioner Sandra Harper was reader at the opening Mass of the four-day memorial wake. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

A pipe ceremony and an outdoor Mass June 6 again opened Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish’s four-day memorial wake. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Our Lady of Guadalupe Pastor Fr. Graham Hill, CSsR, was one of the leaders participating in the memorial wake held over four days in June for the past four years. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Our Lady of Guadalupe Deacon Paul Labelle (left) proclaims the Gospel at the opening Mass four the four-day event. St. Mary pastor and diocesan Vicar-General Fr. Kevin McGee (at right) also joined events during the four days. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

A pipe ceremony and an early-morning outdoor Mass opened Our Lady of Guadalupe’s 2024 four-day memorial wake, held on the grounds of St. Mary Catholic Church in Saskatoon. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Elders in prayer during the memorial wake opening Mass June 6. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

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