Experiencing Easter at Lac Brochet, MB 2011

The church and attached rectory at Lac Brochet. The weather over most of Holy Week was unusally cold, with snow flurries. This picture, taken some years back, could have been taken this Easter.

This year I was priviledged to spend the latter part of Holy Week in the Dene community of Lac Brochet. MB. This is the most northern of our missions in Manitoba. A strong faith community, the events of Holy Week were well attended. Especially notable was the depth and sincerity and number of confessions, as people came not only for forgiveness, but to also seek healing for painful emotions such as anger and resentment, and defects of character underlying the addictions that some were struggling with. I truly felt fulfilled as a priest and an archbishop. My deep admiration and appreciation of these humble folks grew deeper by the hour. Here the folks wash each others feet as part of the liturgy.

A strong tradition in Lac Brochet is the Holy Week Walk. This year a group of 25 persons went out hundreds of kilometers into the forest on Monday of Easter week to walk back to the community, praying for special intentions and offering their effort as a sacrifice to the Lord. They camped out in the forest each night with the help of a small group of community members. Thursday night they camped about 25 kilometers away and arrived just in time for the Good Friday Service. Unfortunately this means that they miss the Holy Thursday liturgies. We are trying to find a way to help them come back in for that event, as the Triduum is really one great liturgy, one event of the last days of Jesus life here on earth flowing into the next.

The walkers arrive with great solemnity and silence, placing their walking sticks at the foot of the altar. The cross they carry all the way is the one that we use for the veneration of the cross.

One of the lead singers, Fred Denecheze, led the Way of the Cross in the Dene language from breginning to end for a couple dozen of the faithful who had not participated in the Holy Week Walk.

An invitation to an outdoor barbeqque in minus 15 degree weather was a welcome break from a steady stream of folks celebrating reconciliation. Here a group of elders are enjoying a feast of caribou meat.

The beauty of the people of God shines forth the brightest when they are gathered around the altar, the baptism font and the Paschal candle at the renewal of their baptismal promises.

Recovery Retreat, Prince George, April 8-10, 2010

For the past 16 years, the Domano Retreat Centre in Prince George has been putting on a First Nations retreat, with some of the participants faithfully returning each year. The past few years the retreats have been on addictions awareness. This year I was invited to give a retreat on the topic of Living the 12 Steps Daily.

The themes of the presentations were Human Be-ing; the Original Wound and Seeds of Recovery; the 12 Step Healing Journey; Healing as Learning to Forgive, and Living with the Program. About 25 participants took the retreat in. There was a blend of presentations, rituals, prayer, quiet time, fellowship and sharing. Each session wrapped up with a ritual that helped to integrate the content of the session.

The rituals included a Lectio Divina prayer experience, Veneration of the Word (pictured above), forgiveness using rocks and water, and healing using fire. Pictured here is the ritual of venerating the Word of God, in the small chapel on the retreat grounds.



After the session on Healing as Learning to Forgive, a ritual involving burning items symbolizing our need to healing took place outdoors.

Some of the participants enjoy a lighter moment during the retreat.

Saturday evening the retreat usually include a popcorn party, singing and generally having fun without the crutch of alcohol. Here the Carrier drummers donned their ceremonial blankets and sang some sacred songs to entertain and inspire the participants.

Mission in St Albert Parish March 21-23, 2011

The parish of St. Albert is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. Each month they are putting on a special event. Bishop Emeritus Croteau OMI kicked it off in January; In February the provincial of the Lacombe Canada Oblates, Fr. John Malezdrewich, presided over a celebration honoring all the priests and religious who ministered in the parish over their history. In March I was invited to take the weekend liturgies and then offer a three evening mission. The theme was Rooted in Faith; Living in Hope and Growing in Love. I combined those themes with the idea of discipleship and finished each evening with a ritual. Above the folks are venerating the Word. The first night we venerated historical objects ( Bishop Grandin's crozier and Bro. Anthony's cross) as well as a relic of Saint Margarite D'Youville. The last night was a ritual of washing each other's hands. There were even two miracles during the mission, as the francophones insisted that I give them two sessions in French and I managed to do that - a miracle! The music ministry was great, and it was a pleasure to work with Fr Andrew who is the pastor.

Christopher Leadership Course, Pukatawagan, March 2011

Lately our pastoral strategy involves sending Bro. Tom Novak OMI into one of our isolated communities for a time to work with the lay leaders and the community. Bro. Tom, who speaks Cree, instructs drama, has a strong social justice thrust, plays the guitar and is well versed in both theology and ecclesiology. He establishes a rapport with people quickly and seeks to empower the lay leaders especially in the areas of sacramental preparation, faith education, lay presiding and parish administration. Part of the strategy to empower greater leadership is to hold the Christopher Leadership Course during his stay in a particular community. The CLC is a course on effective speaking skills that also seeks to promote community service as well as personal growth. A course was offered in Pukatawagan March 9-13, 2011. To make this course possible, Bro. Tom travelled out on the winter road to The Pas to pick up veteran CLC instructor Ed Mihalicz who drove 700 kilometers from Beauval, Sk., as well as Fr. Vijay OMI who is training as an instructor. A Christopher who had taken the course years earlier in Leaf Rapids helped out with the organization at the back. The group of new Christophers is pictured here with their manuals. The guest speaker at the banquet was Ralph Caribou who had taken the course in 1987 in Grouard, Alberta. It is hoped that these grads will find their way into greater leadership in the community and the church.