papal visit edmonton

Visit by Pope Francis to Canada: Here’s what happened on July 26

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Pope Francis is visiting Canada between July 25 and July 29, making stops in Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit to address the devastating legacy of Canada’s residential school system. On Monday, the Pope gave a formal apology for the abuses of residential schools . “I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples,” he said.

Latest updates

• The Pope praised Indigenous reverence for elders during outdoor mass.
• Métis National Council statement called the papal apology a ‘step forward.’
• The Pope visited Lac Ste. Anne to take part in the community’s annual pilgrimage.

Pope Francis waves the the crowd as he makes a lap at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis arrives to preside a mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. AMBER BRACKEN/Reuters

A portrait of an Indigenous patron is displayed on Priest Stan Fontaine of the Winnipeg Dioces as he waits for Pope Francis to arrive at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton Alberta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis merchandise hangs at a pop up store outside of Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

People cheer and wave at Pope Francis as he arrives at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

A priest takes a photo with his cell phone prior to the arrival of Pope Francis at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Nancy Saddleman, 82, who spent 14 years at Kamloops Indian residential school from 1945-59, since she was 5 years old, cries while attending a mass presided by Pope Francis at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. AMBER BRACKEN/Reuters

People attend a mass presided by Pope Francis at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. AMBER BRACKEN/Reuters

People watch as Pope Francis arrives to preside a mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. AMBER BRACKEN/Reuters

Pope Francis kisses a child as he arrives for an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Chief Wilton Littlechild, centre, arrives at Commonwealth Stadium for an open air mass by Pope Francis in Edmonton, Alberta. Eric Gay/The Associated Press

Onlookers take photos as Pope Francis (C) arrives for an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

A child arrives at Commonwealth Stadium for an open air mass by Pope Francis in Edmonton, Alberta. Eric Gay/The Associated Press

Pope Francis (C) celebrates an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

People take photos at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

An Indigenous woman wears a traditional headdress as she waits for a Holy Mass with the Pope at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis presides a mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Pope Francis arrives to preside a mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

Pope Francis kisses a baby as he arrives to preside a mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

People look on as Pope Francis arrives for an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis waves as he arrives for an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Faithful attend a mass celebrated by Pope Francis at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis participates in an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

People await the arrival of Pope Francis at Lac Ste. Anne, northwest of Edmonton, Alberta on July 26, 2022. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Cardinals arrival ahead of Pope Francis on the shores of Lac St Anne, Alberta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis makes his way to the holy water to bless it as at the annual pilgrimage event in Lac Ste. Anne, Alta. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Pope Francis participates in the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage and Liturgy of the Word at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis blesses the crowd with holy water after performing the pilgrimage to Lac St Anne, Alta. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

Pope Francis blesses faithfuls at the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site in Alberta. Gregorio Borgia/The Associated Press

Pilgrims wait outside Ste. Anne Shrine where Pope Francis will give the Liturgy of the Word at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis gives the Liturgy of the Word at the Shrine during Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage. VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

Indigenous chiefs listen to Pope Francis at the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site in Alberta. Eric Gay/The Associated Press

Members of the crowd watch as Pope Francis celebrates mass the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site in Alberta. Eric Gay/The Associated Press

5:30 p.m. MT

Pope leads pilgrimage and blesses lac ste. anne.

Pope Francis blesses the crowd with holy water after performing the pilgrimage to Lac St Anne, Alta on July 26, 2022. Gavin John/The Globe and Mail

At Lac Ste. Anne, thousands of people waited for hours in the sun for the pontiff’s arrival. As he travelled to the shore, the crowd of faithful strained to see him, with people calling out to him, “Father” And “Your Holiness.”

Sitting underneath a stark white crucifix at the shoreline, he spoke briefly in English, delivering a short prayer before being taken in his wheelchair down to the water’s edge. He sprinkled water at the shore, and then went on to the shrine, where he delivered a speech in Spanish about the meaning and traditions of the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage.

Francis performed a blessing of the lake, then sat in silence looking out at the water. He then spent several minutes sprinkling the blessed water onto people lined up at the annual pilgrimage site.

The pontiff used a traditional wooden tool with a brush on the end and dipped it into a bowl of water as he was pushed in a wheelchair.

– Carrie Tait and Canadian Press

5:05 p.m. MT

Pope francis arrives at lac ste. anne.

Pope Francis has arrived at the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site, northwest of Edmonton.

Speech on violence against Indigenous women stirs audience ahead of Pope Francis

Just before Pope Francis arrived at the Lac Ste. Anne shrine in Alberta, Tara Elwood-Desjarlais gave a powerful speech on the violence that Indigenous women have suffered for decades – and are still suffering. She had the audience of several hundred riveted.

Ms. Elwood-Desjarlais, a member of Kehewin Cree Nation and a council member of the village of Alberta Beach, delivered some horrific statistics: Indigenous women represent a quarter of female suicides in Canada, but only 4 per cent of the population. Murder is the third leading cause of their deaths, and First Nations women are four-and-a-half times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women, she said.

In an interview after her talk, she said she regrets that Pope Francis did not hear her speak, and that her address wasn’t broadcast or livestreamed. “I would like him to bring the issue to the world stage,” she said. “This is an issue among Indigenous women all over the world. We’ve been going missing for hundreds of years.”

– Eric Reguly

3:30 p.m. MT

Pope francis to join lac ste. anne pilgrimage.

A handful of vehicles have parked on secondary roads next to Highway 16, presumably to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis’s motorcade as he travels to Lac Ste. Anne. So far, his trip to Alberta has not seen devotees gathering on highways and overpasses in hopes of seeing him. Tuesday’s highway crowds are still sparse, with only two or three vehicles in a handful of clusters. At the end of one laneway perpendicular to the highway, a small group waited in lawn chairs.

At 5 p.m. Pope Francis will join throngs of pilgrims on the shores of Lac Ste. Anne.

Originally called Wakamne, or God’s Lake, by the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and manitou sâkahikan, or Spirit Lake, by the Cree, the lake has long been a gathering place for Indigenous peoples.

The first annual pilgrimage was organized in 1889 by Father Joseph Lestanc. Since then, the lake has become a sacred pilgrimage site. Every year around the July 26th feast of Ste. Anne, up to 40,000 pilgrims flock to the lake. Stories abound of the sick and infirm recovering after wading into the shallow waters.

This year, however, a blue-green algae bloom in the lake has prompted Alberta Health Services to advise against wading in areas where the algae is visible. It’s unclear how the advisory might affect plans for the Pope to preside over vespers, or evening prayers.

