18 September 2025

My dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus,

I extend greetings to the faithful of the archdiocese, grateful for all that you do to build up and strengthen the Kingdom of God in your home, parish and community.  Be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones.

In this Holy Year of Jubilee, we are called to reflect on our journey as Pilgrims of Hope. We are invited to discern how we may reconcile with those who may have caused us pain and we strive to build anew relationships that have been fractured in the past. The late Pope Francis, despite his advanced age and physical frailty, traveled to Canada on a penitential pilgrimage in 2022 to invite us to walk together with Indigenous Peoples of This Land and reflect on the pain and suffering experienced by many. As Pilgrims of Hope this year, I invite you to join me in praying for those who are still healing from emotional, physical and spiritual wounds. In a particular way, we lift our prayers to the Lord on 30 September, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

I would also invite you to prayerfully consider supporting the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) through a collection held in parishes on the weekend of 4/5 October. The fund was established by the Bishops of Canada in 2022 as part of our reconciliation efforts and is overseen by a National Board of Directors which includes Indigenous leaders and other members with relevant skills and expertise. As of September 2025, the national fund has raised more than $21 million, tracking favourably to reach the five-year $30 million commitment made in 2022.

In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we have allocated $3.1 million to support projects through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund. Our archdiocesan committee reviews project requests/proposals to ensure they meet the IRF criteria, sending both funds and proposals to the national body for timely approval and disbursement. You can learn more about these projects by visiting: www.archtoronto.org/healingandreconciliation.

As pilgrims on the journey, we remain mindful of the profound words offered by the late Pope Francis during his visit to Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, a place of prayer and pilgrimage: “May the Lord help us to move forward in the healing process, towards an ever more healthy and renewed future.”

I thank you for sharing your gifts and talents in abundance in service to the Lord. May this Year of Jubilee be a time of prayer, reflection and hope for you and your loved ones, as we give thanks for the abundance of blessings entrusted to each one of us by the Lord.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Protectress of Canada, pray for us.

Sincerely yours in Jesus with Mary,

Frank Cardinal Leo
Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto