Bishop's sister impressed with community response

Margaret Taddei with her sister Barb

Kamloops Bishop David Monroe's sister Margaret Taddei says her brother's passion for "community" is being rewarded by the overwhelmingly positive response to his severe injuries.

Speaking with the Archdiocese of Vancouver Thursday, she said her brother's zeal for community is being mirrored around him as the Kamloops community and the Catholic community beyond respond with love and compassion rather than anger toward the alleged attacker and his family.

There is only "one family,"  she said, and it includes the bishop's family, the spiritual family, and the family of the man charged with assault.

Rather than dwelling on the details of the incident, she is pleased with the spiritual maturity of the response to the tragedy. That was evidenced Monday went she went in to a church to join in the Rosary and she found a single decade was being prayed for the healing of both attacker and victim. "That's just what David would have wanted for this community," she said.

She said her brother continues to make progress. He is no longer on oxygen and on Thursday he sat up and began to walk.

More updates will be provided as new information becomes available.