A man places flowers on a memorial in front of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia May 29, 2021. Photo: CNS Two Catholic churches in the same region of British Columbia burned down in suspicious circumstances early Monday morning.
“On behalf of the diocese of Nelson, I am very saddened by the recent fires that destroyed two Catholic churches – Sacred Heart Mission at Penticton Indian Band and St Gregory Mission at Osoyoos Indian Band – and for the hurt that it has caused,” Bishop Gregory Bittman of Nelson said June 23.
“For many years, our priests have been welcomed to minister in these mission churches and it is our hope that this ministry will continue,” he said.
The churches, located in the southern Okanagan region of British Columbia, served some indigenous First Nations families, but there are concerns the fires could have been targeted attacks.
Investigators are considering whether arson caused the attacks. Possible motives could include someone angry at the Catholic Church after the discovery of the undocumented graves of 215 indigenous children at the grounds of a former Catholic-run residential school.