The Mississauga church vandalized is Merciful Redeemer Parish at 2775 Erin Centre Blvd
The Canadian Bazaar
MISSISSAUGA: The Merciful Redeemer Parish church in Mississauga was vandalized on Thursday after its pastor’s controversial remarks about the “good that was done” by residential schools to native children.
The church located at 2775 Erin Centre Blvd was daubed with angry words as Pastor Owen Keenan came under fire for his remarks in the wake of the latest discovery of nearly 751 unmarked graves at a former residential school in Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan.
A video shows the pastor saying that “two thirds of the country is blaming the church, which we love, for the tragedies that occurred there. Now I presume that the same number would thank the church for the good that was done in those schools but of course that question was never asked and in fact we are not allowed to even say that good was done in those schools.”
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie slammed the pastor, saying that “his comments have no place in Mississauga.”
The Mayor said the pastor showed a “fundamental misunderstanding of one of the core tragedies of the residential schools system in Canada; that children were forcibly separated from their parents.”
The pastor apologized on Thursday after he came under fire. “I would like to communicate to the faithful and all those who have expressed concerns about my homily the weekend of 19/20 June 2021. I want to acknowledge the pain and anger which has been magnified as the result of a portion of my remarks being circulated in social media and elsewhere. I apologize sincerely for any hurt I have caused and pledge to do better, especially at a time when there is a national conversation underway regarding residential schools.”
The Archdiocese of Toronto has withdrawn the controversial pastor from presiding at any services “in the coming days, including this weekend.”
A statement by the Archdiocese said that it “has been in contact with Msgr. Keenan to convey the deep pain and anger felt by those hurt by his words. Msgr. Keenan has pledged to fully educate himself, with the appropriate support, to gain a more wholesome understanding of the full history of residential schools and their impact in our country. We apologize to anyone who was offended by his remarks.”
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