Info lacombe english may 06 no 15

Albert Lacombe, OMI
1827 – 1916
Volume 8, Number 15…………………...May 06, 2011

ST. ALBERT PARISH
St. Albert Parish: Fr. Lacombe launches
In this issue... 150th jubilee January 24, 2011

By Ramon Gonzalez
ST. ALBERT PARISH………………...…..1 This first appeared in the WESTERN CATHOLIC
REPORTER. Reprinted with permission.
MISSION TOURISM - CUBA……….…4 www.wcr.ab.ca/

REMEMBERING PIUS LEIBEL OMI…...7

UPCOMING DISCERNMENT

WEEKENDS……………………………….8

Announcement…………………………...9

ST. ALBERT — Father Albert Lacombe, the
NEXT ISSUE OF INFO LACOMBE WILL BE dynamic Oblate priest who devoted his life to
MAY 13, 2011. helping the Metis and First Nations through
smallpox, war, starvation and the arrival of
European civilization, made a personal
Saskatoon Ofﬁce- Communications appearance Jan. 16 at St. Albert Church.
TEL: 306 244 1556

Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011
175 MAIN STREET ● OTTAWA ON K1S 1C3 ● TEL: 613-230-2225 ● FAX: 613-230-2948 ● www.omilacombe.ca

"I wanted to be a priest but I wanted to have a
life full of adventure," Lacombe said in
response to a question. "The West is where I
could best serve God; this is where I wanted
to be a priest."

At the time of Lacombe's arrival, there were
few permanent mission stations in the North
Dressed in a typical black robe, the white- West, and little progress had been made in the
haired Lacombe answered questions from a evangelization of its aboriginal peoples. With
female reporter with aplomb and eloquence no church buildings to celebrate Mass, he
before a packed St. Albert Church, which he preached from a small tent on the wide-open
founded 150 years ago. prairies and debated with politicians in the
big cities.
He spoke widely about his travels and told
about the time he had to spend the night in a Lacombe founded the St. Albert Mission in
coffin. "I didn't sleep much that night," he 1861, atop what is now St. Albert's Mission
said. One time he rescued a teenage girl from Hill, the current location of St. Albert Church.
a man who was about to have his way with Alberta's first chapel still sits there today as
her. the province's oldest building.

"I called him a coward." He ended up giving Asked why he chose the hill to set up the
the man money to get his own wife and mission, Lacombe said he fell in love with its
returned the girl to her joyful family. beauty and fertility during his travels to Lac
Ste. Anne.
Actor Paul Punyi played Lacombe in this
educational 45-minute play called Interview HOLY HILL
with Father Albert Lacombe. The interviewer
was Punyi's wife Maureen Rooney. So on a bright January day in 1861, Lacombe
led Bishop Alexandre Taché of St. Boniface
The couple is founder of Rooney and Punyi to the spot on the hill. Planting his walking
Educational Theatre Productions, a St. Albert stick in the snow, Taché proclaimed that here
company that uses the performing arts to was where the chapel would be built. He
educate and entertain. St. Albert Parish called the site St. Albert to honour Lacombe's
commissioned the interview with Lacombe to name saint. And by April, huge spruce logs
kick off its 150th anniversary. had been felled and whipsawed square to
begin the new church.
Rooney and Punyi have been doing plays in
schools for 15 years and Lacombe is the 11th "Tears come to my eyes when I see such a
character they bring to the stage. Other fine church in this place," Lacombe said.
characters they have portrayed include Louis
Riel, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Lacombe was probably the most influential
Russian revolutionary Vladimir Illich Lenin. man in the early development of the Canadian
West. It is said that during his lengthy career,

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Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011

this charismatic priest had a finger in every
pie.

PEACE TREATIES

The Cree called him Man with the Good Soul
and the Blackfoot Man with Good Heart. He
helped establish peace treaties between
warring tribes on the Prairies, helped to
negotiate the right of passage for the CPR
through southern Alberta, was an essential
member of most of the numbered treaty
commissions between the Government of
Canada and the First Nations west of the
Great Lakes, and helped develop the
industrial school concept for Indian children.

Lacombe was also chaplain for the railway
crews on the CPR line, worked to help
landless Métis adjust to a more sedentary
lifestyle, recruited French-Canadian settlers
for the Canadian West, clergy for Ukrainian
immigrants, and contributed largely to the
establishment of Catholic schools in Western
Canada, as well as several parishes.

HOME IN MIDNAPORE

He established a home for orphans and the
homeless at Midnapore, hobnobbed with the
rich and famous, and counted crowned heads
of Europe as patrons for his many charities.
He has been the subject of several
biographies.

Lacombe was born Feb. 28, 1827, into a Métis from Red River. He was to spend two
peasant family from St-Sulpice, Que., on a years at Pembina with Belcourt before
small farm north of Montreal, and is said to returning to Quebec in 1851.
have had some distant aboriginal ancestry.
Two years later, he went back to St. Boniface
A spiritual boy, he opted for the priesthood, where he worked for Bishop Alexandre
and was still a student in 1848 when he heard Taché. He soon asked to be admitted into the
Georges Belcourt speaking in Montreal about Oblate order, where he took his permanent
the need for missionaries to minister to the vows in 1856.

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Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011

Taché sent Lacombe to Fort Edmonton in
1852. He spent most of the following winter
with the Cree and Métis of Lac la Biche,
returning to Fort Edmonton and then going to
Lac Ste. Anne.

MÉTIS, CREE, BLACKFOOT

He began accompanying Métis, Cree and
Blackfoot hunters out on the prairie on their
expeditions, just as missionaries around the
Red River had been doing for many years. He
Neysa Fennie and Paul Feeley, OMI in Cuba
often wintered with them and in this way
learning their languages. He founded St.
Albert in 1859, where he established the first experience. Unfortunately, Neysa’s father
flourmill west of the Red River, and where he took sick and she returned early.
built a bridge across the Sturgeon River. Since there will be several articles about the
trip, I’ll try and give a little background to
Lacombe was extremely fluent in Cree. His
understand our mission there. The mission
French-Cree dictionary was published in
was begun in 1997 under the auspices and
1876.
direction of Haiti and Mexico; Haiti has since
In 1884, he established Dunbow Industrial withdrawn. After the visit of Pope John Paul,
School at High River, a residential school for the door was opened a bit (the first time since
Indian children, and in 1893, a second one on 1959) for missionaries and we got in. Shortly
the Blood Reserve, plus a hospital staffed by after, the door was closed again.
the Grey Nuns. I visited Cuba in 1980 on my way back from
Peru. Since I was a lone tourist, the
In 1883, he became Calgary's first parish
immigration designated the hotel where I
priest. Ten years later he returned to
would stay and not move from. I could walk
Edmonton and served at St. Joachim Parish.
around the streets but not talk to anyone nor
He established Midnapore Home in Calgary
buy anything. The Cubans were not allowed
in 1906, and lived there until his death on
to talk to foreign tourists nor enter the hotel.
Dec. 12, 1916.
This trip in 2011 was entirely different and
MISSION TOURISM - reflects the tremendous transition occurring in
Cuba.
CUBA
Neysa organized a “mission tourism – cuba” First of all, this was a group visiting OMI
Feb. 5-14. Including Neysa, we were tourists missions. An OMMI, secretary of the Nuncio,
from Prince George, Victoria, Vancouver, heard we were coming. She applied to the
Calgary, Major (SK) and Toronto. It was, government for permission under the new law
according to all accounts, a fabulous allowing a special visa for missionary visits.
This meant we could live where we wanted

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Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011

and move around freely … an entirely acknowledged that the socialist program had
different atmosphere from 1980! run it’s course.

No dollars are allowed. You have to exchange We should also look at the government-
for Cuban Tourist Money … $ 1.00 CTM = church relationship. Fidel was educated by
$1.12 Canadian. The money that the Cubans the Jesuits. Several years ago, Fray Beto (a
use is different: $1.00 CTM = 25 Cuban Brazilian Dominican) interviewed Fidel and
National Money. It’s when you go to do wrote the result as a book entitled “Fidel and
something that you understand. In Canadian Religion”. So it’s a complicated reality.
money for a bus ride, the Cubans pay about
The root of the revolt in Cuba was simply to
$0.05 whereas the tourist pays $3.00.
get rid of Bautista, the ruler dictator
Austerity is the picture … and I stress the supported by the Church. Even into the early
word austerity as opposed to misery that you ‘50s, there was no animosity against the
see in so many other Latin American church. Only towards the end of the uprising,
countries. The people seem to be healthy and did Fidel gain control of the revolt and
there is no begging on the streets. Salaries are success was his in 1959. It’s difficult to say
very low; professionals perceive $20.00; exactly what happened in the following 3
others $15 or $10. Almost everything is years, but in 1962 Fidel declared Cuba a
owned by the government … even the taxis! socialist Marxist atheist society. With that,
… so almost everyone is a government things changed radically. All (100% ?) foreign
employee. The government eliminated church workers were expelled … and that’s
500,000 jobs last year. how we got teachers for our High School in
Comas, Peru. Many churches were turned
Each person receives a ration of food a into concert halls and museums. Schools run
month which you have to supplement buying by religious were turned into schools run by
but at prices like the bus ride. Even so, I the government or turned into government
asked a mother how much she really needs offices.
for a month (herself, her husband and 12 yr
old daughter): $100.00 Canadian. One of the Cuban priests talked about his life.
His parents did not take him to church
“Necessity is the mother of invention” is because they would not have a job if they
perhaps the best way of understanding how were recognized as church goers. So his
the Cuban survives. grandmother took him. Then he entered
I mentioned earlier the tremendous transition school and you were taught: 1) there is no
going on in the Cuban reality. One sign in the God; 2) the church is a powerful and evil
socio-economic sphere was the loss of organization (supported Bautista); and 3)
500,000 government jobs last year. And from going to church is anti-Cuban. Even baptisms
the grape vine, there is a meeting coming up seem to be held more or less in private at
in April that will be another BIG sign. night. To go to university, for example, you
Apparently, an international reporter have to sign a public document that you are
interviewed Fidel shortly before he stepped an atheist. So now they’ve had two
down. According to the reporter, Fidel generations of this formation resulting in a
vacuum of spirituality.

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Very few people go to church today … which question is: will the Cubans keep austerity as
isn’t really too surprising! But a Cuban a characteristic when it is not forced on them?
OMMI said that going to church every
The OMI have 3 pre-novices; last week 4
Sunday was never really a part of Cuban life.
young men joined them in a discernment
In spite of that, about 10 years ago the church
session. Let me introduce the pre-novices:
began a national program behind closed doors
in all the parishes. The program began with a Mario: about 28 yrs old. He is a professional
simple question: What do you fear? The result government social worker. Part of his job was
is a small number of Catholics quite to snuff out what the churches were doing,
committed and known simply as “believers”. push them aside and form a government
They carry on the evangelization and agency.
celebration of the faith in Cuba … even in the
universities! Yosvany: about 32 yrs old. He is a
professional pharmacist.
The BIG sign of transition in the government-
church area begins later this year. Until now, Alberto: about 28 yrs old. He is a professional
no religious activity could be held outside the nurse. He had a fairly high position in the
church building. Next year, Cubans celebrate health system. One of his unofficial (but
the 400th anniversary of the finding of the expected jobs) was to call certain people
statue and patron of Cuba: Our Lady of when medicines came in so they could “steal”
Charity of Copper Hill. There will be a them!!
national pilgrimage of the statue from one end Now let’s put some meat on these bones!
of the island to the other. The expectation of a
major event and result is palpable. Mario’s father is a “coronel” in the army ….
so, obviously, with no relation to the church.
I mentioned AUSTERITY as a characteristic Actually, when Mario visits his father in the
of the Cuban reality. True, we usually “barracks”, it is announced on the PA system
consider this as a voluntary life style and in that a believer is coming.
this case it is forced on the Cuban. One little
example of this really caught the imagination All these guys had to present a letter
of all of us. The best gift you can give an 8-10 renouncing their work. Because it was to
year old is a package of soda crackers!! How relate with the church, they’ll never be have a
many 10 year olds among us would be job again.
smiling gleefully and thankful for a package
Now for the OMI. I left this for the end so
of soda crackers!!! Is that a lesson for us or
you can feel a bit of the atmosphere. As I
what!!
mentioned, we got in because the door was
All the ecologists and most of the economists opened a bit after John Paul’s visit. We attend
are telling the first world that our life style is three main centres with several outlying
simply not sustainable. But so far we’re not smaller centres. I was asked to accompany the
really listening. For the moment, the UN has group to Cuba because the OMI there do not
stated that Cuba has one of the lowest carbon speak English. We have 5 OMI presently and
footprints in the world. Of course the big 1 is about to leave for health reasons.

