Bishops reflect on La Loche shooting
Third annual dinner event fundraises for isolated Northern communities
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Monday, February 1, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A school shooting weighed heavily at the Weledeh Catholic School's third annual Bishop's Dinner in Yellowknife on Jan. 23.
The incident that left many wounded and four dead had occurred only a day earlier in La Loche, Sask., a community populated by under 3,000 people - mostly Dene.
A 17-year-old has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder.
Two teachers and two young men, both related to the accused, were killed and five others were injured.
In a presentation, Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith presented an overview of some of the challenges faced by the large diocese.
Offering an opening prayer for the people of the northwest Saskatchewan community, he said those who feel marginalized or struggle with mental illness in isolated areas face similar challenges.
The need for wellness facilities to support young people and culturally sensitive, on-the-land health programs is common in the North, he said. The church has been involved in working more closely with the community wellness centre in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, to come up with spiritual healing programs this past year after a young man committed suicide in the hamlet.
"(La Loche) is a real tragedy and La Loche is such an extreme situation that hurts people at a raw level right now," said Hagemoen.
"I mentioned the young fellow in Cambridge Bay who committed suicide last spring and it is a particular example because he was a really talented guy with a son and girlfriend.
A little bit of the blessing that came out of the real tragedy was that the wellness centre is making strides in Cambridge Bay to establish itself. They expressed an interest to work with the diocese in terms of coming up with some healing initiatives and some supports. I said, 'Right on. Let's look at that.'"
He said the church needs to fulfill its role of being a "people of hope" by not only ensuring traditional religious services like mass or prayer meetings are offered regularly to respond to personal crises but that buildings are functional and that the church is working with others including aboriginal leaders and other churches to uplift citizens.
Hagemoen has been bishop of the diocese for more than two years after replacing now-Archbishop Murray Chatlain of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas - which encompasses La Loche.
Liz Baile, one of the organizers and founders of the dinner, said the main goal is to raise awareness among parishioners and the business community of the broader challenges of the dioceses in the North.
Chatlain was a big supporter of the Bishop's Dinner to fundraise for the more needy areas of the diocese, said Baile.
"You look at La Loche right now ... this is a very religious town," she said.
"People go to the church in times of tragedy and need and that is very much the way it is in the Northwest Territories. The church has a very important place and people go there a lot."
The dinner brought out about 130 people to see the Weledeh Jiggers, a group of 30 students involved in a school club that promotes aboriginal traditional dance.
Commissioner Tony Whitford acted as master of ceremonies and members of the Filipino dance group Couples for Christ performed a dance routine and made 500 egg rolls for the event. Ndilo Chief Ernest Betsina was also present and opened the dinner with a welcome.
MLAs Kevin O'Reilly and Julie Green were also in attendance.
