The catholic ceremony was scheduled for 11am, but didn’t start until 11:20. People trickled in until about 11:40. Nothing here starts on time.
The church building has two halves: the north wing is church-proper and the south wing a residential section where I assume Sister Celeste lives. When you first enter there is a large room full of shoe racks for you to take your shoes off. Almost every building has one of these in Tulita since in the winter your boots are caked in snow and in summer they’re covered in mud.
After the shoe room there is a small antechamber with chairs around the outside. There are pictures of locals on the walls and on Sunday there’s a full coffee urn on the table.
Turning to the left leads you to the main church section. The church part has an large alter, long wooden pews facing, stained glass windows and statues of holy figures highlighted by neon bulbs.
There are about 45 attendees. Besides myself and Sister Celeste, everyone attending the ceremony is indigenous; either Dene or Metis. Most of the faithful are old; I’d guess 65 years old and older. There are a handful of younger women—maybe five of them. A couple of them have young husbands with them. Two young boys, maybe about 10 years old and surrounded by their parents on each side, are punching each other in one of the middle pews. Some younger kids had been left behind in the antechamber and their laughter and the thumping of their running feet occasionally punctuates the otherwise somber proceedings.
Here is the ceremony I witnessed.
[5 Minutes] Prayer dedications.
Sister Celeste begins by standing at the front, between the front most two pews. She doesn’t ascend the dais to the alter, she stands among the audience. She reads out prayer dedications.
“Today let us pray for so-and-so, who is sick; for so-and-so’s sister who is visiting, for all those buried in both cemeteries and out on the land, and for all those left behind.“
Several people seem to have submitted dedications for her to read, most mention those buried in both cemeteries and out on the land.
[20 Minutes] Prayer intonement
Sister Celeste begins by intoning two lines of the “Hail Mary” prayer. The audience responds in a low drone, intoning the next two lines as a refrain. This is repeated several times. It’s hard to make out the words in the audience response as all the voices merge together in a low drawn out sound. Some people may be responding in the local language (North Slavey) rather than English, it’s hard to tell.
After the Sister has repeated this call and refrain for about five minutes, a new voice takes over her role as leader. I can’t see the speaker but the voice is old. It’s not speaking English, most likely it’s speaking North Slavey. It’s a soothing drawn out sound, more like singing than speaking. The voice is somewhat cracked with age, but that merely heightens the grave and profound tone of the ceremony. It feels like something important and powerful is happening. Most of the audience responds in Slavey, though a few English voices are mixed in. I recognize one as Sister Celeste’s. The length of the call-refrain makes me think it’s the same prayer in another language.
Two more leaders take over, a younger-sounding woman and then Sister Celeste again.
Between each prayer intonement leader, Sister Celeste calls out a numbered mystery—“The third mystery is …”—but I have been lulled into an altered state by the long period of strange audio, the collective punctuated drone, and I don’t remember the mysteries.
[5 Minutes] A song
Sister Celeste puts up the lyrics to a religious song up on an old fashioned overhead projector. She starts the congregation singing. In contrast to the low prayer drone we have just finished, this song is high and bright. Everyone stands up in their pews to sing and everyone—the men, the women, everyone—is right on key.
[5 Minutes] A story from the bible
Sister Celeste stands behind a lectern. It’s raised above the audience, but is to the side of the alter. She reads a story from the bible. It’s that of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector—a greedy man who had cheated his peers, but who said he would change his ways when Jesus stayed at his house.
[5 Minutes] Sister Celeste’s interpretation (Homily)
The Sister interprets the story she’s just read. It’s about how each of us need to reach out to those around us, she explains, and bring them to the love of Jesus. Especially those who are the most wicked and need Jesus most.
“Each one of us needs to be touched in our heats to help others, because Jesus loves us. We need to learn to soften our hearts and pass on that love to other people. We must convince them with kindness, not with harsh words.“
She also shares a story from her past, that this reading reminded her of. She was always short and stubby and fat, she explains. So she would hide in a church as a child to avoid the mockery of the other children and just stare at the statue of Jesus. This is when she first felt his love.
[3 Minutes] More dedicated prayers
Sister Celeste, still at the lectern, lists many people and causes who should be prayed for. They include locals who need help, a baby about to be baptized, and world leaders who need wisdom. After each prayer recipient, the faithful respond “Lord hear our prayer.”
[2 Minutes] Collection
Some women at the front sing a song in Slavey while two children come around with collection plates. Everyone puts some money in them. Except for me, because I had not known to bring any.
[10 Minutes] Main Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist)
Finally Sister Celeste stands behind the alter and performs the core ceremony of the Catholic mass. She blesses the bread and wine and leads the audience in another call and response that is standard to all catholic masses. It is a translation of an old Latin ceremony, but the translation has changed since last I was at a catholic mass, so I no longer know the replies.
Eventually the congregation line up in the center aisle, between the pews, and receive a piece of bread—a very thin round wafer—from Sister Celeste directly on their tongue.
[2 Minutes] Final announcement
Finally, as people are rising to leave, Sister Celeste has one more announcement. The bishop will be in town from Wednesday to Friday. He’s coming to appraise the building and gather funds for it to be repaired. There’s trouble with the foundations. He may ask the local Catholics for contributions. He’s very approachable and will listen to your confessions.
After the mass
As I put on my shoes I see that most people are now gathering in the vestibule to socialise. One woman has rushed out to fetch cup cakes from her car.
This is a key part of the magic. The time when people who’ve just shared in a long, solemn ceremony affirming their faith, and their commitment to being good people who spread love not hate, mingle and strengthen their social bonds. This is how people know who to trust and who to help. This is how cooperative communities can arise in the harshest of historical moments, how religions like Christianity spread in the decaying Roman empire, how religion reforms vicious frontier towns into thriving, safe cities. Emerging from the daily social tumult of the self-interested masses, small groups of cooperative people voluntarily gather to show that they’re ready to sacrifice their own time and interests in dedication to a higher power. They mingle, they bond, they recognise and trust each other, they help each other succeed.
I wasn’t ready to intrude on such powerful community building yet.
As I put on my shoes, someone asked me: “Why did you come here?”
“I used to be a catholic when I was a child.” I explained. That appeased them. “Then you’re still a catholic!” After that everyone seemed welcoming and friendly, but I still went on my way.
Next week I will visit the Pentecostals.