Announcements – 17 June, 2026
Worship … at 9:30am. We hope that you will participate in person. If you are unwell, please join the live streamed service. Pastor James will be leading worship this week.
To access the live streamed service, please go to the Knox’s YouTube channel or click here.
The printed service will be available before Sunday morning.
Sunday Coffee Hour … at 10:30am. Everyone from Knox and Hollydene are welcome to attend a shared social hour in the lounge.
Joys & Concerns…may we experience the healing presence of Christ as we uphold one another in prayer – sharing joys and concerns draws us together as a community of faith. Please pray for …
Please let your elder or a member of session know if there are changes to your prayer requests!
Celebrations
June 17 Jim & Carolyn Johnson
June 23 Lillian Lin
June 25 Gary Hall
June 27 Anne Krauss
June 27 John & April Watt
June 29 Keith Elliot
Lost and Found … please check the lost and found bin in the narthex. It will be emptied at the end of the month.
Potato Blitz … This June we are once again collecting as many pounds of potatoes as we can for ‘Our Place’! Donations can be dropped off at Knox on Sundays after service or Wednesdays during office hours. To make an offering instead, please mark your offering envelope with ‘Potato Blitz’, or send an offering via e-transfer to [email protected]. Please contact Kittie Ure or Lilian Sutherland for more information.
New Art Display …In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, the art display in the hallway pays tribute to the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada.
Knox Book Club … New attendees are always welcome! Here is a list of books and dates for 2026. The next meeting is Saturday July 11 at 1:00pm at Esquimalt Gorge Park and Pavillion, 1070 Tillicum Road. Please bring chairs or blanket to sit on. Please read “Wholehearted Faith” by Rachel Held Evans.
VIP (Victoria Island Presbytery) Summer Camp 2026 … A program of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. This year’s locations and dates are as follows: Rathtrevor Provincial Park July 25 – 30, Rathtrevor Provincial Park July 30 – August 3. For more information go to our website or contact the registrar at [email protected].
Collective 2026 (Aug 12 – 15, 2026 at Brock University) … Collective 2026, an event for youth,young adults, and their leaders. Register here
The Best Coast Big Band … Trinity Presbyterian’s very own Bob Wicks is part of The Best Coast Big Band – check out their performance at The Coda (formerly Herman’s Jazz Club) on June 23 at 6pm. Listen to classic big band tunes, pop songs and everything in between. Get tickets HERE.
Sunday, June 21, 2026 – Mission Moment
No one chooses to be a refugee; however, today there are over 42 million refugees and many more who are internally displaced—forced to leave their homes due to conflicts or ethnic persecution. PWS&D’s refugee ministry responds to Christ’s call to serve and defend those who are persecuted. Churches continue to demonstrate their support by sponsoring refugee families, helping them rebuild their lives safely and with dignity. In 2025, 61 sponsored refugees arrived from 8 countries, including Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan. This ministry is not only about offering hope but also about living out the biblical call to love and serve others, showing Christ’s love to those who are experiencing persecution and suffering.
Prayer Partnership
Wednesday, June 17 We pray for summer students working at Crieff Hills Retreat and Conference Centre this season, that they would be blessed with safety, friendship and a deep appreciation for God’s creation.
Thursday, June 18 We pray for all those who grieve, that they will be comforted.
Friday, June 19 We pray for the people, ministries and mission of the Presbytery of Lambton-West Middlesex.
Saturday, June 20 (World Refugee Day) We pray that God protects the dignity of families forced to flee from conflict and persecution. We give thanks for those who welcome the stranger through refugee sponsorship.
Sunday, June 21 (National Indigenous Peoples Day) We give thanks for opportunities on National Indigenous Peoples Day to listen and learn from Indigenous youth, adults and Elders who are working for the wellbeing of Indigenous peoples.
Monday, June 22 We pray for Dr. Ronald Lalthanmawia as he takes on the role of General Secretary of the Christian Medical Association of India.
Tuesday, June 23 We give thanks for PCC camps across the country and their important ministries, as they plant seeds of faith in the hearts of children and youth.
Wednesday, June 24 We pray for the Change Leadership Team of the General Assembly as it pilots regional teams to proactively lead and quickly respond to local circumstances, fostering collaboration and animating ministry.
Thursday, June 25 We pray for the wisdom, strength and health of ministry staff and volunteers of each of the eight ministries of the National Indigenous Ministries Council, as they walk with and support people in the communities they serve.
Friday, June 26 We pray for the Executive of the Atlantic Mission Society as they finalize plans for the Annual Meeting in September. We give thanks for the many blessings of this past year and ask that the Holy Spirit continue to guide and direct them into the future.
Saturday, June 27 We pray for the Rev. Rebecca Simpson, Assistant Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall, in her leadership of the college and care for students.
June is Indigenous History Month … and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about the diverse cultures, traditions, governing systems, histories, spiritualities, and gifts of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.
