A ‘Historic and Sacred Space’

July 25, 2022

An Indigenous parish church in Alberta is renovated with help from Knights in advance of visit July 25 by Pope Francis

By Elisha Valladares-Cormier

July 25, 2022

Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Edmonton celebrates a rededication Mass at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples on July 17. (Photo by Lincoln Ho)

Two years after a devastating fire rendered Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton unusable, the church has been renovated and rededicated ahead of schedule — just in time to welcome Pope Francis, who is making a pastoral visit to Canada July 24-29 focused on healing and reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous community. The renovation was made possible, in part, through the support of local Knights of Columbus and the Supreme Council.

“What a feeling you have when a dire need is happening, and you have the Knights of Columbus [to help],” said Father Susai Jesu, who has served as pastor of Sacred Heart since 2017. Originally from India, Father Jesu is a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and a member of the Knights.

Sacred Heart Church, built in 1913, has been a spiritual home for the country’s Indigenous Catholics since it was established as the first national parish for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in 1991. In August 2020, an accidental fire caused major damage to the church’s interior leaving its parishioners grief-stricken.

“You could see people walking around with tears running down their face. It was just heartbreaking,” said Ronald Martineau, secretary of the parish finance council and a member of Frog Lake First Nation, as well as St. Christopher Council 4788 in Edmonton.

The community was forced to celebrate Sunday Mass in a school gym for almost two years. The discovery of asbestos and subsequent decisions to renovate the parish, including the installation of a new heating system, drove the cost to more than CA$9 million. Insurance would cover CA$7 million of that, but a shortfall of CA$2 million was left for a community that didn’t have the means to cover it.

Recognizing the importance of restoring this place of worship for Indigenous Catholics, Knights in Alberta, led by Past State Deputy Wally Streit, have raised more than CA$155,000 to support renovation efforts. Meanwhile, members of Council 4788, a number of whom are Sacred Heart parishioners, made contributions to the parish’s charitable ministries, which continued to operate despite the closure of the church.

The Supreme Council also contributed $50,000 to restore the “historic and sacred space” of Sacred Heart Church. In a letter to Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Edmonton, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said supporting the restoration of Sacred Heart “adds another important dimension to the Order’s ongoing efforts to aid Indigenous communities both in Canada and in the United States.”

Father Jesu invited Pope Francis to visit his parish this past spring, shortly after the pope met with Indigenous leaders in the Vatican and apologized for abuses committed in Catholic-run residential schools in Canada. Upon the Holy Father’s acceptance and the scheduling of his visit, arrangements were made to expedite the church’s renovation, which wasn’t slated to be complete until November.

Among the Indigenous cultural designs introduced in the church’s remodel were a set of tall teepee poles that rose up over the new altar, which was crafted from a large tree trunk.

Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Edmonton celebrated a rededication Mass at Sacred Heart Church on July 17 — a week before the pope’s scheduled July 25 visit. It was the first time that many parishioners had been inside the building since 2020.

Fernie Marty, a parish elder and member of Council 4788, said he felt honored to participate in this historic event.

“It’s been a tremendous burden lifted off our shoulders,” Marty told the Edmonton Journal. “This is more our home than anything else and it has been for a long, long time.”

Father Jesu added, “As a pastor, I am grateful to all the Knights who have generously donated. They are participating in raising up Indigenous cultural traditions and honoring them this way.”

*****

ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER is associate editor of Columbia and a member of Bishop John Mussio Council 9804 at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

Students and staff members of Holy Innocents School stand before custom-printed fencing screens donated by Msgr. John Cawley
Council 3629 in Lakewood, Calif., in 2022. The screens provide much-needed privacy to the playground of the school, which is
located in a busy urban neighborhood in Long Beach.

A ‘Historic and Sacred Space’

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