Indigenous congregation in Edmonton's inner city welcomes visit from Pope Francis
CBC
An elder at an Indigenous church in central Edmonton says a visit from Pope Francis will mark a sacred time for the congregation.
The Pope will visit the newly-restored Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton's inner city on July 25 during his historic visit to Canada.
Fernie Marty, an elder from the Papaschase First Nation who worships and serves at Sacred Heart, said he feels grateful for the pending visit and the healing it will provide.
Sometime during his Canadian trip, Francis is expected to deliver an apology for the harms suffered by Indigenous people at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church.
"It's a sacred time, the Pope coming to Canada and especially Sacred Heart — the church of the Indigenous peoples," Marty said.
The church has been closed since 2020 when it was heavily damaged by fire.
"It's two years that people haven't been in their church," Father Mark Blom, an associate pastor at Sacred Heart, said Thursday.
"So the culmination of having the church return to the people, at the same time as Pope Francis is coming to visit, is really a great moment of faith and just joy."
The 109-year-old building, at 108th Avenue and 96th Street in the McCauley neighbourhood, is one of Edmonton's oldest churches. It opened in 1913 to serve a rapidly expanding population and has since become a refuge for many Indigenous worshippers.
In 1991, Joseph MacNeil, then archbishop of Edmonton, designated the church a national parish for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people — the first of its kind in Canada.
"It's a unique church, located right in the inner city," Marty said. He said the church regularly serves people experiencing homelessness.
"We have a unique history happening here and [the Pope's visit is] important for myself, for my own personal healing to continue."
The pontiff will make three main stops during his Canadian visit during the last week of July: Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit.
Alberta's capital city will be his first stop. Francis will arrive on July 24 and take part in a brief ceremony at Edmonton International Airport.
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