Dare We Hope?
Convocation 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024

OPENING SESSION

I felt warmly welcomed by Darcie Lich this evening as we prayed and sang together our theme song for the week, Seek the Lord.  Fr. Ken Thorson’s opening remarks stressed the importance of the discernment work we will do together before he introduced Chief Wilton Littlechild. Together, we were walked through Chief Willie’s school career and left in awe of the incredible work he has done over so many years, fighting for the UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples and his role on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I agree that there is a lot of good news to share of what is happening across the country to advance the Declaration and further the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action. Today we, as Oblates, are part of that good news story! I think we are daring enough to work together on a decade plan, a ten year map to promote wetaskiwin (living together in good relations) as Chief Willie suggested. In the coming days, I’m excited to work with our facilitator, Fr. Chava Gonzalez, OMI, who is sure to stir in us the collective hope needed to move us all forward into action. Chava reminded us that “we are brothers and sisters of a saint…DARE WE HOPE? Heck ya!”

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TEXT OF FR. CHAVA’S INTRODUCTION TO THE WEEK

By Joanne Friedt – Oblate Associate – Brother Anthony District