– Patrick White and Carrie Tait

2:00 p.m. MT

Timothy schmalz sculpture to be unveiled at lac ste. anne.

Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz’s latest work will be unveiled Tuesday afternoon at the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage site outside Edmonton. Titled Mary, Untier of Knots , it will be a gift from Francis to the Indigenous peoples he is visiting, and serve as a symbol of his tour.

The bronze life-size sculpture began as shaped clay in Mr. Schmalz’s studio in St. Jacobs, Ont. The plan is for Francis to bless the sculpture and the lake itself, after which the artwork will find a permanent home at the Skaro Shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary, northeast of Edmonton.

The sculpture was inspired by, and is faithful to, a baroque painting of the same name by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner. It depicts Mary standing on a crescent moon, surrounded by angels as she unties knots in a long ribbon. Mr. Schmalz has said that the Catholic residential schools can be interpreted as one of the knots.

Francis is said to adore the painting, to the point that he sent copies of the image to poor areas of Buenos Aires, where he was born.

1:30 p.m. MT

Murray sinclair issues blistering critique of papal apology.

The chief commissioner of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has issued a blistering critique of Pope Francis’s apology to Indigenous people, saying “it left a deep hole in the acknowledgement of the full role of the church in the residential school system, by placing blame on individual members of the church.”

Murray Sinclair issued a press release moments before Francis appeared in front of thousands of people at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium for an open-air mass.

In 2015, the commission called on the Pope to deliver an apology in Canada for the church’s role in the residential school system. On Monday Francis apologized for individual Catholics who participated, but not for the church as a whole. The wording jarred many Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors, who had been reiterating demands for an institutional apology.”

It was more than the work of a few bad actors – this was a concerted institutional effort to remove children from their families and cultures, all in the name of Christian supremacy,” Mr. Sinclair said. He added that he hopes the Pope will take the criticism to heart as he continues with his pilgrimage to Canada.

– Patrick White

1:10 p.m. MT

Métis nation president to welcome pope francis to lac ste. anne.

Métis Nation of Alberta President Audrey Poitras says she is honoured to be welcoming Pope Francis to the pilgrimage at Lac Ste. Anne later today.

The site northwest of Edmonton has long been sacred to Métis, First Nations and Catholic people.

However, Poitras says words and apologies are not enough.

She says she hopes that feeling the spirit of the Métis at the location will lead to real actions and accountability.

– The Canadian Press

11:30 a.m. MT

Communion distributed to thousands at commonwealth stadium.

Priests, deacons and volunteers are distributing communion to tens of thousands of people at a public mass led by Pope Francis at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium.

People are lining up at various stations in the stadium to receive communion wafers, which are being placed into their hands.

Organizers have said they hope to complete the process in 10 to 12 minutes.

11:15 a.m. ET

Pope praises indigenous reverence for elders.

Pope Francis spoke of honouring grandparents, the importance of family history and a future where violence and marginalization of Indigenous people is never repeated during an outdoor mass in Edmonton on Tuesday.

The Globe and Mail

The mass took place on the day the Roman Catholic Church marks the feast of the grandparents of Jesus.

The Pope praised the Indigenous tradition of showing great respect for elders and learning from them, saying their memory must not be lost in modern society’s “fog of forgetfulness.”

Francis, who has often spoken about what he learned from his grandmother Rosa in Buenos Aires, used the occasion to repeat his frequent appeals to younger generations to cherish their grandparents and learn from them.

In his homily, Francis called grandparents “a precious treasure that preserves a history greater than themselves.” ”This is our history, to which we are heirs and which we are called to preserve,” he said.”

In the fog of forgetfulness that overshadows our turbulent times, it is essential to cultivate our roots, to pray for and with our forebears, to dedicate time to remember and guard their legacy. This is how a family tree grows; this is how the future is built.”

Francis’ ode to grandparents will continue later today with a prayer service at one of North America’s most popular pilgrimage sites, Lac Ste. Anne, considered to be a place of healing.

10:45 a.m. MT

Pope francis presides over mass.

Pope Francis, who has been using a wheelchair, is presiding over a large public mass in Edmonton from a specially designed chair.

9:50 a.m. MT

Pope arrives for mass, tours commonwealth stadium.

Pope Francis arrives at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on July 26, to take part in a public mass. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Stadium fills with attendees for mass

Thousands of people began filing into the stadium two or three hours before Francis was to arrive at about 10 a.m. local time.

Several people interviewed by The Globe and Mail accepted Francis’s Monday apology, and that they are at the stadium because they respect what he stands for.

“To us, Francis represents hope and change for the Catholic Church,” said Angela Jackson, 45, an artisan from Canmore, Alta. “He represents openness and acceptance of different groups of people, like LGBTQ people, who have been shunned in the past. Our faith should be about universal love and acceptance.”

Brian Lucas, 46, a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation of Port Alberni, B.C., agreed. He and his family drove 14 hours to see the Pope. “I have no reason to hate him or the church, though both my parents were in residential schools and they had awful problems with alcohol and gambling.”

Mr. Lucas said he accepted Francis’s apology and that it was time to move on. “I don’t want to hold onto resentment because I don’t want to pass on resentment to my children and grandchildren. I have learned that it is more important to treat everyone with dignity and respect.”

Pope blesses babies as he circles stadium

Francis blessed babies, including Gianna George, when he circled Commonwealth Stadium in the popemobile. Carrie Tait

Francis blessed babies, including Gianna George, when he circled Commonwealth Stadium in the popemobile. Gianna’s parents, Gerrin and Liza, held her up and security passed the child to the pope.

He kissed her on the forehead and the crowd cheered. ”We feel so excited and thrilled. Our prayers have been answered and heard,” Ms. George said after the blessing. Gianna was born in Janurary.

The family came to Edmonton from Calgary to see the pope. Gianna’s grandparents – Annie George and George Kanjirappala – were also there for the moment.

”This is a big blessing. God just gave us a big blessing,” Gianna’s grandmother said.

– Carrie Tait

9:10 a.m. MT

Diverse crowd gathers for mass.

A program is running as people find their seats, including a performance by Inuit throat singers, and a speech by Indigenous leader Phil Fontaine, former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

It is a diverse crowd at the stadium for the papal visit, with children and seniors and people from a variety of backgrounds, including a large number of Indigenous people.

– Jana Pruden

8:05 a.m. MT

Métis national council statement calls papal apology a ‘step forward’.

The Métis National Council has just released a statement. Yesterday’s apology was “a step forward” on the pathway of truth, justice, healing and reconciliation, says President Cassidy Caron. “In committing to a serious investigation and supports for survivors, Pope Francis has begun to move the Catholic Church from offering mere words to taking real action.”