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Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011

According to the agreement with the
government, we have permission for 8.

The hurricanes of a few years ago destroyed
one of the churches. The reconstruction plans
have to be approved by the local committee
that wants things to look as they were … so it
becomes a bit more expensive. The
government obviously doesn’t help. The
people help with what they can. So the
Bishop gets help mainly from Germany.

In the beginning, the OMI needed a car. The
process: you put your request in to the
government … but you don’t have a choice of
make, model, colour, etc. Five years later, the
government informs you that you can pick up
the assigned car (second hand). And you have
to sell it back to the same institution.

From what I could gather, the people feel
truly accompanied by the OMI … a real,
April 26, 1918-March 30, 2011
healthy feeling.

REMEMBERING PIUS People he enjoyed, but not crowds. From time
LEIBEL OMI to time he could become upset with what was
happening around him.
As people reflect on the life of our Father
When you walked into his small house in
Pius they all begin with ‘this was always a
Wilkie, Saskatchewan, where he lived from
man who stood in the background. He was
1994 until he had to come to Mazenod in
plain and very ordinary. He liked his time of
Saskatoon because of his need for extra care
being solitary but also very much liked a one-
(May, 2005), you were struck with the
to- one friendship where he could talk and tell
simplicity. He was not a man who acquired
stories. In these situations he was very
things for himself. He could remark from
animated and talkative. He was blest with a
time to time that “poverty was great for me.”
very good memory that spiced the
conversation. His conversations were very
There was a very strong streak of
often flowing with teasing and humorous
independence in this man. He did not like
remarks.
people doing things for him that he felt he
should be doing for himself. In 2005, it was
He enjoyed his fellow Oblates and often
only when he could no longer cope on his
would pepper them with questions about what
own, that he consented to move from the
is going on.

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Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011

hospital into the care that the Mazenod Pius was the youngest of a family of seven
Community could provide. and the last surviving member of his siblings
and their spouses. Many of his nieces and
His entire ministry of fifty years was spent in nephews are now of a significant age. He was
small Saskatchewan rural parishes. Several predeceased by an older brother, Peter, also
times he was reassigned to parishes he had an Oblate, who died of cancer in 1944.
once served which was always a sign that he The last six years of Pius’ life were difficult.
was accepted and well liked. Rural parish He suffered dementia and needed complete
ministry was where he fitted best and where care. The Oblate Community and his long
he ministered by choice. He began his priestly time friend, Annette Gutting, are so
ministry in 1944. He was very gifted in appreciative of the care the nursing staff at
visiting the sick and ministering to the dying. Mazenod gave him for almost six years.
He reflected that “his priesthood meant a lot His death was very quiet and was received as
to him.” He had paid a high price to be a a true blessing. Pius was relieved of his long
priest and he “would never surrender it.” years of suffering.

