Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage concludes after 'very special' visit by Pope Francis

Another year of pilgrimage at Lac Ste. Anne has wrapped up, with organizers saying it was another success.

For the first time since the pandemic, the annual event was celebrated — with the special addition of having the head of the Roman Catholic Church attend.

John Harvard, pilgrimage coordinator, estimated approximately 10,000 people attended Tuesday during the Papal visit, with an average of 15,000 people a day coming throughout the rest of the week.

The pilgrimage is regarded as the largest annual gathering for Indigenous People and Catholics in western Canada. 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

The first Catholic pilgrimage to the site was recorded in 1889, with the tradition continuing to this day and always starting on July 26 — the traditional feast day of St. Anne.

Martha Lavoucan has attended the event every year since she was a child, saying it is a deeply emotional experience.

"It's really nice to be here," she told CTV News Edmonton. "To come pray. Meet other people. I've made a lot of friends here from all over."

This year Pope Francis attended the event on Tuesday as part of what he described as a penitential visit to Canada to advance the Church's journey toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

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"I feel that was very special," said Roderick Alexis, whose given name is One Man. "He accepted us."

Roderick said he appreciated that the head of the Catholic Church recognized the hurt caused by residential schools.

"For him to be here, was an acknowledgment," Roderick added. "There's so many things that were in our way. We still survived. Today we are stronger."

His wife Doreen Alexis, whose given name is Woman Who Helps People, said she got the opportunity to meet him and shake his hand.

"I just looked at his eyes, and I couldn't even speak," Doreen said.

"We all need healing," she added. "Faith is what we hang onto, regardless of how things are."

For those who attended the Papal visit Tuesday, Harvard said they had an intimate experience, with smaller than initially anticipated crowds.

"It didn't work quite the way we wanted it to go," he told CTV News, adding there were complications with the park-and-ride shuttles and road closures. "But for those who did show up, it was an extra special day."

"(The Pope) could easily have driven down to the lake in his popemobile," Harvard added. "(Instead), he went down in his wheelchair. For all the people that were watching him all the way down to the lake, they got to see a vision of Pope Francis that was so much closer than what anybody else would've seen for a long time."

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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.