Memorial items removed from steps of Fort Smith Catholic church returned, says pastor

Memorial items removed from the steps of a Catholic church in Fort Smith, N.W.T., have been returned to their rightful place by the local priest.

A photo posted to Facebook Tuesday showed what Briann Debbie Gagnon said was a man discarding memorial items left on the steps of St. Joseph's Cathedral in Fort Smith into a dumpster.

Gagnon said the items included a pair of boots she had placed on the steps of the cathedral in memory of the estimated 215 children discovered buried on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.When reached by CBC News, she said her mother, now deceased, was a residential school survivor.

"I really didn't know who this guy was or who he represented," Gagnon said.

Gagnon said the man told her to take the shoes away, but she said no.

"I'm here to pay my respect forthe children in Kamloops,"she said, addingit was after that that the manput them in the dumpster in the church parking lot.

The laying of shoes on the front steps of churches is a demonstration of solidarity that has been seen across the North solidarity with those who have suffered, and who continue to suffer, because of Canada's residential school system.The Catholic Church, and others, played a central role in that system.

CBC News contacted the church and spoke with Reverend Father Cornelius Ngurukwem and he saidthe items had sincebeen returned to the steps of the church.

He says he received a lot of phone calls regarding the missing items and that he doesn't know who moved them.

"I've apologized on behalf of whoever removed that because I never gave instructions for anyone to remove anything," he said.

With the help of Ramanda Sanderson, who climbed into the dumpster to pull items out, and Cayleen Adam, theshoes and teddy bears were returned to the front steps of the church.

"I show the support and share the pain.It's not easy to pass through such a trauma and I pray to console each and everyone of us and forgive each and every one of us."

The church will have a memorial mass this evening and prayers for the bodies of the children found in Kamloops.Ngurukwem says a larger gathering is planned for a later date when larger groups can gather.