Ms. Caron says she will continue to push the church to “further reflect upon and apologize for the role of its doctrines in justifying colonizing systems such as residential schools,” and work with First Nations and Inuit leadership to “ensure that all next steps in our collective journey are survivor-driven and contribute to meaningful and lasting change.”

It’s essential, she adds, that we respect that the apology “will mean different things to different people. All of those meanings are valid and deserve our deepest love, respect and support.”

– Tavia Grant

8:00 a.m. MT

People line up for pope’s public mass.

Thousands of people are streaming into Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium for the Pope’s first mass in Canada. Long lines of faithful are snaking outside the stadium, going through security checkpoints on their way inside.

The mass, with an expected crowd of 60,000 people, is the first big open-air event on the Pope’s trip and takes place on the day the Roman Catholic Church marks the feast of the grandparents of Jesus.

It wasn’t clear if Francis would actually celebrate the Mass himself or designate someone else to lead while he presides sitting from the side of the altar, as he has done in recent months because his strained knee ligaments make standing and walking difficult. Either way, Francis was nevertheless expected to deliver the homily.

Francis has long lauded the role of grandmothers in passing the faith onto younger generations, citing his own experience with his grandmother, Rosa, while growing up in Buenos Aires. For several months, Francis has delivered weekly catechism lessons on the need to treasure grandparental wisdom and not discard them as part of today’s “culture of waste.”

The Pope is scheduled to arrive just after 11:00 a.m. EST and will first tour the area in the popemobile.

– Jana Pruden and The Associated Press

3:00 a.m. MT

Second full day of the pope’s visit to canada.

At 10:15 a.m., Pope Francis is scheduled to deliver an open-air mass to 65,000 people at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium.

June 26 is the feast of St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus and a revered figure among Indigenous Catholics. Tickets to the mass are free, but organizers have struggled to stamp out fraudulent resellers. Overflow seating has been set aside at nearby Clarke Stadium.

In the afternoon, he’ll proceed 90 kilometres northwest to Lac Ste. Anne, a holy site that attracts as many as 40,000 pilgrims each year.

The lake is known as Wakamne, or “God’s Lake” to the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation who live nearby and Manito Sahkahiga, or “Spirit Lake” by the Cree. The name “Lac Ste Anne” was given to it by the Rev. Jean-Baptiste Thibault, the first Catholic priest to establish a mission on the site.

Last week, Alberta Health Services issued an alert for toxic blue-green algae in the lake and warned visitors against swimming or wading. It’s unclear how the advisory will affect proceedings.

– Patrick White and The Associated Press

Monday, July 25

Pope calls residential schools a ‘disastrous error’; meets with members of sacred heart church of the first peoples.

Pope Francis greets faithful outside the church after a meeting with indigenous peoples and members of the Parish Community of Sacred Heart in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada July 25, 2022. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE/Reuters

“I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples,” Pope Francis said in a formal apology for the abuses at residential schools on Monday. Thousands of survivors and their families gathered in Maskwacis for the papal visit.

In the afternoon, Pope Francis visited Sacred Heart Church in Edmonton, where he reiterated his apology made hours earlier at Maskwacis. The congregation consisted largely, although not exclusively, of Indigenous peoples. After Pope Francis spoke, children presented him with gifts, such as art from Indigenous artist Jason Carter. Elders presented him with a red, yellow, and orange star blanket.

Pope Francis begs forgiveness for abuses at residential schools: A close look at the papal apology

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Live Updates: Pope Francis arrives in Edmonton Sunday

Pope Francis has arrived in Edmonton to start his six-day visit in Canada

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EDMONTON — Pope Francis arrived in Canada on Sunday to an honour drum song ahead of what he describes as a “penitential” trip aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

Live Updates: Pope Francis arrives in Edmonton Sunday Back to video

The drum group from Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation sang in front of Francis as he sat between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon at an airport hangar in Edmonton.

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The Pope told reporters on the plane before it landed that the six-day visit must be handled with care.

The pontiff is also set to travel to Quebec City and Iqaluit.

“I hope, with God’s grace, that my penitential pilgrimage might contribute to the journey of reconciliation already undertaken. Please accompany me with #prayer,” said a message on the Pope’s Twitter account.

An elevator was used to get the Pope off the plane, and he went for a short ride in a Fiat to the hangar. He then got into a wheelchair and was taken to a red carpet for the official welcome ceremony.

— The Canadian Press

‘Walking toward forgiveness’

By Hamdi Issawi

Pope Francis began the Alberta leg of his “pilgrimage of penitence” Sunday morning after the pontiff’s plane touched tarmac at Edmonton International Airport.

The arrival followed a 10-hour flight that began at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, trip organizers said Saturday, but the Pope wasn’t scheduled to celebrate a public mass or make a formal announcement just yet.

“His first public words spoken in Canada will be the Monday visit to the former residential school site in Maskwacis,” organizers said, referring to the former Ermineskin Residential School site south of Edmonton. According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the school ran from 1895 to 1975.

The pontiff’s trip marks the fourth papal visit to Canada in almost 40 years, and comes after an April apology he delivered before Indigenous delegates in April for the Catholic Church’s role in the harms caused by residential schools.

However, many have been calling for the Pope to deliver an apology on Canadian soil, which is also one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action.

While it’s not yet clear whether or not Francis intends to apologize on this trip, Chief Vernon Saddleback of Samson Cree Nation has said it would be well received.

“For him to come out here to do it in person — I can’t say enough how important that is because that’s where healing begins, when you start to own up to actions,” Saddleback said in a news conference Thursday. “When you own up to actions then you can start the process of walking towards forgiveness.”

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Indeed, “walking together” is the theme of the latest papal visit. Francis himself has called the trip a “pilgrimage of penitence,” as he engages with Indigenous people at several events in the Edmonton area, including a Tuesday stop at Lac Ste. Anne, a pilgrimage site about 60 km northwest of the city.

About 120 passengers travelled with the Pope, including Canadian journalists, Vatican-accredited media and papal staff such as medical and security personnel, organizers said. The Pope also travelled with an entourage of Vatican officials — a sort of “inner ciricle” also known as the “seguito,” organizers said.

Read the full story here

Crowd gathers along Ellerslie Road to greet Pope Francis

A crowd of well-wishers gathered along Ellerslie Road over Gateway Boulevard to watch Pope Francis as his motorcade arrived in Edmonton on Sunday.

“It’s, like, once-in-a-lifetime to meet the Pope,” said Caroline Puyat, a Catholic, who was one of about 40 people gathered along the overpass. “It’s really important that he’s coming over here for healing and reconciliation and hope.”

“He’s one of the most famous people in the world so why wouldn’t you come out and have a look and see what it’s all about,” said Brian Rothwell, who said he’s not a Catholic himself but that the Pope’s trip is an important one.

“I think that it’s needed,” said Rothwell. “I think coming from a top level like that means a lot to the Indigenous people, really.”

A police convoy escorting Pope Francis makes its way north on the QEII to Gateway Blvd. in Edmonton on Sunday, July 24, 2022. #yeg #yegtraffic pic.twitter.com/oGyTWI2drO — Edmonton Journal (@edmontonjournal) July 24, 2022

Kenney welcomes Pope in message

It is a great honour to welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to Alberta on his pilgrimage of prayer, penitence, healing and reconciliation. ➡ https://t.co/i2zBRZz8aw pic.twitter.com/m1qfjxc6lL — Jason Kenney 🇺🇦 (@jkenney) July 24, 2022

The Alberta government issued a statement welcoming Pope Francis to the province timed to coincide with the scheduled landing of the pontiff’s flight at Edmonton International Airport, about 11:20 a.m. Sunday.

“It is a great honour to welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to Alberta on his pilgrimage of prayer, penitence, healing and reconciliation,” Premier Jason Kenney said in the release. “While his presence among us is of historic significance to Alberta Catholics, the papal visit is a blessing for all Albertans, beginning with Indigenous Peoples.

“Edmonton, our capital, is proud to host a third papal visit and the first visit of Pope Francis to Canada.”

Kenney said Pope John Paul II’s visit to Fort Simpson, in the southwest of the Northwest Territories, in 1987 could be viewed as an “initial step toward reconciliation before we even knew the full need for it.

“The painful legacy of residential schools, which is the focus of this papal visit to Alberta, requires both expressions of remorse and concrete actions,” Kenney continued. “The visit of Pope Francis is both, and the Province of Alberta is proud to host it.

“May it be an occasion of both truth and reconciliation, to which the government and people of Alberta are committed.”

Pope Francis arrives at EIA

By The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — Pope Francis has arrived in Edmonton to start his six-day visit in Canada.

The tour is aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

The Pope has said he hopes the “penitential” trip will contribute to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

The 85-year-old, who is to use a wheelchair throughout the tour, is also scheduled to travel to Quebec City and Iqaluit.

Francis is to be greeted at the Edmonton airport by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, as well as other church, Indigenous and political dignitaries.

Pope Francis’s plane is pulling up to the hangar now pic.twitter.com/xanXNOoQnt — Hamdi Issawi (@hamdiissawi) July 24, 2022

The Pope’s plane is scheduled to touch down at Edmonton International Airport at 11:20 a.m. Sunday, marking the start of what’s expected to be a solemn six-day visit to Canada.

Much of that time will be spent in the Edmonton area with events planned for Maskwacis, Lac Ste. Anne and in the city itself between Sunday and Wednesday morning.

Dear brothers and sisters of #Canada , I come among you to meet the indigenous peoples. I hope, with God's grace, that my penitential pilgrimage might contribute to the journey of reconciliation already undertaken. Please accompany me with #prayer . — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 24, 2022

On Tuesday, he will host an open-air mass at Commonwealth Stadium before travelling to Lac Ste. Anne in the late afternoon.

All tickets have been registered for the Pope’s mass at Commonwealth Stadium, organizers say, but add that it’s not too late for Indigenous survivors of residential schools to register to attend other events.

“If there are folks … for whom coming to Maskwacis or Lac Ste. Anne is an important part of their healing journey, we will take you,” said visit organizer Steven Kwasny.

Below is a rundown of the Pope’s itinerary while in Alberta.

Sunday — July 24

Pope Francis’ A330 will depart Rome at 9 a.m. local time and is scheduled to land at Edmonton International Airport at 11:20 a.m.

He’ll be officially greeted by a party including residential school survivors as well as Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Jason Kenney and Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.

The Pope’s motorcade will travel north, prompting rolling road closures on the QEII to St. Joseph Seminary where the Pope will stay during his visit.

Monday — July 25

In the morning, the Pope will travel south to Maskwacis, arriving at 9:45 a.m., where he’ll visit the former Ermineskin Residential School. He’s scheduled to spend about two hours in the community before travelling back to Edmonton.

There will again be rolling closures of parts of the QEII as well as on Highway 2A and along Highway 611 throughout the day.

At 4:45 p.m., Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive at the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Downtown Edmonton for an hour-long visit. Various nearby roads will be closed off.

Tuesday — July 26

Doors at Commonwealth Stadium will open at 7:30 a.m. ahead of the Pope’s 9:30 a.m. open-air mass. Organizers say attendees must be in their seats no later than 8:15 a.m. when the program begins.

That afternoon, the Pope will travel to Lac Ste. Anne, arriving at the pilgrimage site just before 5 p.m. He is scheduled to remain there for about an hour before returning to Edmonton.

Highways 16 and 633 are among those affected by rolling closures throughout the afternoon.

Wednesday — July 27

Pope Francis will make an early-morning trip to the airport ahead of a scheduled 9 a.m. departure.

Once again, parts of the QEII will be restricted as the motorcade travels to the airport.

— With files from Reuters

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Where is Pope Francis going, and who is he meeting, during his 6-day visit to Canada?

Pope Francis is set to arrive in Canada on Sunday for a six-day tour, marking the first papal visit to the country in 20 years.

The pope is scheduled to travel to Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit, where he will meet with Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors. He is expected to deliver an apology for the Catholic Church's role in the residential school system.

Here is a full itinerary of the Pope's visit:

SUNDAY JULY 24

Pope Francis is scheduled to land at Edmonton International Airport and attend a welcome ceremony. There will be no events for the rest of the day in order to allow the 85-year-old pontiff to rest.

MONDAY JULY 25

The Pope is set to meet with residential school survivors from across Canada in the morning at Maskwacis, Alta. , home to the former Ermineskin Residential School. This is the only residential school visit on the Pope's itinerary.

CTV News Channel and CTVNews.ca will be airing a two-hour special on the Pope's visit to Maskwacis from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT.

Later in the afternoon, the pontiff will return to Edmonton and meet parishioners and Indigenous community members at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples . This church had been known as a space that routinely blends Catholic and Indigenous traditions, and was recently reopened after an accidental fire in 2020.

A live special will air on CTVNews.ca covering the Pope's visit to Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EDT

TUESDAY JULY 26

Pope Francis will hold an open-air mass at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium with up to 65,000 attendees to mark the Feast of St. Anne, which celebrates the mother of the Virgin Mary, a widely revered figure among Indigenous Catholics. CTVNews.ca will be airing a live special covering the mass from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT.

