In 2018, Bishop Joseph was asked to serve as co-chair of the Roman Catholic–Evangelical Dialogue. The Dialogue is an ongoing, formal conversation between the Roman Catholic Church and Evangelical Christians in Canada, organized through a partnership between the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The primary goal of the Dialogue is to promote understanding, mutual respect, and unity among Christian traditions. By working together in this Dialogue, Catholics and Evangelicals aim to overcome historical misunderstandings, dispel/dismiss stereotypes, and explore ways to deepen their communion, even as they acknowledge theological differences.
During the past couple of years, the group felt the need to reflect on a deeply Christian theology of reconciliation. During this time, they read the history section of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, and they also decided to engage with First Nations Christians.
This lay the groundwork for a greater understanding of reconciliation challenges, and it also helped them build closer relations with different Indigenous communities throughout Canada. It was though the Dialogue group’s visits to the Mohawk community of Kanesatake, south of Montreal, that Bishop Joseph had a profoundly inspiring experience when he met, Harvey Satewas Gabriel, an Indigenous elder there who spent almost two decades completing a translation of the Bible into the Mohawk language!
Please take time to read the insightful article by The Catholic Register at the following link:
https://www.catholicregister.org/item/37475-bible-translation-brings-word-to-mohawks