Our board met in May in Grand Prairie in the archdiocese of our chair, Archbishop Gerard Pettipas. On Sunday we joined the local faith community for a celebration of the Eucharist in the beautiful new church complex that was built while + Gerard was pastor of the parish in Grand Prairie.
CEPIRSS stands for the corporation of Catholic Entities party to the Indian Residential School Settlement agreement that was signed Sept 20, 2007 by the federal government, Assembly of First Nations and the Churches historically involved in Indian residential schools. The board represents the now 54 dioceses and religious congregations that were third partied by the federal government when it faced class action law suits due to the harmful effects of the flawed and colonial system of the schools at the time.
The federal govenment's commitment under the agreement was to provide compensation to those who attended the schools especially for the forceful removal of chidren as young as 5 years old from their families and the generational harm that ensued. The commitment of the entities is to provide around 80 million dollars for healing and reconciliation: 29 million in cash, 25 million In-Kind services and 25 million through a best-efforts national fundraising campaign.
Our board pictured here is mandated to over see our commitments until they are fulfilled. We are: Front row: Sr. Shirley Walsh; Sr. Claudette Robert; Erin-Renne Keddo (axecutive assistant); Sr. Lea Boutin and Fr. Jacque L'Heureux. Back row: Rod Donlevy and Pierre Barribeau (legal counsels); me; our chair Archbishop Gerard Pettipas, Fr. Al Hubenig and Gerry Kelly (advisor).
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