After the mass, he will travel to the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage National Historic Site northwest of Edmonton and welcome Indigenous pilgrims from throughout Canada and the United States.

The events at Lac Ste. Anne will also be livestreamed online on CTVNews.ca from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY JULY 27

The Pope will depart for Quebec City, where he will meet Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as Indigenous leaders and other dignitaries at the Citadelle of Quebec

While the meetings at the Citadelle will be private, the public is invited to attend the programs of Indigenous cultural expression at the Plains of Abraham. No tickets will be required for events at the Plains.

Following his meetings at the Citadelle, the Pope will ride through the Plains of Abraham in his Popemobile and greet the public.

The events at the Citadelle and the Plains will be aired in a live special on CTVNews.ca from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. EDT.

THURSDAY JULY 28

Pope Francis will hold a morning mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré . The mass will also be broadcast on video screens at the Plains of Abraham. It will also air in a live special on CTVNews.ca from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT.

In the early evening, the Pope will hold a prayer with clergy at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec.

FRIDAY JULY 29

The day will begin with private meetings at the residence of the Archbishop of Quebec. The Pope will meet with members of the Society of Jesus, a religious order with the Catholic Church more commonly known as the Jesuits.

He will also be meeting with a delegation representing Indigenous people from eastern Canada before flying to Iqaluit.

The Pope will start his tour of Iqaluit with another private meeting with residential school survivors before attending a free public community event hosted by Inuit leaders outside a local elementary school.

Pope Francis is set to fly back to Rome later that evening.

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Pope Francis set to embark for Canada, on a one-of-a-kind papal visit

When pope touches down in edmonton, the first hands he shakes will be those of indigenous people.

Women from Canada's First Nations are seen in St. Peter's Square after an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican in April 1. (CNS/Reuters/Yara Nardi)

by Christopher White

Vatican Correspondent

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Follow on Twitter at @cwwhiteNCR

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In 2010, the headline "Why Being Pope Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry," splashed across the cover of Time magazine, exploring the general reluctance of popes to own up to the Catholic Church's past wrongs.

But on July 24, Pope Francis will travel some 5,000 miles from Rome to Canada to do just that.

As Francis prepares to embark on his 37th international trip as pope, a very different kind of visit is being planned for this high-stakes journey, where he is expected to apologize to the country's Indigenous peoples for abuses at Catholic-run residential schools.

When he touches down in Edmonton, Alberta, Francis will find a dramatically altered scene than that of past airport arrivals. Gone will be the jubilant sights and sounds of marching bands and cheering crowds.

When he arrives on the ground — almost certainly via hydraulic lift, given that his limited physical mobility has added another layer of complication to this difficult trip — the first hands he will shake will be that of Indigenous elders and survivors of residential schools. Indigenous drummers will provide background percussion and there will be no customary meetings with the head of state or speeches to civic authorities on his first day in the country.

'For this visit, it's very difficult, because he's coming to bring a message of hope to a people whose hope was taken away by the church.' —Deacon Pedro Guevara Mann —Deacon Pedro Guevara Mann" target="_blank">Tweet this

Instead, the pope will have a brief private meeting with Indigenous representatives at the airport. His opening public remarks will take place the next morning on Monday, July 25.

"The first time we will hear him speak will be at a former residential school site with survivors and former students," said Deacon Pedro Guevara Mann, program director of the visit. "That's why he's coming."

Francis' July 24-30 journey — which will take him across the country through the prairielands of Alberta, the French-speaking Quebec City, and Iqaluit, in the Arctic Canadian territory of Nunavut — is likely to be among the most painstaking of his travels since his election a decade ago, both emotionally and physically.

Since February, Francis has had to continually reduce or cancel public events , including an anticipated visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan earlier this month, due to a knee fracture that has caused him to regularly use a wheelchair.

And since 2015, the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission has called on the pope to visit the country to formally issue an apology "for the Roman Catholic Church's role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools."

Said Mann: "It's going to be very complicated, but we are confident he can navigate it."

Legacy of abuse, colonialism

Francis' visit to the country will mark the fourth time a pope has visited Canada, with both the 1987 trip by Pope John Paul II and this 2022 journey by Francis meant to spotlight Indigenous peoples.

Yet in 1987, neither colonialism nor sex abuse scandals were "in the public conscience in the way they are now," said Indre Cuplinskas, a historian of Canada's Catholic Church at St. Joseph's College at the University of Alberta.

"John Paul II's trips focused on evangelizing and galvanizing the faithful," she told NCR, adding that the tone was even "mildly triumphalist" with a priority on teaching and gathering Catholics together.

"The tenor of this trip is very different," she continued. "The pope is responding to an invitation and even a push, a demand."

A child's red dress hangs on a cross near the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, June 6, 2021. (CNS/Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)

From the 19th century until the 1970s, Catholic organizations operated up to 60% of the country's residential schools, institutions that were designed to forcibly assimilate Indigenous peoples into the country.

Children attending these institutions were stripped of their Native languages and culture and forced to convert to Christianity. Widespread abuse has been documented, with up to 6,000 deaths reported.

Earlier this year, from March 28 to April 1, Francis held separate meetings with delegations from First Nations, Métis National Council and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami at the Vatican.

"Through your voices I have been able to touch with my own hands and carry within me, with great sadness in my heart, the stories of suffering, deprivation, discriminatory treatment and various forms of abuse suffered by several of you," Francis told them at the conclusion of the meetings. He also apologized for the "deplorable conduct" of Catholic Church leaders.

With those words, he fulfilled a request for a papal apology after years of appeals from Canada's Indigenous community and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the Catholic Church to seek forgiveness for its role in the residential schools.

A handmade tabernacle built by Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Fr. Mark Blom for Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, Alberta, where Pope Francis will visit on Jul 25 during his visit to Canada (Courtesy of Mark Blom)

The next step of healing, the pope acknowledged, was an in-person apology on Canadian soil, setting the stage for a one-of-a-kind papal visit with the primary purpose being centered on forgiveness and reconciliation.

It won't be easy.

"This particular pope wants to go meet people on the margins," said Mann, who recalled Francis has traveled to places such as Lampedusa, Italy , to pay tribute to the plight of migrants and refugees; Myanmar and Bangladesh to raise awareness of the suffering of Rohingya Muslims; and more recently to Iraq , a country devastated by a nearly two decades of war and terrorism.

