'Largest spiritual Indigenous gathering' to return during Pope's visit to Alberta

People are getting ready to return to Wakamne, God's Lake, on pilgrimage when the Pope visits Alberta.

Rev. Garry LaBoucane remembers going to Wakamne -- or God's Lake -- during the Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage as a boy.

"It was always a family tradition," the 74-year-old said in an interview from Vancouver, where he's a Metis priest at Sacred Heart Parish.

He remembers sleeping in a pup tent near the cemetery with his grandfather, attending Latin church services he didn't understand and meeting people from all walks of life.

"It was a social time, visiting with family," LaBoucane said before the Vatican announced a visit to the sacred lake west of Edmonton would be part of Pope Francis' planned trip to Canada next month.

"It's a pilgrimage, a time to pray, a time to be with other nations. It's the largest spiritual Indigenous gathering in North America."

The annual pilgrimage had grown to about 40,000 people in 2019 -- the year before it shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's to resume in person this year from July 25 to 28.

The papal visit is set to start in Edmonton on July 24, move on to the Quebec City area on July 27 and end in Iqaluit on July 29. It is to include public and private events with an emphasis on Indigenous participation.