Aboriginal Nation Celebrates 400 Years as Christians
CHAPEL ISLAND, Nova Scotia, JULY 26, 2010 - This year's annual Chapel Island pilgrimage in honor of St. Anne holds special significance due to the 400th anniversary of the baptism of indigenous chief who started the tradition.
Grand Chief Henri Membertou of the Mi'kmaq nation was baptized June 24, 1610, by French Father Jessé Fléché. Another 20 members of the indigenous leader's family were also baptized, and within 50 years the entire nation was Christian.
The chief, who was the first aboriginal in North America to become Christian, led the Mi'kmaq people in the choice of St. Anne as their patron.
The people began to celebrate St. Anne's Day at the end of July, close to her feast, which is marked today.
The Mi'kmaq started an annual pilgrimage to St. Anne's Mission on Chapel Island, marking the event with a procession, Mass, and feasting.
This year's St. Anne's Day, which will be held on Sunday, holds special significance for that nation, as it also marks the 4th centenary of the baptism of its first Christian leader.
In recognition of this event, Benedict XVI named Cardinal Marc Ouellet, former archbishop of Quebec, Canada, as his special envoy to Sunday's celebration on Chapel Island.
Today the Vatican publicized the appointment letter from the Pope, in which the Pontiff expressed the hope that all who participate in this celebration would find their faith strengthened.
The Holy Father sent his apostolic blessing to all participants.
Mass and powwow
Though Sunday will mark a special event, in reality the people of that region have been celebrating this anniversary for the past month.
On June 24, the actual anniversary date of the baptism, a celebration was held in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.
A Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Martin Currie of St. John's, Newfoundland, along with Archbishop Pedro López Quintana, apostolic nuncio to Canada, and Bishop Brian Dunn of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and other prelates.
The baptism of Membertou and his family was reenacted. Afterward, a powwow was held in Halifax Common, Halifax, which became the largest ever held in that region.
On Sunday, the Mi'kmaq people of Lennox Island, Prince Edward Island, held their own celebration, which was attended by the consul general of France in Canada, Gilles Courregelongue, and the French cultural attaché to Canada, Anne-Cecile Grunenwald.
A Mass was celebrated by Bishop Richard Grecco of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Sunday's celebration was preceded by another powwow, which tied in dancing and other cultural expressions of the people.
Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa, Ontario, who previously served as archbishop of Halifax, told the Canadian Catholic Register that the Catholics of the East Coast owe a debt of gratitude to the Mi'kmaq nation.
He explained that in the mid 18th century, French Catholics were being deported from that region by the British army. Yet in 1752, the Holy See signed a treaty with the British to allow for a French priest to enter that region to care for the Mi'kmaq.
"And so when the priest came to minister to the Mi'kmaq," the archbishop explained, "he also came to minister to [other Catholics], rather clandestinely, but nonetheless he gave them the opportunity when he was in the area."
The prelate affirmed that the people of that region had access to the sacraments due to the treaty with the Mi'kmaq people, which helped the Church to survive in that region.
1 comment:
"Another 20 members of the indigenous leader's family were also baptized, and within 50 years the entire nation was Christian." Such truth in those words!
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