"That's where he feels he can bring the message of hope," Mann continued, "the hope that Christ gives through the church for people who have lost hope. For this visit, it's very difficult, because he's coming to bring a message of hope to a people whose hope was taken away by the church."

"The reason these people have lost hope is because the church was part of that system, so it's very, very tricky," he added. "He can't just say the church is going to solve all of your problems because for many of these people, the church caused their problems."

Indigenous cultures, inculturation

Francis has characterized his upcoming trip as a "penitential pilgrimage," and few organizers have felt the challenge of getting the tone right than Fr. Cristino Bouvette, the 36-year-old Canadian priest of both Indigenous and Italian backgrounds serving as the national liturgical director for the visit.

All of the liturgies — which will include two Masses, a Liturgy of the Word and a vespers service — and the public gatherings, where Francis will give a total of eight speeches, will seek to represent expressions of Indigenous cultures.

Fr. Cristino Bouvette (CNS/Courtesy of Cristino Bouvette)

"There's a lot riding on the way that you do it," said Bouvette, who added that the encounters are being designed "to validate and affirm the goodness" of Indigenous cultures and that the liturgy will showcase "ways where the complementarity that can and does exist can be made more manifest."

Such inculturation, he told NCR, would be specifically present in the music, movements and the vestments worn during the liturgies.

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Fr. Mark Blom, associate pastor of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, where Francis will visit and meet with some 150 Indigenous parish members on July 25, told NCR Francis will discover a new tabernacle and altar meant to do just that.

Due to a 2020 fire, the church was forced to be completely gutted. On Sunday, July 17, the newly renovated church was dedicated and just over a week later, on Monday, July 25, it will welcome the pope.

Blom has built the new tabernacle by hand, repurposing the old maple hand railings of the church into that of a teepee. A new altar has also been built with the carving in the shape of a root ball (or tree base), meant to reflect the words Indigenous delegates told the pope at the Vatican in April, that they felt as if they were trees "buffeted by powerful winds."

The pope repeated those words back to them at their final meeting, praising their strong roots and the fruit that they have produced. Now, they will have a physical representation as a permanent reminder in the church.

A newly built altar for the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, Alberta, where Pope Francis will visit on Jul 25 during his visit to Canada (Courtesy of Mark Blom)

Blom said considering the themes of the trip — truth, justice, healing, reconciliation and hope — that going forward he hopes the newly outfitted parish will become "a venue for bringing different kinds of groups together to hear the experience of Indigenous people" and through hosting listening circles, provide "encounters for people's chemistry to be forever changed."

Showcasing frailty, forgiveness

Since the Vatican first announced the trip in May, there has been no shortage of requests for the pope to visit various residential school sites and Indigenous communities throughout the country — and disappointment by some that the 85-year-old pope has had to limit his visit to only three regions.

Yet according to Bouvette, despite high hopes that Francis would visit a range of other locations, when he reminds others of Francis' age and condition, it is "immediately disarming," given the Indigenous' renowned respect for the elderly.

"There is immediate recognition and appreciation of his stature, not just as a pope but as an elderly person," he said, noting that the Indigenous community has been eager "to revere that and accommodate that."

Elder Fred Kelly, a spiritual adviser to the First Nations' delegation that met with Pope Francis, prays for the pope during a meeting with Indigenous elders, knowledge keepers, abuse survivors and youth from Canada, along with representatives of Canada's Catholic bishops in the Vatican's Clementine Hall April 1. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Those accommodations will include one of Francis' most scaled-back schedules of any of his travels, with the pope only participating most days in one event in the morning and one in the afternoon and only for an hour at a time.

Mann, who also served as program director for John Paul II's 2002 visit to the country for World Youth Day, said the pope's physical condition is a "concern, but not a huge concern."

With John Paul II, he recalled, "it was very clear that he was frail, but his voice was strong and his message was clear."

"There's no way Francis is more delicate than John Paul II was 20 years ago," Mann added.

Cuplinskas said that while both men "are visiting the country with frail bodies," they are using their frailty to convey slightly different messages," with John Paul using his witness to show that old age is "a phase we all go through in life."

"For Francis, the symbolism is different," she said. "He's going to come despite his frailty," noting that it will help underscore the apology that he is traveling to Canada to make.

"Here, it will add to the importance of the event."

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Indigenous church rededicated in preparation for papal visit to Edmonton

Sacred heart church of the first peoples was rededicated this weekend following a fire nearly 2 years ago.

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A historic Catholic church in Edmonton is ready for a visit from Pope Francis following a devastating fire two years ago.

With just a week before the Pope is scheduled to arrive, Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples reopened its doors for the first time in two years. 

The church celebrated the rededication on Sunday and held its first mass since August 2020 to the delight of parishioners and clergy alike.

• Fire at historic Edmonton church ignited by smouldering sage in coffee can

Father Cristino Bouvette, national liturgical co-ordinator for the papal visit, said he was amazed at how quickly the work was done. 

"The first day I saw it, compared to what it looks like now that it's been dedicated, is nothing short of a miracle," said Bouvette, who has Cree and Métis ancestry.

The church features Indigenous cultural pieces including medicine wheels, teepees and smudging pots. The Stations of the Cross, in which followers imitate the path of Jesus on his way to his crucifixion, are all done with Indigenous designs, according to Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith. 

"Oh, it's essential [to include Indigenous culture]," Smith said. "A lot of thought went into this by the elders of this community. This is what we want to have in our church."

That inclusiveness was significant for many, including Candida Shepherd, a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and the representative of the parish council at Sacred Heart.

She noted that in the past Indigenous spirituality was devalued by the Catholic Church, so including elements of Indigenous culture at Sacred Heart Church helped with healing. 

Even with all the new fixtures and features in mind, Smith said repairing the church was about more than the building. 

"What is particularly unique here is that the rededication is taking place in the context of this country's desire to rededicate themselves on the journey of healing and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples."

Shepherd agrees. The restored church allows parishioners to claim their identity and move forward to "indigenize" the rest of the city, she said.

In 1991, Joseph MacNeil, then archbishop of Edmonton, designated the church a national parish for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people — the first of its kind in Canada.

Elder Fernie Marty, a member of Papaschase First Nation, has attended Sacred Heart for "20 years at least."  The restoration of the church is a blessing, he said, especially in time for a visit from the Pope. 

In April, the Pope apologized for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools while he was in the Vatican, but Marty said he hopes to hear another apology during the upcoming visit.

"I believe it's very, very important that he comes here to Canada to make that apology. This is where the atrocities happened, here in this country," Marty said. 