Pius was formed in religious life and prepared We celebrated his funeral in Saskatoon, April
for priesthood with a different sense of 04, 2011, surrounded by many nieces and
Church from that which emerged after the nephews, his Oblate confreres and friends of
Second Vatican Council (1965). He proved to the Oblates. We were especially grateful for
be a man very open to the changes and the long friendship and assistance that
challenges that were thrown his way. He liked Annette Gutting gave to Father Pius
Vatican II and was often heard to say that he throughout the years. Burial was in our
“liked it. It was high time!” He also shared a Oblate Cemetery in Battleford, in the same
strong ecumenical outlook and respected the cemetery that his older brother Peter was
other churches. buried sixty seven years ago.

His prayer life was a strong feature of his life. UPCOMING DISCERNMENT
In fact, the first thing that you would observe WEEKENDS
when you dropped into his small house in Here are two vocation discernment
Wilkie was the huge brown rosary that hung opportunities for the coming months. Please
over the legs of his metal walker. There was a take a moment and consider who you might
very strong devotion to the Blessed invite to be part of one of the weekends, and
Sacrament, to Mary and to the Little Flower. give them a call. If you have any questions
In his later years it was more apparent just regarding these retreats or vocations ministry
how much time and energy he had given to please get in touch with me. Ken Thorson
the ministry of preaching. As soon as one OMI
Sunday was finished he would begin
preparing for the next Sunday. He was not a May 20-23… Retreat in the Rockies
man to ever be satisfied with himself. He
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
always knew that he could do better the
will host a discernment retreat in Canmore,
following Sunday.
AB for young men (18 - 35 years) who are

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Volume 8, Number 15
May 06, 2011

interested in learning about discernment, and Sr Mary Jane Beavis (306) 244
something about religious life. We’ll be 0726 maryjane.beavis@gmail.com
hiking, praying, and of course talking about Fr Ken Thorson OMI (613) 884
our journey with God, with Canmore and the 4144 vocations@omilacombe.ca
Rockies as our backdrop. Join with others like
yourself who are seeking to know God’s will
for their lives. The weekend will begin on
Friday at 7:00 p.m. and finish on Monday ANNOUNCEMENT:
with lunch. Accommodation and food are Oblate Mission Travel- Peru Mission Trip,
provided. There is no charge for this retreat. July 2011. Experience life with the Oblates
[Read More] in Peru on this 2-3 week mission trip. For
more than 50 years, the Peru/Canada Oblate
For more information or to register contact: relationship has flourished. This mission will
take us from the busy, inner city parishes in
Fr Ken Thorson OMI at 613 884 4144 or Lima along the coast to Chincha, Alta,
heavily damaged by the 2007 earthquake. We
Fr Mike Dechant OMI at 780 460 4269
will travel to the high Andes and the missions
vocations@omilacombe.ca
of Orcotuna and Aucayacu. Finally, we will
June 2-5… Seeking God’s Will in Northern travel by boat to Sta. Clotilde deep in the
Saskatchewan jungle along the Napo River where Father
Moe Shroder’s hospital was founded almost
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate 30 years ago. It will be the experience of a
and the Sisters of the Presentation will host a lifetime. For more information, contact Neysa
retreat weekend for young women and men or Teresa at 604 736 3972 or
(18-35 years) who are interested in discerning nmfinnie@yahoo.com or
God’s path in their lives. We’ll be camping at teresa@nfinnie.com.
St John Bosco Camp, three hourse north east
of Saskatoon. Bosco is a northern camp set There is also a mission trip to Kenya
and will provide us the opportunity to listen September 14-October 04 led by Fr. Ken
for God’s voice in the beauty of nature, as Thorson, OMI.
well as in our prayer and conversation
throughout the weekend. In addition to some
good food and some good fun, this retreat
weekend will offer you some principles of
discernment and prayer, and will give you the
opportunity to spend some time talking with
priests and sisters. Please get in touch with Fr
Ken or Sister Mary Jane for more details
about the weekend.

[Read More]

For more information or to register contact:

Page 9 of 9

Info lacombe english may 06 no 15

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