Pilgrimage to the North

For Fr. Wilbert Chin Jon and myself, Holy Week of 2022 will be remembered as the year of our pilgrimage to the North.

​As a child growing up in Canada, our North has always held a fascination for me. I read Jack London as a kid and since winter occupies half of our year, the North with images of the cold and darkness and the First Nation people who love being there, have always been part of my imagination.

When Bishop Jon Hansen, C.Ss.R. from McKenzie-Fort Smith Diocese asked our Bishop if any priests would be interested in helping out at Easter, I jumped at the opportunity.

Bishop Jon is a pretty laid back Redemptorist who drives a Ford Bronco and prefers to spend Holy Week in one of his mission communities. ​He asked Fr. Wilbert to go to a mission community on Great Bear Lake, and sent me to Fort Simpson - a mission that was visited by Saint Pope Jon Paul II in 1986. The trip there was noisy and to me it served as a reminder that this world is crowded and practical. Father Macleen Anywanu, a missionary priest from Nigeria, welcomed me to Sacred Heart Church which to my surprise was modern and efficient.

After a tour of the town, Fr Macleen left for Liard where he would celebrate Holy Week. ​Our Good Friday service was simple. I put out some charcoal in a bowl and the folks added some spruce gum as we venerated the cross.

Several of the Dene people smudged using the incense as they prayed before the cross. After the service one of the elders asked if I wanted to join them for the Feeding the Fire. They hold this service several times a year. Here a special fire is planned.

Set in a circle of rocks surrounded by spruce brought a symbol of all the life that flows from the fire. After blessing the ground with tobacco they begin with a log saved from their last event. Then with drumming they offer food to the four winds. We were invited to add tobacco to the fire.

The fire connects us to our ancestors and by feeding the fire we strengthen them so they can assist us. As we prayed this Litany of the Saints the drumming rolled across the site that Saint Pope John Paul 11 visited.

The next day we prepared for the Vigil. A space was readied for the Easter Fire. The snow had melted and frozen. Andy and I dug out an area outside the doors of the church for the fire.

At 9 pm we gathered around the fire. It was still pretty light outside, but if we waited for darkness it might have been only me! Our little community welcomed the Light of Christ into the church. One of the elders translated the Gospel into their language.

On Easter morning, I went for a walk along the banks of the frozen McKenzie River, and paused at their local monument to remember the children who died in the Residential Schools.

Later a slightly larger group gathered to celebrate Easter morning. We also shared a potluck dinner in their wonderful church.

On our last night at Trappers Lake the northern lights offered a final blessing on our pilgrimage. Truly this Holy Week has been a blessing for both Fr. Wilbert and myself!

Additional photos from Fr. Wilbert Chin Jon

Originally published on Faithfully, https://www.catholicyyc.ca/blog/pilgrimage-to-the-north