Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Father Joe Daley says he feels like he's back home.

After leaving the community in 2008 to serve in the Athabasca region in northern Saskatchewan, he is now back in Yellowknife.

Bishop Murray Chatlain, left, and Father Joe Daley have been working side by side for the past two weeks, after which Chatlain will leave to fill his position as archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas, Man. on Monday, and Daley will help with administrative duties at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith until a new bishop is chosen. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Daley is taking over the administrative duties of the Roman Catholic Diocese of the Mackenzie-Fort Smith after Bishop Murray Chatlain takes his leave next week to settle into his new role as archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas, Man.

Pope Benedict XVI selected Chatlain for the position, and although the Pope is leaving his post as the head of the Roman Catholic Church at the end of the month, Chatlain said this does not change his path.

Pope Benedict, who is leaving due to health issues, is the first to resign from the position in more than 600 years, due to health issues.

On Feb. 16, the community gathered in the St. Patrick High School foyer to say thank you to Chatlain and welcome back to Daley.

The 71-year-old is no stranger to the North, having first been the pastor at St. Patrick's Parish from 1989 to 1991. He had only made a two-year agreement and returned home to Miramichi, N.B.

"I didn't want to leave and yet I had made an agreement. I went home, and never really left the North," said Daley.

Daley's next stint in the NWT was from 1996 to 2002 when he served in Fort Simpson and the Deh Cho region. He then moved to Yellowknife to work from 2002 to 2008 before being called to take over as parish priest of the northern-most and remote communities of Saskatchewan such as Black Lake, Stony Rapids and Fond-du-Lac.

Daley said he is following in the footsteps of Murray, who served in northern Saskatchewan from 2002-2006, before becoming bishop of the Mackenzie-Fort Smith.

"Murray became bishop and it was agreed that I would move to that region that we call the Athabasca region," said Daley.

Daley has been vicar general for a few years now - second in command to the bishop. He will act as administrator and facilitate the day-to-day workings of the diocese until a new bishop is chosen, which could be in six months, or as long as a few years.

"It's pretty natural that he would be the acting administrator at that time," said Chatlain.

"For me, I'm very grateful that Father Joe is able to come and do this role because it's a very smooth transition. It's not like the people are being abandoned, or there's no continuity ... He's here to help the ship to continue going in a good way."

For Daley, although he only arrived back in Yellowknife this month, the transition has been seamless.

"I just found that the last couple of days since being back, just meeting so many people, and it's really feeling like home again," he said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.