A Prayer For Sorry Day

said at our Flag Assembly on Monday 29th May

On Friday it was Sorry Day. We gather now to say sorry and to remember all those Indigenous Australians affected by the practice of forcibly removing children from their families and communities. We remember with great sorrow the pain and suffering this caused and we ask God to help us to work for healing. 

Let us pray for healing. Almighty and loving God, you who created ALL people in your image, Lead us to seek your compassion as we listen to the stories of our past. 

You gave your only Son, Jesus, who died and rose again so that sins will be forgiven. We place before you the pain and anguish of dispossession of land, language, lore, culture and family kinship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced. 

We live in faith that all people will rise from the depths of despair and hopelessness. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families have endured the pain and loss of loved ones, through the separation of children from their families. We are sorry and ask Your forgiveness. Touch the hearts of the broken, homeless and inflicted and heal their spirits. 

In your mercy and compassion walk with us as we continue our journey of healing to create a future that is just and equitable. Lord, you are our hope. Amen.

Yaama is the First Nations Community of St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, QLD. In 2022, one of their key projects was to write a poem for Sorry Day, which "remembers

and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.

We are now in National Reconciliation Week. This offers people across Australia the opportunity to focus on Reconciliation, to hear about the cultures and history of Australia’s Indigenous peoples, and to explore new and better ways of meeting challenges in our communities. It is a time for us to renew our commitment to Reconciliation and to think about how we can help turn around the continuing disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

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On Sunday Jasper and Archie completed their first reconciliation. All the First Communion candidates were there to support the boys and also receive the sacrament. A big thank you to Father Avinash for today