St. Augustine's, Edmonton Plants Heart Garden to Remember the Children

Following a Sunday service at St. Augustine's where we reflected on the reality of finding the 215 children buried behind the Kamloops Residential School, Lauretta Howard organized with June Kohar and Pat Jameson to prepare materials for creating a 'heart garden' outside the church - an expression of public mourning and remembrance. As we continue to work and act for reconciliation, it seemed right to also mourn and remember these children who did not receive such expressions of grief in their own time.

Members of the church and community both were invited to create hearts that were then 'planted' in the beds near our chokecherry or along the church. Almost 90 hearts have been planted so far. We remember the children who died and pray for families for whom this discovery has re-opened old wounds. Submitted by the Rev. Jonathan Crane, rector, St. Augustine’s, Edmonton 

The Indigenous Ministries Team invites families in our diocese to make hearts honouring the Indigenous children who went to Residential School. You will find the "Have a Heart" activity sheet in the “Messy Church Reconciliation at Home” resource.