The best way to learn is directly from Indigenous people:
- read Indigenous authors,
- listen to Indigenous musicians and podcasters,
- view art and film made by Indigenous artists,
- seek opportunities to learn from Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and teachers
- attend events organized by Indigenous nations, organizations or Friendship Centers in your area.
Centering Indigenous voices and experiences, honouring Indigenous identity and resilience contributes to building up a society that actively addresses anti-Indigenous racism, and where all people may flourish.
Learn more about ministries with Indigenous people here. Learn more about the church’s work for Indigenous justice and healing and reconciliation here.
Children Remembered – Updated list of Students since 2025
A National Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support to former students. This 24-Hour Crisis Line can be accessed at: 1-866-925-4419
The Presbyterian Church in Canada ran a number of residential schools for Indigenous children beginning in the mid 1880s through to 1969. The PCC turned over all documents regarding residential schools in their possession to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and through them to The National Center for Truth and Reconciliation.
Five residential schools existed on Vancouver Island. The Ahousaht and Alberni Residential Schools were run by the Presbyterian Church. The Christie and Kuper Island Residential Schools were run by the Catholic Church. St. Michaels Residential School was run by the Anglican Church. The two schools run by the Presbyterian United Church will be highlighted in this article. You can find out more about these and other schools at the NCTR’s National Student Memorial Register.
The Ahousaht School
The Ahousaht School was located on Flores Island, on the western side of Vancouver Island. Originally a Presbyterian-run day school, it received federal government funding starting in 1904. It was taken over by the United Church in 1925. It was “an offence to speak either Chinook or Siwash” at the school. An inspector’s report from 1936 noted that every staff member carried a strap and that the children “never learned to work without punishment.” When the school was destroyed by fire in 1940, a decision was made to replace it with a United Church day school that opened in June of that year.
Remembering the Following Students:
Name Date of Death(Year/Month/Day)
Bella Peter 1910-05-30
Carrie George 1916-04-06
Dora Noshkepy 1908-03-13
Edward Arnold 1909-06-28
Katie Manulth 1910-08-10
May Harris 1910-03-04
McKay Titian 1908-06-15
Sophie Noothlenu 1910-09-03
The Alberni School
In 1893, the Presbyterian Church built the Alberni Girls Home on Vancouver Island a few miles outside Port Alberni. It was taken over by the United Church in 1925. The school was destroyed by fire in 1917, 1937, and 1941 and rebuilt following each fire. The West Coast Council of Indian Chiefs campaigned for the school’s closing in the 1960s, charging that children in need of care were being dumped into the school. The school was eventually closed in 1973. In 1995 Arthur Henry Plint, a former supervisor at the school from 1948 to 1968, was convicted of 18 counts of indecent assault against Aboriginal students and sentenced to 11 years in jail.
Remembering the Following Students:
Name Date of Death (Year/Month/Day)
Annie Jack 1903-11-12
Bertha Fred 1937-02-14
Burt Humchitt Unknown
Cyril Mussell 1946-10-04
Dalton Silver 1941-06-13
David Thomas 1972-11-11
David Thompson 1905-05-23
Dorothy Ross 1925-12-03
Edna Mack 1025-05-29
Ivan Wilson 1973-11-10
Jack Williams 1905-11-19
Jackson Daniel Peter 1962-11-18
Jimmie Jackson 1929-11-23
John Racalmo ca.1918-11
Katie Taylor 1908-12-12
Katy Ross 1936-04-20
Lily Pearl Smith 1945-12-03
Maggie Barney 1924-05-09
Maisie Shaw 1946-12-26
Mary Bob 1937-02-14
Mary Elaine George 1964-10-05
Mary Taylor 1908-10-01
Matilda Ross 1926-09-27
Maud Jackson 1908-11
May Ross 1928-12-09
Minnie Ross 1929-05-13
Mitchell Joseph 1969-05-26
Nellie Klutesi ca.1912-05-23
Norman Bob 1942-04-07
Pauline Sam 1932-08-17
Shirley Leslie Williams 1963-05-17
Taylor Santo 1906-08-13
Theodore Mckay 1941-05-22
Unknown Blackie ca. 1946
Vincent Paul Unknown
Violet McKay 1937-02-14
Virginia Moses 1946-03-15
William Mitchell 1920-05-30
Yinnito Taylor 1899-07
There are still more children to be found:
Ahousaht First Nation releases findings from search for missing residential school children – CBC
The Tseshaht Nation says it found historical records showing 67 children died at the school – CBC
In response to the devastating confirmation of unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools, and in honour of the children who were lost and all people living with the consequences of that legacy, The PCC has established the Honouring the Children: Reconciliation and Residential Schools Fund.
This fund will support initiatives associated with searches for unmarked burial sites in communities where schools were operated by The PCC.
The PCC has committed $1 million from national funds, and invites congregations and individuals to make additional contributions to this important work.