We follow the Pope to Lac Sainte Anne, pilgrimage site sacred for generations
But visiting unmarked graves at residential schools proved too painful
When we travel, we almost always visit a church somewhere along the way so we can light two candles: one for friends and family back home, another for us travelers.
And so it was on the eve of our arrival in the Canadian Rockies that we followed in the footsteps of Pope Francis and visited Lac Sainte Anne, an hour’s drive west of Edmonton, three hours east of Jasper.
First called Wakamne (or “God’s Lake”) by the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation who live on the west end of the lake and Manito Sahkahigan (or “Spirit Lake”) by the Cree, the lake was named “Lac Sainte Anne” by Rev. Jean-Baptiste Thibault, the first Catholic priest to establish a mission on the site in 1842. Before then, the pilgrimage grounds had been sacred for generations of peoples and had become widely known as a place of healing.
According to Alexis’ oral history, a long time ago a charismatic Nakota chief from the south-east followed his vision and led his people to the shores of the sacred Lake Wakamne. Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation people lived on the site long before the arrival of European fur traders and settlers. The lake and the surrounding area is rich in natural resources and during the early fur trade it used to supply Fort Edmonton with fish. To this day, it remains a spiritual centre celebrated during each annual pilgrimage.
The first annual pilgrimage to Sainte Anne took place in July, 1889. Over the years the Lac Sainte Anne pilgrimage has continued on an annual basis and always during the week of July 26 (the feast day of Sainte Anne mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary). The grandmother figure has a very strong importance within aboriginal culture.
The annual pilgrimage in honour of Saint Anne is one of the most unique and memorable spiritual gatherings in North America.
Here’s a video that illustrates why Lac Sainte Anne is revered:
Lac Sainte Anne Parish is a Roman Catholic church located at the pilgrimage site, operating all year round.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) have continuously served the area since 1852. We had a chance meet and chat with Father Les Kwiatkowski OMI, the current pastor, and Father Mark Bloom OMI, the assistant pastor.
Our visit came about a month following the visit by Pope Francis who spent an afternoon at the largest annual pilgrimage site for Indigenous peoples and Catholics in western Canada. Some 10,000 faithful, mainly First Nations, were present for his visit to Lac Sainte Anne.
Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, visited Canada to deliver an historic apology for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s ugly residential school system that forced Indigenous children into boarding schools where they were isolated from their families, culture and language.
As many as 6,000 children died while attending residential schools, many buried in unmarked graves that are being discovered across Canada. When we started planning our trip last winter, we discussed visiting one of the grave sites, but decided against it. Simply too painful, too sad to bear.
TRIP DATA
Day 14: 4,125 kilometres from home
Next stop: We’ll overnight in Hinton, Alberta, as a wildfire north of Jasper has forced a change in our itinerary.