Catholic Mission In Canada

For two years, Ukrainian and Roman Catholics, aboriginal and non-aboriginal walk together in study, prayer and community.

A two-year process of Catholic faith formation recently concluded for 35participants from across the province of Saskatchewan involved in a unique three-stream program offered in Saskatoon.

The three streams of lay formation—Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, and Catholic Aboriginal—journeyed together for one weekend a month over the past two years in a program of spiritual growth, study and learning, within a community of faith and friendship.

Eleven members of the inaugural class of the Aboriginal Catholic Lay Formation program offered jointly by the Dioceses of Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Keewatin-Le Pas, recently completed the lay formation program, and were missioned along with16 fellow graduates from the Diocese of Saskatoon, and eight from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.

During a joyful Eucharistic celebration June 7 at St. Anne parish, Roman Catholic graduates were anointed by their respective bishops: Bishop Albert LeGatt of Saskatoon, Bishop Albert Thevenot, M.Afr., of Prince Albert, and Archbishop Sylvain Lavoie, O.M.I., of Keewatin-Le Pas. The Ukrainian Catholic participants were anointed by Bishop Bryan Bayda the day before, June 6, at Sts. Peter and Paul parish. (See related article on pp 22-25)

“This weekend, we celebrate for the first time anywhere in the world a very great blessing,” said lay formation coordinator Kathy Hitchings during the missioning celebration at St. Anne parish. “For the past two years, Ukrainian and Roman Catholics, aboriginal and non-aboriginal walked together with each other in study, prayer and community, and they formed together in faith.”

Participants in the three streams of the lay formation program spent the last two years learning much from each other, noted Bishop Albert LeGatt in his homily, describing the “rich tapestry that makes up our faith.”

Bishop LeGatt stressed the importance of coming to know God and giving him glory in all things. “The one, prime goal of any formation is to come to know God more fully in a personal way, deepening that relationship, and knowing that relationship finds its strength inbeing shared and discovered with one another.”

In acknowledgment of the diversity experienced during the lay formation program, the Roman Catholic celebration incorporated several languages, as well as aboriginal elements, such as smudging, an honour song, and praying the Great Amen in the four directions. As well, a star blanket was used for the gift collection, with people coming forward to place their offering on the blanket. The offering was directed to the Steven Ballantyne Bursary Fund, established in the memory of a former lay formation participant to help offset costs for participants from Northern communities.

In a celebration during the final weekend, Aboriginal Lay Formation valedictorian Delores Greyeyes Sand, of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Marcelin, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to journey together in faith with people of different backgrounds and traditions.

“We’ve shared so much in these two years. We’ve shared our cultures, our spirituality, and we’ve shared many laughs,” Greyeyes Sand said, noting the many beautiful and meaningful ceremonies experienced throughout the two-year program, including the Forgiveness Vespers and the Great Water Blessing from the Eastern tradition.

Eparchy valedictorian Doreen Rathgeber of St. Mary parish in Yorkton also said she would remember the diversity experienced during the program. “I will never forget the blanket ceremony or the pipe ceremony from our brothers and sisters of the aboriginal group. To the Roman Catholic members of lay formation: thank you for being open-minded to our differences. Thank you for supporting us as we try to keep our traditions going,” Rathgeber said.