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Full-time Father

Inuvik welcomes new priest

Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 20/02) - After a seven-year vacancy, Inuvik's Igloo Church has a full-time priest.

Father Lester Kaufmann arrived in Inuvik earlier this month.

He said he was very impressed with the support staff as well as the congregation at his first service.

"They were very responsive and the music was very good," Kaufmann said.

Originally from Leipzig, Sask., Kaufmann was ordained Oct. 7, 1954 on his last year of seminary training.

His first posting was at St. Mary's Parish in Regina where he stayed for five years.

"I was an assistant, but also the chaplain to the general hospital -- a very large hospital," he said. "When you're younger you can work pretty hard."

Now a spry 73, he attributes his health to a regular workout.

"I've been on the government payroll for eight years now," he said. "I can still do 150 pushups, but not fast; it takes me about three-quarters of an hour to do them."

Last week, he left Holdfast, Sask., where he lived and worked for six years before getting the Inuvik position.

When Kaufmann first heard about the job from the archbishop, he was intrigued and grew more and more interested in getting the Northern post.

"I was very pleased to have the opportunity to come and serve up here," he said. "It's a very warm and welcoming community; I've found it very friendly."

"I wasn't looking for adventure, so much as an epistle," he said.

Kaufmann said he pushed for the posting in Inuvik, because it is more of what the Oblate priests are trained for.

"A comfortable, well-established parish in southern Canada is not missionary, but they're short of priests, so it's sometimes necessary," he said.

Soon after his arrival, Sister Mary Jo took him on a tour of the Igloo Church along with a group of tourists.

"It's very special and unique," Kaufmann said. "It is extraordinarily well-built; the architecture is wonderful."

He said the church is a fine example how the Catholics have always tried to adopt an image suitable to the region.

"The church should accept and adapt to the culture of the area and the Catholic Church does that," he said. "Having an igloo is very adaptive to this area."

While he was prepared for anything, the warm fall weather was a pleasant welcome for the town's new priest.

"The weather has been outstanding," he beamed. "And the days are still longer than they are down south."

He's well-aware of the cold and darkness that are to follow, but is looking forward to serving his congregation.