Home Is Where the Heart Is
The sound of the wind across the ice, the scent of spruce, and the glow of a morning fire set the rhythm of life in Behchokǫ̀, a Tłı̨chǫ community northwest of Yellowknife. Here, Elder William teaches young people how to live from the land, carrying on the traditions of his Dene ancestors. “You go out […]
“It was tough.”
The title is my favourite line from Fr. Peter Van Dai Nguyen. I met Fr. Peter at the airport in Yellowknife, NWT, where Joe Gennaro and I had traveled with a small group of students from Ontario. Yellowknife is the territory capital and location of the diocesan offices and the cathedra or chair for the […]
Tending Little Tulitans
“When I grow up, I want to have 500 kids,” announced 5-year-old Celeste Goulet. “Then you’ll have to become a Sister,” answered her mother. And Celeste did. The path to her dream led her from Guelph, ON to Tulita, NT. There, for the past 45 years she has conducted a pre-Kindergarten class for 3 and […]
Seminarian’s Report
I was a seminarian in the Diocese of McKenzie-Fort Smith, NWT. As requested by Bishop Jon, I’ve written a report about my Pastoral Internship Year. Thanks for your support. I began in September, 2022 at St. Michael’s Parish in Behchoko, NWT. I was stationed at the rectory with my supervisor Fr. Mick Fleming. We organized […]
Daily Bread – Reflections on Twenty Years as a Missionary
My days are full, Lord, sharing Daily Bread. So, what ‘bread’ do you ask me to share, Lord, here on the shores of the Arctic Ocean? The church likes to call Daily Bread the Works of Mercy: Feed, Visit, Welcome the Stranger, Bury the Dead. Or Daily Bread, might be the more spiritual gifts of giving instruction, guidance, […]
Guides for the Community: The Four Prophets
The birthplace of ice hockey is said to be near a settlement on the western shore of Great Bear Lake, accessible only by winter road. The game helped 50 men survive a brutal winter at this outpost of Sir John Franklin’s Arctic Expedition. In biblical terms, could it be claimed that whoever dropped the puck – […]