Uniting Church in Australia - Resources for Day of Mourning 2026 available for download

Day of Mourning 2026 resources available to download now

2026 Day of Mourning artwork by Zoe Belle, Guwa Koa and Kuku Yalanji woman #UCADayofMourning   Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, On Sunday 25 January, the Uniting Church in Australia will mark national Day of Mourning 2026. At the request of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), the Uniting Church has observed a Day of Mourning on the Sunday prior to 26 January for the past six years. The Uniting Church has been in Covenant with the UAICC since 1994. Bound together by our shared faith, witness, and hope for God’s justice and healing, we continue to walk together as First and Second Peoples – sharing in solidarity, joy, and sorrow on the ongoing path toward reconciliation. The 2026 Day of Mourning resources has been prepared to support your community in marking this significant occasion with care, reflection and prayer. In his welcome message, Interim Co-Chair of the UAICC, Rev Ken Sumner, says “The Day of Mourning provides a crucial moment for deep reflection, confession, listening, and prayer, shaping a shared future for First and Second Peoples in Australia”. Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli writes, “Jesus calls ordinary people to leave old patterns behind and follow him into a new way of life grounded in justice, compassion, and shared purpose. Paul urges the early church to be “knit together” despite their differences – an image that resonates deeply for us as First and Second Peoples seeking a common life marked by respect, equity, and reconciliation.” We invite you to commemorate the Day of Mourning within your own context, through worship and reflection, as your faith community stands in solidarity with Australia’s First Peoples. Together, we remember and reflect on the enduring impacts of invasion, forced dispossession, oppression, and suffering, and we recommit ourselves to truth-telling, healing and hope. Grace and peace, The Uniting Church Assembly Communications team comms@nat.uca.org.au Find out more

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