St. Augustine's Anglican Church

Orange Shirt Day - Every Child Matters began in Williams Lake, British Columbia, on September 30, 2013. Established to honour Residential School Survivors, their families, and those who never returned home, it serves as a powerful reminder of the lasting impacts of the Residential School system. What began as a grassroots initiative has since evolved into a nationally recognized movement, with individuals, organizations, and communities across Canada participating in acts of remembrance, reflection, and reconciliation each year.

The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”.

Public commemoration of this tragic chapter in Canada’s history, and its lasting effects, plays an essential role in advancing truth and reconciliation.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called on the federal government, in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, to create a statutory holiday recognizing Survivors, their families, and communities while ensuring the history and legacy of residential schools are publicly remembered. Bill C-5, which established the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a federal statutory holiday, received Royal Assent on June 3, 2021.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are both observed annually on September 30th, and they are dedicated to honouring Residential School Survivors, their families, and communities, and to recognize the lasting impacts of Canada’s Residential School system. These commemorations provide an opportunity to deepen Canada’s understanding of the intergenerational effects of residential schools and to reflect on their enduring legacy as part of the ongoing journey toward truth, healing, and reconciliation.

On September 30, Canadians are encouraged to wear orange in honour of Residential School Survivors and their families, and in remembrance of the children who never returned home.

St Augustine's Book Club has its first meeting, after the summer break, this coming Tuesday beginning at 10.30am

Even if you have not read the book you are welcome to come and listen to the discussions and join us for lunch at a nearby restaurant.

The book being discussed this month is:

John of John by Douglas Stuart

John of John explores themes related to "identity, family, faith, and the idea of home".

The novel is set on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland during the late 1990s. It follows John-Calum "Cal" MacLeod, a 22 year old art school graduate who returns to his family's croft after four years away in Edinburgh. His father, John, a sheep farmer and weaver, has summoned him with news that his maternal grandmother, Ella, is seriously ill. In reality, Ella - a Glasgow native who refuses to speak Gaelic and clings to her profanity-laced English - remains relatively vigorous, and the call serves another purpose.

Cal's return is complicated by the strained relationship between father and son. John is a deacon in the local Presbyterian church, a strick Calvinist congregation that still disciplines its members in public shaming sessions and forbids its children activities such as using the swings on the Sabbath. Cal, by contrast, has dyed his long hair, wears torn jeans, and shows no inclination to join the elect in the pews nearest the altar. Their exchanges are often tense and occasionally violent, sparked by Cal's appearance and his refusal to embrace his father's austere faith.

Both father and son are concealing their sexuality from one another. Cal keeps quiet about the men he sleeps with in Edinburth, while John struggles against his own desires, years after his wife Grace deserted him to live with his brother on another part of the island. The novel's title is explained when Cal, crossing The Minch, is asked by an elderly passenger "Who do you belong to?" He replies: "John of John of Ian of Ian the Breadbadair" - breadbadair meaning weaver, a reference to his family's crofting heritage.

The narrative weaves together the present-day tensions between Cal and John with flashbacks revealing long-held family secrets. Cal's grandmother Ella whose family controls the tenancy, emerges as a key figure, and her influence over the household complicates the dynamics between father and son.

Next month's book is:

The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang