ZE08092604 - 2008-09-26 Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-23722?l=english
Where Viaticum Arrives on a Dogsled Ministering in One of the West's Last Missionary Territories By Pete Vere YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories, SEPT. 26, 2008 (<http://www.Zenit.org>Zenit.org).- With U.S. presidential candidate John McCain naming pro-life Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee, Christianity in the Arctic is suddenly a topic of interest within the English-speaking world. The far north remains one of the few regions in the Western world that still boasts missionary dioceses. According to Bishop Denis Croteau, the retired bishop of MacKenzie-Fort Smith, Christian ministry in such dioceses comes with its own unique blessings and challenges. Prior to retiring this past summer, Bishop Croteau, of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, served 22 years as bishop of MacKenzie-Fort Smith. The diocese covers Canada's Northwest Territories and stretches over 1,523,400 square kilometers (588,413 square miles). That's over twice the size of Texas for a diocese of about 25,000 people in a population of 44,000. "The main challenge is to reach all of the missions," Bishop Croteau said. "The diocese is geographically large, but we don't have a lot of roads." Clergy and religious must travel by small planes, except during winter months when they can travel on the ice by snowmobile and dogsled. "Each mission is quite isolated," Bishop Croteau said. "But I try to visit each mission once a year and spend a few days with each one." Yet the Arctic diocese faces a shortage of priests, the bishop told ZENIT shortly before his retirement. The MacKenzie-Fort Smith Diocese has 35 missions, but only seven priests. Nevertheless, the bishop said he cannot think of any other place he would prefer to exercise priestly ministry. "The ministry here is very personal," he explained, noting the average mission covers a population area of 500 to 700 people. "So the contacts are very personal and more intimate than in a big community," Bishop Croteau said. "You come to know everyone and they come to know you." Frostbitten Sister Joan List, of the School Sisters of Notre-Dame, agrees. Her community sent her to the Arctic diocese 15 years ago to temporarily relieve another sister. Sister List fell in love with the far north and, with the blessing of her religious congregation and Bishop Croteau, decided to stay. "The North gets into your bones," Sister said. "These are a very genuine people with a deep sense of God in their life." She now ministers as a pastoral associate in Fort Good Hope, an Aboriginal fly-in community of 600 about 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle. While Arctic communities have modern conveniences such as the Internet and telecommunications, Bishop Croteau and Sister List said many missions are still populated by hunters and trappers. Thus ministry often involves talking of God's authorship of creation, Sister List said. There is also a greater appreciation for ministry from within the community, she said. "You cannot just put up a poster that says come out to this mission," Sister List said. "Ministry here is about building one-on-one connections with members of the community, discovering their spiritual needs as you meet their other pastoral needs." After 46 years of religious life, Sister List would definitely recommend Arctic ministry to young women contemplating a religious vocation. The good life Father Jean Vachon, of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, has been a missionary to the Arctic for more than 50 years. He currently pastors four missions within the northern part of the Diocese of MacKenzie-Fort Smith. Most of his 3,500 parishioners are Inuit, that is, belonging to the indigenous peoples of the Arctic regions. Like Bishop Croteau, Father Vachon was inspired by the Arctic missionaries who would visit the minor seminary when he was a student. "It's a challenge bringing Christ's message to a different language and culture," said Father Vachon. "You have to forget your own language and culture and translate the Bible to their culture." Being an Arctic missionary is a life of adventure, the priest added. He has personally traveled hundreds of miles by dogsled and snowmobile to bring Viaticum and the sacrament of the sick to parishioners. Some of his journeys would require two or three day's travel to bring his parishioners the sacraments, he said. "It was important to make that journey because people asked for [the sacraments]." Nevertheless, the advent of bush planes has facilitated transportation between missions, Father said. Like Bishop Croteau and Sister List, Father Vachon would answer God's call to the Arctic missions if he had his life to live over again. "I serve a people of deep faith," he said. "It's a good life." <*}}}>< <http://halfthekingdom.mofuse.mobi/>Half the Kingdom! on your Mobile <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/wordpress/>Half the Kingdom! Blog <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom! Main Site <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/by-the-by/>Half the Kingdom! By the by <*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. <*}}}>< <http://halfthekingdom.mofuse.mobi/>Half the Kingdom! on your Mobile <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/wordpress/>Half the Kingdom! Blog <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom! Main Site <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/by-the-by/>Half the Kingdom! By the by <*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
