Religious and First Nations Seek Dialogue

Single Issue: $1.00 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40030139 CATHOLIC JOURNAL Vol. 94 No. 39 March 22, 2017 Living simply Religious and First Nations seek dialogue Christopher Hrynkow reflected on Christian eco - By Philippe Vaillancourt the lifestyle and values of the nature, community life, family ized by the Canadian Religious logical ethics and the call Huron-Wendat Nation. life: The group composed mainly Conference March 10. The confer - to battle our “addiction to WENDAKE, Que. (CNS) — The wooden structure once of nuns and religious listened ence hopes to foster closer ties stuff” at a recent workshop Inside the traditional Huron long - housed several families. On the respectfully to the guide. between Catholic religious com - at St. Thomas More College house, faint glimmerings cast light ground, small grids with plastic After all, they came to meet munities and First Nations peoples. on the attendees’ faces. Standing fish stood above hearths and native peoples. It was the first time a Cana dian in Saskatoon. on a stool, Simon Perusse, dressed recalled the smoking that was About 50 of them enlisted for Religious Conference activity took — page 6 in his traditional costume, told of practised there. Relationship with this unprecedented activity organ - place on a reserve, at the traditional Catholic education Huron ONHOUA CHETEK8E site in Wendake, outside Quebec City. “This is a challenging Nicole O’Bomsawin, an an - moment for Catholic educa - thropologist and member of the Abenaki tribe, was pleased with tion,” said Msgr. James P. the initiative. Shea in a March 10 public “Ten years ago, we were not lecture at Campion College there. But now this is another step. in Regina, “but it is also a It pleases me to see this new com - promising time.” mitment,” she said. — page 6 O’Bomsawin, 60, involved in dialogue initiatives between First Fresh produce Nations and Catholics for many years, is particularly interested in The Regina Food Bank has forging links between traditional begun grow - native spirituality and Catholi cism. ing fresh This is what she did at the begin - produce ning of the traditional meal that onsite to was offered to the attendees, sing - augment ing a prayer song as a blessing. donated food Rev. Richard Bonetto, Presby - terian pastor and founder of the items. “The Wampum Centre, spoke of his interest in the project has experience of dialogue in the cen - been incredible,” says Food tre he founded in 1994. Bank CEO Steve Compton. “There’s hope,” he says during — page 7 CNS/Philippe Vaillancourt, Presence the meal. “We are increasingly FOSTERING CLOSER TIES — Huron-Wendat guide Simon Perusse explains how his nation prepared A juxtaposition food during a March 10 meeting with members of the Canadian Religious Conference in Wendake, Que. — CRC , page 11 The church had an unlikely presence at the convergence Highlights of Pope Francis’ four years of service of interactive, film, and music industries at the By Beth Griffin to the peripheries of sin, pain, sacrament of penance during this 500th anniversary of Lutheranism. recent South By Southwest injustice and misery to reach peo - papacy because Pope Francis “We’ve had the idea that Luther is Festival in Austin, Texas. NEW YORK (CNS) — Evan - ple. He warned that when the identifies himself as a sinner and the enemy,” the nuncio said. But — page 8 gelization, mercy, encounter and church does not come out of her - is seen going to confession, Pierre Pope Francis had an encounter accompaniment are the hallmarks self to evangelize, she becomes said. “Many had abandoned the with Lutheran leaders there and Indigenous voices of the first four years of Pope self-referential and sick. He wrote, sacrament of reconciliation, but Francis’ papacy, Archbishop “The evils that, over time, happen have rediscovered the necessity of — dIALOGuE , page 4 Canadians are being chal - Christophe Pierre, apostolic nun - in ecclesiastical institutions have receiving the for - lenged to come to terms cio to the United States, said their root in self-reference and a giveness of God and with historical wrongs aris - March 15. kind of theological narcissism.” giving it to others,” ing from the subjugation of “First and foremost, Pope Bergoglio said the next pope, he said. Francis is committed to the work “must be a man who, from the con - When the pope Aboriginal peoples, as in the of evangelization. The main role templation and adoration of Jesus speaks of mercy, it is TRC’s report on the “cultur - of the church is to evangelize — Christ, helps the church go out to not only a human al genocide” perpetrated by to receive the gospel and offer it to the existential peripheries, that