Catholic Mission In Canada

‘Every week, I visit families on the reserve, listen to the people’s struggles, hopes and joys, and bring food to needy families.’

This is a good time to share with you the many joys and challenges of mission. Sister Louise Vanderploeg, C.S.C., and I are beginning our8th year here in Peace River. We both are very happy and love our ministry of spreading the Gospel.

Sister Louise works in the Diocesan Lay Formation Office and does retreat work. My ministry is among First Nations people in Duncan First Nation and Little Buffalo, as well as native families in town. I am on the road a lot. I also work with Michelle Lacombe, our youth minister, in preparing youth leaders and planning Shine Retreats for young people.

Two months ago, I began teaching children in Little Buffalo the Phonovisual Method of learning to read. The children I teach come from very poor homes and are often distracted and agitated. I finally discovered a way to help them concentrate and listen for the initial sound in words. I bring pennies and put a pile on the table. For every correct sound the children repeat, I let them take a penny. You would be amazed how attentive they are...and how fast they are now learning to hear the beginning sound in words and repeat them! Soon, we will be making words!

This past week, the RCMP called me to accompany two families from Duncan First Nation whose sons had just been killed in a car accident. I arrived at the hospital to find the young man, Clayton, still lying on a stretcher in the emergency room, his mother sobbing over his body. It was heart-wrenching. Clayton, 21, is the brother of Amy, 26, who died in a tragic car accident last Christmas. After a long while, I offered prayers for Clayton and prayed with the family before they left for home.

The second boy, Charlos, had been taken to Peace River hospital and I wanted to go there to be with his mother who is a single mom. When I arrived, I discovered that no family had come. The nurse in Emergency said the body was in the morgue. I asked if I could please go and pray with Charlos. They let me in the morgue and I was there with a nurse. I had this feeling of deep peace come over me as I prayed for Charlos and his family. Charlos was just 23. Both families had separate wakes and funerals. Father JulienBenedict Mary officiated at the Masses. The church was packed. The coffins were brought into church with the song of the drum. It was very moving.

At Communion time, I went to the front of the church and invited all the people to come up for a blessing, and for those who had made their First Holy Communion to receive Jesus in the Holy Bread. It was so beautiful that everyone came. I really felt Jesus consoling His people.

Recently, we began a Sewing Circle in Little Buffalo. Catherine and Rosanne are teaching the girls to sew. I received three machines and lots of material from women in our parish in Peace River. With the donations, we bought scissors, needles and thread and beads to do beading work.

One of the girls, Sera, was stitching too fast on the machine and the thread came out of the needle. I just happened to notice her with her head on the table looking up at the machine, straining to pull down the thread from the hole where it had disappeared!

Another girl was cutting out a simple pattern on soft material and it kept slipping. Just then, I noticed her take off her shoe and put her foot up on the table to hold the cloth and merrily proceed to cut the material. I wish I had a camera to capture these prized moments!

Every week, I visit families on the reserve, listen to the people’s struggles, hopes and joys, and bring food to needy families. Often, I am called to comfort the sick, accompany the grieving and pray with families.

Meanwhile, Little Buffalo Chief and Band Council continue their struggle with TransCanada over the jumbo gas pipeline they are planning to build through their unceded land. Painful negotiations continue but the Band is strengthened by the solidarity and many prayers and support of our religious sisters and many groups supporting them.

Sister Mary Jeanne Davidson, S.S.N.D., is pastoral animator at Holy Family parish in Little Buffalo and Sacred Heart parish in Cadotte Lake, in Peace River District in the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan, Alberta.