Red Dress Day & the United Church of Canada

 

Creator,

Remember your beloved children.

Remember the hundreds of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

Remember your beloved children as we remember you.

 Remember us, Creator,

when we come to you with hope,

seeking love, support, and protection for Aboriginal children.

We know that all children have the right to

a home that will love them,

a community that will support their needs,

and a society that will protect and nurture them.

 Yet we also know that many Aboriginal children grieve the loss of their moms and aunties, live in communities that are under-serviced and in a society that is systematically discriminative and oppressive.

And so we pray for these children, God… [allow for a time of silent prayer]

excerpt from a Prayer for Missing & Murdered Aboriginal Women UCC

Tomorrow, May 5th, is Red Dress Day, the annual opportunity to recognize Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, & Two-Spirited People. These include the women killed by a mass murderer in Manitoba with their bodies disposed of in landfills. 

Many United Church congregations will include a recognition of this solemn occasion during worship today, including Trenton United, our home church. Here is the email announcement for this week. 

 Dear friends,

 This Sunday, May 4, we gather for a special intergenerational Red Dress Sunday service — a time to honour stories of memory, love, and healing.
 
Through the Indigenous legend of Salmon Boy and the children’s book Missing Nimâmâ, we’ll reflect on the sacredness of every life and the power of remembering Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people who are missing. These themes will be explored with care and compassion, in ways that are gentle and appropriate for all ages.
 
We’ll also read the story of the road to Emmaus, where grief begins to lift when the disciples recognize Jesus in their midst. In storytelling, music, and Holy Communion, we’ll be reminded that Christ walks with us still.