virtue, but a gift from residential schools, writes the world,” he said in a conversa - helps her be the fruitful mother, God, and people are Gerald Schmitz. Indigenous tion in New York with Jesuit who gains life from the sweet and the first target of peoples are determined to Father Matthew F. Malone, presi - comforting joy of evangelizing.” God’s mercy, Pierre tell their own stories dent and editor-in-chief of Amer - “The church is a continuation said. “Our church is a through documentary films. ica Media. of Christ in the world,” Pierre merciful church. We — page 9 “The raison d’etre of the said. And the pope continues to present truth in a church is evangelization. It’s not a insist it is time not to rest, but to respectful way. Pen pals business, it’s not an organization go to the many peripheries to be Mercy means dia - or an association for the defence God’s presence to the people who logue and walking and prisoners of Jesus, but a group called to suffer, he said. along the path of the announce God’s presence to He expanded on the pope’s other,” he said. When Angela Saldanha humanity,” Pierre said. familiar description of the church “I’m impressed to signed up with Human At a meeting of cardinals as a field hospital. “It’s very sim - see the ca pacity Pope Writes, an organization based before the conclave that elected ple. It’s a tent where you attend Francis has to meet in England that organizes let - him pope, then-Cardinal Jorge people. Be there. Don’t waste people,” Pierre said. ter-writing to American Mario Bergoglio reflected on the time. That’s where you meet “Politicians want to death-row inmates, she knew challenges Pope Benedict’s suc - wounded people.” see the pope, not just she had found a calling. And cessor should address. Pierre said Malone said Jesus, the source for the photo, but for the encounter. I have CNS/Paul Haring there are other organizations Pope Francis’ handwritten notes of joy in the Gospels, is the med - from his talk were a blueprint for ication in the field hospital. Pope seen politicians POPE’S ANNIVERSARY — Pope Francis that give support to the his papacy. Francis pictures himself as a transformed.” waves as he arrives to lead his general audience incarcerated. In them, Pope Francis under - patient in the hospital, not the doc - He recounted the in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 15. — pages 10-11 scored the importance of evangel - tor, he said. pope’s visit to He celebrated the fourth year of his election as izing with apostolic zeal and going People have rediscovered the Sweden to mark the pope on March 13. 2 Prairie Messenger INTERNATIONAL NEWS March 22, 2017 Lent provides opportunity to focus on homeless By Chaz Muth sponsored by Catholic Charities reported a three per cent drop in ‘I’m going to help this one indi - homeless, complete with a meal each Wednes day evening. the national homeless rate from vidual,’ ’’ Enzler said, “and say program, laundry and shower facil - WASHINGTON (CNS) — Van Bellen took time to greet 2015 to 2016 and a 12 per cent ‘it’s my job to help just that one ities, as well as job counsellors, Almsgiving is a lenten tradition each man and woman who went drop in the last five years. person get a job and get a place to case managers and social workers. and Washington resident Ron Van through the food line before they HUD reported the 2016 nation - stay and stay with them. Mentor It’s an idea that is still percolat - Bellen says his volunteer work made their way along the down - al homeless population to be near - them through that process.’ ’’ ing with no commitments yet real - feeding the homeless honours his town Washington sidewalk to eat ly 550,000. He has been encouraging vol - ized, Enzler said. Catholic faith as he prepares for their dinner. However, the homeless rate unteers in his Catholic Charities’ It’s also an idea that Able Putu, Easter. “Every time I volunteer I rose from 2015 to 2016 in the programs to make the homeless a 37-year-old homeless Washing - reflect on how my District of Columbia and a few their focal point during Lent. tonian who uses a wheelchair, day went and how it states, including Alabama, Cali - Pope Francis has long urged would like to see come to fruition. related to my rela - fornia, Colorado, Hawaii, Okla ho - governments and Christians to Putu said the library closure tionship with God,” ma and Washington. recognize the dignity of the home - left him without a place to rest, he told Cath olic With more than a half million less and help ease their suffering. use the lavatory and made him News Service. “It people still considered homeless, Homelessness became more more vulnerable to being robbed does relate to Lent.

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