Following the Mass in the Commonwealth Stadium of Edmonton, on Tuesday, Pope Francis celebrates a Liturgy of the Word at Lac Ste. Anne, one of the most sacred sites for Indigenous peoples of North America, long known as a place of healing. In his homily he says that Indigenous Peoples and grandparents are a precious treasure of the Church. Thousands of pilgrims welcomed Pope Francis as he joined their annual pilgrimage to the sacred shores of Lac Ste. Anne this afternoon.
It was named after St. Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, by a Quebecois Catholic missionary, who launched the pilgrimage in the late 19th century, celebrating the week of her Feast Day, on 26 July.
The Pope further remarked that silently contemplating these waters where “the maternal heartbeat of the earth” can be sensed, inspires us to return to the sources of life and of our faith. “Indeed - he said - it allows us, in spirit, to visit the holy places, to imagine Jesus, who carried out much of his ministry on the shores of a lake: the Sea of Galilee”.
“I would like to say to all those families with elderly people at home: you possess a treasure! Guard this source of life within your homes: take care of it, as a precious legacy to be loved and cherished.”
Pope Francis, again, emphasized the role of mothers and grandmothers in the Indigenous communities also in helping to heal those wounds, referring specifically to the figure of the grandmother of God, who was introduced to the Indigenous Peoples in Canada by the missionaries through an effective process of inculturation.
In his final words the Pope expressed hope that the Church may advance helping the healing process of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, reiterating how precious they are to him and the Church.
Source: Vatican News; Photo credit: Archdiocese of Edmonton
|