Thousands of people are making preparations to head to Edmonton to see the Pope over the next week, including a number of excited Indigenous Christians from Canada’s north.
Supported and financed by their local McKenzie-Fort Smith diocese, 40 people from across the Northwest Territories will land in Edmonton Saturday, ahead of Pope Francis on Sunday.
“I’m very excited,” laughed Anglican Reverend Mabel Brown.
Brown lives in Inuvik, N.W.T., and was thrilled to be invited to make the journey.
Metis mother-daughter duo Susan and Nicole Enge from Fort Smith, N.W.T. will be joining Brown in the territory’s capital to hop on a flight south.
“It’s an incredibly long drive to get to Yellowknife. That’s about an eight-hour drive just to get there,” Nicole said. “Then we’ll be taking a charter the next day.”
But they say the long travelling hours are worth it.
“This is a way for me to begin to close that chapter in a healthy and healing way,” Susan said.
“I think the best way we can all do that as Christians is by forgiveness, and the Pope acknowledging the errors and sins of the past.”
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The group will witness all three of the Pope’s stops in Alberta — the mass at Commonwealth stadium, the pilgrimage at Lac Ste. Anne and the residential school’s apology in Maskwacis.
“We want to be there to hear it. We want to be there to see what’s happening,” Brown said.
She wishes the Pope well and is hopeful he will be open with his sentiments.
“Apologies have been read from papers, read from scripts and everything like that, but we need to hear something from the heart this time.”
Nicole echoed that statement. She said for her, the apology is personal.
“My grandma went to residential school, and for me being a younger person, I can really see the effects of that trickle down through the family.”
Her mom said this visit is a big part of reconciliation. Her mother (Nicole’s grandmother) has passed away but they said they’ll be holding her in their hearts throughout their journey in Edmonton.
“This trip I’m making is for my mother, in many ways,” Susan said.
“That will probably really make me cry. Those will be tears of sadness, but joy too. That her hurts and pains are being looked at right now and acknowledged by the Pope.”
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She’s happy the trip to Edmonton is being made with fellow residents of the Northwest Territories and said they’ll be able to lean on each other for support.
“You know when you share your story with someone, you just feel better,” Susan said. “When you can share it with other people, you feel like you’re not alone — that’s why I like this trip that we’re making together.”