I think I should write something in English...

... because I recognized through my new Pagetracker that somebody in Ontario had a look onto this webside.

Ok - I have been here in Chateh since the beginning of December - and I really appriciate to stay here. Chateh is a reserve of the Dene Thá Band. It is in one of the most remote places of Alberta in the north. The next settlements are Rainbow Lake (about 60km East) and High Level (105 km West). The distance to the Archepiscopal Chancery is more than 500 km. Chateh belongs to the Region of High Level with the Parishes/Missions: (from the most western beginning) Garden River, Fox Lake (both Flight-In-Communities in Summer - in Winter there are winter roads after the freezing of the Rivers in that area), John d'Or Prairie, Fort Vermilion, High Level, Meander River, Paddle Prairie, Chateh and Rainbow Lake. Since December there have been only two Sisters of an Religious Order in John d'Or Prairie (they are there since the late 50s), one lay Minister in Fort Vermillion (Monika Schmidt - she keeps with her energy and manageral skills all together - like a dean), F. Henry in High Level and I in Assumption. With the beginning of summer there will be additionally a priest in Fox Lake and I will get a successor here in Chateh.

My assignment here is to be present, celebrate masses on Sunday, and stay for the people here. It is not on me to make big pastoral stuff here - only being present for the sacraments and for the people.

One thing I learned: Pastoral work in Native Communities is rather challenging. They are really faithfull in their way - and as I wrote the last sentence, so does it be. They need a lot of rosaries and Holy Water - but Sunday Masses are not really part of their religious conception. Sometimes I feel like a catholic shamane. But as I told you - they are really faithfull - in their way. Every catholic priest is well adwised to value this fact - but also based on this fact to develop a faithful community of church out of these primarily individual faithful people - but therefore is a lot of patience required.

I myself will leave this area after the Mass in Meander River on 21st of June. Then I will drive to Edmonton to pick up my nephew for a big journey to the far North. We are going to travell through Northern BC and Youkon Territories to Inuvik - take there a plane for an excursion to Herschel Island and than travell back to McLennan. There I have to give back the Truck. After that we take the bus to Vancouver and from there I will depart on 20th of July.

I hope you will have a look onto this blog furhtermore even I almost only write in German - but I think there are enough German speaking people almost everywhere in Canada, so they possibly can tell you, what I wrote.

But for the following year I will try to write a similar blog about my experiences at home (and that I'll do in English --- really) - I'll also deliver some pictures and even short films on Youtube - I will start this at least in the end of July (so you can likely follow some reports of the trip of the altar servers in my home parish to Rome)

God bless you

(I hope, I didn't make too many mistakes in the text above)