• This Indigenous priest will lead Pope Francis on his visit to Canada this month
• Indigenous congregation in Edmonton's inner city welcomes visit from Pope Francis

Pope Francis will arrive in Edmonton on July 24 and take part in a brief ceremony at Edmonton International Airport.

On July 25, he will meet with survivors at the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwacis and then to Sacred Heart Church. 

On July 26, the Pope will celebrate mass at the city's 56,000-seat Commonwealth Stadium.

He will leave Edmonton and fly to Quebec City on July 27 and wrap up his visit to Canada two days later in Iqaluit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Schwientek is a reporter with CBC Indigenous based in amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton). She is a member of the Cayuga nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River, and previously worked at CBC Nova Scotia.

With files from Gabriela Panza-Beltrandi

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• Calls for Indigenous language services have been made for decades, reports show

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Here's what the upcoming Papal Visit is expected to cost

The upcoming Papal visit will cost millions of dollars. Here’s a look at how those costs break down.

Government of Alberta

The province is expected to spend up to $20 million. As part of the visit, numerous road and site infrastructure improvement projects are underway.

In Lac Ste. Anne:

Road improvement and paving projects

• RR 35 between Highway 633 and Saint Anne Trail (SAT) – subgrade repair and overlay
• RR 40 between Highway 633 and SAT – subgrade repair and overlay
• RR40 between SAT and 150m north – widen gravel road
• SAT between RR35 and RR40 – subgrade repair and overlay
• RR33 – selective subgrade repair
• Various intersection improvements and highway patching on routes surrounding Edmonton and Lac Ste. Anne
• County road maintenance (grading, calcium, brushing, culvert maintenance)
• Building a 4 km pedestrian trail

Site infrastructure improvements

• Building a concrete trail to the lake, concrete pad by the lake, gravel and a concrete pad inside the shrine, parking lot and lane paving
• Upgrades of stations at the cross, gazebo at the lake, confessional and shrine
• Gravel roads and lots
• Site upgrades for water, electrical and sewage tank
• Langford Park – gravel bus stop pads
• Villeneuve Airport – access construction and gate installation

In Maskwacis:

• Old Schoolhouse Road from Highway 611 to near the Ermineskin Elementary School
• Roads within Maskwa Park
• Agriplex Road from Old Schoolhouse Road to the Panee Road
• Cemetery Road from Old Schoolhouse Road to the Cemetery
• Parking lot of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Catholic Church

City of Edmonton

Edmonton is contributing $1 million in-kind towards the visit, including the use of Commonwealth Stadium. This does not include the cost of policing and security.

Federal Government

The federal government will spend $35 million or more on the visit.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton

The archdiocese says it will be fundraising $15 to $18 million for the visit.

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Stay Connected

Tickets / Access

Ticketing and access to papal events.

You will find below a list of information regrouped by event.

Meeting with Indigenous Peoples at Maskwacis

Monday, July 25, 2022 at 10:00 a.m Former Ermineskin Residential School, Maskwacis, Alberta

T his is a ticketed event (free) intended for Indigenous Peoples, residential school or day school survivors, their families and those accompanying them for support. Information regarding priority seating allocations for survivors, Elders and knowledge keepers has been provided to National Indigenous Organizations (NIO’s), Catholic dioceses traveling with survivors and other Indigenous partners. Lists of delegates have already been completed or are being prepared. Please connect with your respective NIO, diocese or Indigenous partner. If you are a residential or day school survivor and do not have contact with an Indigenous partner, please e-mail maskwacis@papalvisit.ca  

Please note there will be no parking for cars outside the venue. Information regarding park and ride shuttles as well as bus drop off/pick-up will be provided in the days ahead.

Meeting with Indigenous Peoples and Members of the Parish Community of Sacred Heart

Monday, July 25, 2022 at 4:45 p.m. Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, Edmonton, Alberta

T his is an invitation-only event. Priority has been given to members of the Sacred Heart Urban Indigenous community.

Holy Mass at Commonwealth Stadium

Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 10:15am Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta

Please read below prior to ordering tickets. 

Note the first block of tickets will be made available July 6, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. (Mountain Time). A second block of tickets will be offered on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. (Mountain Time) and a final block of tickets will be released on Monday, July 18, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. (Mountain Time). 

Thank you for your interest in joining us for Holy Mass at Commonwealth Stadium with Pope Francis on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 (10:15 a.m. local).

All tickets are free. You will have an opportunity to make a contribution to support the Papal Visit if you wish to do so.

Individuals may order up to 6 tickets for Mass. To facilitate participation from as many people as possible, please only order the number of tickets you know will be used. 

Information regarding priority seating allocations for residential school survivors, Elders and knowledge keepers has been provided to National Indigenous Organizations (NIO’s), Catholic dioceses traveling with survivors and other Indigenous partners. Lists of delegates have already been completed or are being prepared. Please connect with your respective NIO, diocese or Indigenous partner. If you are a residential school or day school survivor and do not have contact with an Indigenous organization, e-mail commonwealth@papalvisit.ca or commonwealth@visitepapale.ca .

For groups of more than 30 tickets, we ask that you make your ticket request directly by e-mail to: commonwealthgroups@papalvisit.ca (english) or commonwealthgroups@visitepapale.ca (french). The groups team will require your name, e-mail address and number of tickets requested. They will respond to you directly. 

To order tickets, please follow the Ticketmaster link here .

Will I need to present my ticket at entry?

Yes. Please bring your ticket on a mobile device so that it may be verified upon arrival.

If I’m a volunteer do I need to get a ticket?

Volunteers do not need to order a ticket but will receive information from the volunteer team on accessing sites and other relevant directions.

What can I bring inside Commonwealth Stadium? Will concessions be open?

Concessions will NOT be open at Commonwealth Stadium. Participants may bring clear bags that are 12”x 12”x 6″ and non clear bags under 4.5” x 6.5″with snacks and juice/water (no glass containers). Please refer to the Commonwealth Stadium guidelines for what is permitted and not permitted. You can access the information here . 

How soon should I arrive?

Mass will start promptly at 10:15 a.m. Please allow extra time as there will be screening of all guests upon arrival. You are encouraged to arrive by 8:30 a.m. 

What if I am a journalist wanting to cover the event?

Accredited journalists will be permitted inside the stadium to cover the event at identified positions. Transportation for journalists accredited for the Mass will be provided from the media centre to the facility. Journalists without accreditation will not be permitted entry to the facility. Media accreditation information for the Papal Visit to Canada can be found here . 

