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Faithful prepare for Lac Ste Anne pilgrimage

Algal bloom could mar holy celebration
1307 Pilgrimage 4720 km
HOLY WATERS — Louis Beaver of Wabasca, Alta., carries a large cross through Lac Ste. Anne during the Blessing of the Lake during the 2007 Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage. The senior in the wheelchair was kicking her legs in the water as the cross passed. Some 30,000 people are expected to head to Lac Ste. Anne July 20-25 for this year's pilgrimage.

Scores of St. Albert, Sturgeon, and Alexander residents will head to Lac Ste Anne in a week’s time to partake in its healing powers – that is, if an algal bloom doesn’t spoil the show.

Some 30,000 people will head to Lac Ste. Anne on July 20 for the annual Lac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage. Established in 1889, the pilgrimage draws Catholics (many of whom are Indigenous) from across the continent for a six-day celebration of faith and spirituality.

“This year we might have some problems as we already have blue-green algae in the lake,” said pilgrimage co-organizer Father Les Kwiatkowski.

Alberta Health Services issued a notice July 5 that toxic blue-green algae had been spotted on the lake and advised against swimming where it was present. That could be an issue for the pilgrimage, which traditionally sees hundreds of participants wade into the lake after a priest has blessed it. The advisory noted that any part of the lake that didn’t have these blooms was safe to use for recreation.

Kwiatkowski said organizers hope the algae won’t be an issue, but if it is, they’ll just bless the lake from the shore and forgo wading into it as they did when there was a similar problem three years ago. Many guests ignored the advisory and went into the lake anyway back then, he noted.

“‘I don’t care what this white man said, this is holy water for me,’” he recalled one woman telling him back then.

Holy site

Lac Ste. Anne was considered a holy site by Indigenous peoples long before European priests arrived, Kwiatkowski explained.

“In the (Alexis) Nakota Sioux language, (the lake) is called Wakamne,” he said, which means “God’s Lake.”

Father Jean-Baptiste Thibault blessed the lake as Lac Ste. Anne after he established the first Catholic mission there in 1844, Kwiatkowski said. Local Indigenous residents were OK with the new name, as grandmothers were held in high regard in Indigenous culture and Saint Anne was the grandmother of Jesus.

Historians say St. Albert priest Jean-Marie Lestanc started the pilgrimage in 1889 after an inspirational visit to the St. Anne d’Aurey shrine in France. The event has traditionally happened around July 26, the feast day of Ste. Anne, ever since.

Calahoo resident Celina Loyer said she and her husband Darrell have attended the pilgrimage every year since 1985 as they are devout Catholics and have historic ties to it – two of Darrell’s ancestors were at the first one 130 years ago, and one of hers was at the second. Darrell has actually been going to the pilgrimage for all of his 63 years of life.

“It’s just considered a very holy place to those who go there,” Celina said.

The pilgrimage consists of many religious events, Celina said, including masses, confession, and enactments of the Stations of the Cross. Some guests camp out all week, while others come for just a single event. Many will spend a lot of time socializing with friends and family they might not see any other time of the year.

The main event of the pilgrimage is the Blessing of the Lake, which this year will be at 3 p.m. on July 21. Guests traditionally wade into the lake after the blessing to be healed by it. Some take samples of the holy water to use later.

“People do believe that the water has healing powers,” Celina said, and many miracles have been attributed to it.

Visitors to this year’s pilgrimage will notice many all-new buildings, including on-site trailers so the priests can bunk at the lake instead of in St. Albert, Kwiatkowski said. He encouraged everyone to drop by for a visit.

“It’s a very unique event in Western Canada.”

The pilgrimage runs from July 20 to 25. See lacsteannepilgrimage.ca for details.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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