SASKATOON – A church in Saskatoon tolled its chimes Sunday to honour missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. St. John’s Cathedral is participating in the Anglican Church of Canada’s “22 days” initiative, which also began today.
Over the next few weeks, the church will toll a chime for each of the 1,017 aboriginal women and girls murdered between 1980 and 2012. The cathedral will also toll chimes for the 105 of those classified as “missing under suspicious circumstances.”
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“Church bells have long called people to pay attention to things in their community,” said Scott Pittendrigh, St. John’s Cathedral dean.
“To call people to prayer, which they do on Sunday mornings, but also to let the community know when there’s something not right, something going wrong and this certainly is what we want the bells to do now.”
The chimes will also toll on June 3, 10, 17 and 21.
On the final Sunday, there will be a service during the “National Aboriginal Day of Prayer” at the church.
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The initiative is a commitment to healing and reconciliation among all Canadians, according to the church. Meanwhile, the country’s truth and reconciliation commission begins the final event of its seven-year tenure.
Amber Rockliffe contributed to this story
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