Red paint found smeared on Catholic church in Edmonton on Canada Day

EDMONTON — Graffiti was found on a Roman Catholic church off Whyte Avenue on Canada Day.

Police confirmed to CTV News Edmonton they were aware of the vandalism at Our Lady Queen of Poland, at 9906 83 Ave., and were investigating.

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the Polish and English bilingual parish for comment.

It was the second known church in Edmonton to have been vandalized with red paint. On June 27, the Pope John Paul II statue outside Holy Rosary Catholic Church in north-central Edmonton was covered in red paint and handprints.

Both parishes in Edmonton have priests that are members of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate operated 48 schools, including the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia and the Marieval Indian Residential School in the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Other churches across Canada have been vandalized, including St. Paul Co-Cathedral in Saskatoon. Calgary police announced on Canada Day that at least 10 churches were smeared with red and orange paint Wednesday evening.

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.