Participation in the Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage

Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta

Please note that seating inside the Shrine area of Lac Ste. Anne has been reserved largely for survivors and Indigenous partners. Priority seating allocations for survivors, Elders and knowledge keepers has been provided to National Indigenous Organizations (NIO’s), Catholic dioceses traveling with survivors and other Indigenous partners. Lists of delegates have already been completed or are being prepared. Please connect with your respective NIO, diocese or Indigenous partner. If you are a survivor and do not have contact with an Indigenous organization, e-mail LSA@papalvisit.ca or LSA@visitepapale.ca . 

For groups that traditionally travel to Lac Ste. Anne on pilgrimage, more information will be shared with you shortly. 

Please note there will be no parking for cars onsite. Information regarding park and ride shuttles as well as bus drop off/pick-up will be provided in the days ahead.

Events in Quebec at La Citadelle

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 3:40 p.m. Citadelle de Québec / Plains of Abraham, Quebec

Events are invitation only. The public is welcome to attend a viewing area on the Plains of Abraham where the Holy Father’s arrival (approximately 3:00 p.m.) and his speech from La Citadelle (approximately 4:45 p.m.) will be shown on large screens. A program of Indigenous cultural expression will also take place on the Plains from approximately 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on July 27.

This site is open, everyone is welcome, no ticket required. We invite those planning on watching from the Plains of Abraham to let organizers know of your intention to attend by registering at: www.papalvisit.ca or www.visitepapale.ca . (This will allow them to receive information updates via email. Note that registration will open as of Monday, July 11, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. EST.)

Holy Mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré

Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 10:00 a.m National Shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupré, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec

This is a public event with limited capacity inside the Shrine reserved for Indigenous participants and other special guests. Information regarding priority seating allocations for survivors, Elders and knowledge keepers has been provided to National Indigenous Organizations (NIO’s), Catholic dioceses traveling with survivors and other Indigenous partners. Lists of delegates have already been completed or are being prepared. Please connect with your respective NIO, diocese or Indigenous partner. If you are a residential or day school survivor and do not have contact with an Indigenous organization, please e-mail SADB@papalvisit.ca or SADB@visitepapale.ca . 

A limited number of general admission spaces (outside) will be publicly released on Monday, July 11, 2022 via Ticketmaster at 12:30 p .m. EST. A link will be made available from www.papalvisit.ca and www.visitepapale.ca .  

Please note there will be no parking onsite for cars. Information regarding park and ride locations and bus drop off/pick up will be shared in the days ahead.

For those who will be in Québec but won’t go to Ste. Anne de Beaupré, the Mass will be shown on large video screens on the Plains of Abraham. This site is open, everyone is welcome, no ticket required. We invite those planning on watching from the Plains of Abraham to let organizers know of your intention to attend by registering at: www.papalvisit.ca or www.visitepapale.ca . (This will allow them to receive information updates via email. Note that registration will open as of Monday, July 11, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. EST.)

Vespers with Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Consecrated Persons, Seminarians and Pastoral Workers

Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 5:15 p.m. Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec

This event is by invitation only. Communication on participation has been shared with dioceses throughout Canada.

Public Event in Iqaluit

Friday, July 29, 2022 at 05:00 p.m. Iqaluit, Nunavut

 The public event in Iqaluit planned by Inuit is not ticketed. It will be held in the square outside Nakasuk Elementary School. All are welcome to attend. 

The Papal Visit to Canada secretariat has been created by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the national assembly of the Bishops of Canada. It was founded in 1943 and officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. The Papal Visit team is working closely with numerous partners including the Vatican, Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers and survivors of residential schools along with government officials at the federal, provincial and municipal levels as we prepare for this historic visit.

Archival Footage

Papal visit keepsakes.

Papal Visit in Canada c/o Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops 2500 Don Reid Drive, Ottawa (ON) K1H 2J2 Canada

Kentucky lands former Wake Forest forward Andrew Carr, sixth new player added in 16 days

It’s looking more every day like Kentucky will  actually  field a full roster under new coach Mark Pope — and it’s shaping up to be a pretty good one. A very old one, too. Pope has been on the job for just 16 days and inherited a roster of zero scholarship players. Now he has six.

Andrew Carr, a 6-foot-11 forward from Wake Forest, became the latest addition and fourth transfer to pick Pope and the Wildcats. He gives Pope’s high-octane, 3-point-heavy offense a legitimate stretch-4. Carr averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists  and  1.5 blocks last season for the Demon Deacons — and he made 37 percent of his 3s on almost 100 attempts.

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Also notable: Carr has played 117 college games and made 112 starts. He’s part of a dramatic makeover in the makeup of Kentucky’s roster, which was perpetually young under Pope’s predecessor, John Calipari. This new group already has Carr, former San Diego State guard Lamont Butler (131 games, 102 starts), former Drexel center Amari Williams (105 games, 79 starts)  and  former Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh (60 games, 37 starts).

Even one of the Cats’ two incoming freshmen, former top-40 recruit Collin Chandler, is 20 years old after serving a two-year Mormon mission. And Kentucky is only going to keep getting older as it continues building out the roster through the transfer portal.

Pope hosted former Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney (69 games, 60 starts) for a visit over the weekend. He’ll host former Utah State forward Great Osobor (104 games, 38 starts) and former Minnesota guard Elijah Hawkins (92 games, 88 starts) for visits this week. Pope’s best player at BYU, 6-foot-7 wing Jaxson Robinson (96 games, 44 starts), also just entered the transfer portal and the Wildcats will be a major player for his services.

As for the latest addition, Carr might be the most skilled player on the roster so far. He had 31 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia in the NIT this season, dropped 28 points on eventual Final Four team NC State  and  had 26 points, six boards, three blocks, two steals and two assists in a win over Florida. He also had a 12-and-12 double-double against Virginia, an 18-point game against Duke  and 17 points, five rebounds and  three assists against Clemson.

Not only is he a strong addition, but Carr represents another big recruiting win for Pope. Carr came to Lexington straight from a visit to Texas Tech. Then he took a visit to Villanova right after the trip to Kentucky. And by Sunday night, he announced his commitment to the Cats. This on the heels of Pope’s whirlwind to end last week: he hosted Oweh on Thursday, locked up a commitment  and  flew across the country to Las Vegas on Friday to close the deal on Butler. He was back in Lexington that same night to welcome Mahaney and Carr.

That’s how you go from zero to six players in 16 days.

Required reading

• Kentucky, Mark Pope  land  former Drexel center Amari Williams

(Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)

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Kyle Tucker is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Kentucky college basketball and the Tennessee Titans. Before joining The Athletic, he covered Kentucky for seven years at The (Louisville) Courier-Journal and SEC Country. Previously, he covered Virginia Tech football for seven years at The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot. Follow Kyle on Twitter @ KyleTucker_ATH