Saskatoon Catholic church hit with graffiti following discovery of unmarked residential school graves
The same day Cowessess First Nation announced it had found 751 unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in the community, a Catholic church in Saskatoon was hit by graffiti.
In late May, the steps in front St. Paul Co-Cathedral, located in the city's downtown, became the site of a spontaneous memorial after the unmarked graves of 215 children were found at a former residential school in Kamloops.
Photos shared on social media on Thursday show what appears to be red paint smeared on the steps in front of the church and red handprints on the door of the church.
"We were children" can be seen scrawled across the door using the same red paint.
The graffiti was mostly cleaned up by Friday morning, with only some paint visible on the ground.
Saskatoon Police Service said officers attended an incident at the church on Thursday, but after speaking to both church officials and protesters, no charges were laid.
While Canada's residential school system was government-funded, the Roman Catholic Church operated a majority of the schools.
Thursday's revelation led to renewed calls for Pope Francis to issue an apology for the Catholic church's role in running the schools.
If you are a residential school survivor in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.