Everything you need to know about the Pope's Tuesday mass, Lac Ste. Anne visit

The Pope is scheduled to visit the largest annual pilgrimage site Indigenous Peoples and Catholics in western Canada on Tuesday. Here's what you need to know.

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is visiting Canada to apologize to Indigenous Peoples for the role the church played in residential and day schools.

According to the Pope's official itinerary, he will visit the site northwest of Edmonton Tuesday afternoon after celebrating an outdoor mass at Commonwealth Stadium and welcome Indigenous pilgrims and Catholics from throughout Canada and the U.S.

MASS SCHEDULE

Tickets to the 10:15 a.m. mass at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium are sold out. Attendees were told to arrive by 8:30 a.m. to allow time for traffic and screening protocols. 

Francis is expected to set off on a tour in the Popemobile starting at Clarke Field at 9:15 a.m. and arrive at the football stadium around 9:45 a.m. 

The Pope's vestments will wear feature traditional Indigenous decorations which were handmade by Julia Kozak, a traditional dancer from the Nisga’a Nation on the west coast of British Columbia. 

According to organizers, a woman from the Enoch community will proclaim the first reading. 

Later in the program, four Indigenous women from Alberta and Saskatchewan will present petitions on behalf of the congregation "for the needs of the gathered community and the whole world." 

Elders will also have a role. 

At the end of the mass, Edmonton archbishop and papal visit coordinator Richard Smith will give the expression of gratitude. 

The missal is available found online, as is more information about getting to Commonwealth Stadium. 

LAC STE. ANNE PROGRAM

The Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation first called the lake Wakamne, or God's Lake. The Cree named the site Manito Sahkahigan, or Spirit Lake. For generations, the lake was a traditional gathering place for ceremony and trade.

Rev. Jean-Baptiste Thibault, the first Catholic priest to create a mission in the area, called the lake Lac Ste. Anne.

Since 1889, the first recorded pilgrimage to the site was organized. It continues to this day, always during the week of July 26, the feast day of St. Anne.

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GETTING TO LAC STE. ANNE 

Those travelling to attend the pilgrimage are encouraged to register for park-and-ride buses.

No private vehicles will be allowed on the event grounds, with several area highways affected by rolling closures or traffic restrictions.

Park-and-ride shuttles will operate between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with officials saying arrivals after 2 p.m. are unlikely to get to the area in time due to the high volume of traffic expected.

There are six locations from where approved park-and-ride transit will depart from:

• Langford Park (north of Highway 16 and south of Township Road 534 along Highway 765);
• Villeneuve Airport (Range Raod 270A in Calahoo, Alta.);
• Mayerthorpe Airport (south of Township Road 574 along Range road 85);
• Lafarge Gravel Pit (near Highway 633 and Range Road 20);
• Highway 633 Site (near Highway 633 and Highway 757); and
• Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation (near the Ish Nish Gas Bar).

No tickets will be required to attend the open seating event, but organizers with the Archdiocese of Edmonton say there will be reserved areas for residential school survivors and Indigenous People.

Anyone travelling to the site that has booked a private bus will need to stop at one of the park-and-ride locations for security screening and bus accreditation.

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ADDITIONAL INFO

The event will proceed regardless of the weather. Organizers encourage attendees to be prepared for the weather and bring everything they need for the day, including water and snacks, in a small bag.

"We want to ensure Elders, survivors and those accompanying them are treated with dignity, care and respect," the archdiocese said in a statement.

"Please make every effort to support those who may have a challenging physical journey but also an emotionally difficult one."

Spiritual, cultural, and mental wellness support teams will be available at the event, organizers add.

The events at Lac Ste. Anne will be livestreamed online on CTVNews.ca from 4 to 6 p.m. 

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If you are a former residential school survivor in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.