A residential school survivor appeared at the court of King’s bench in Calgary Monday April 22 for an on-going defamation lawsuit against Rev. Marcin Mironiuk, the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, and Oblate Fathers of Assumption Province.
What started the lawsuit was remarks made by Rev. Mironiuk during a sermon in 2021 were he claimed that mass unmarked graves found on grounds of residential schools which shocked the world called them nothing more than “lies” and “manipulation”.
The Lawsuit was filed by Elder Sphenia Jones of Haida Gwaii who attended the Edmonton Residential School in response to the comments made to break the cycle of trauma and protect future generations.
Before Elder Jones appeared before the court, members of Calgary’s Indigenous Community gathered to support Jones with ceremony and drumming on the steps of the courthouse downtown Calgary.
Jones shared with media who gathered shared that she hopes the lawsuit will encourage other survivors like herself to speak up about what they have gone through.
In response to the lawsuit the Catholic Church appealed to the Court of King’s Bench to have the claim dismissed however the court ruled that the lawsuit meets the grounds of defamation and will continue with the lawsuit.
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