Twenty years ago, the Bishops whose dioceses encompass the Columbia River watershed in the United States and Canada wrote the Columbia River Pastoral Letter.
Public masses resumed in June on the Standing Rock Reservation, but the ministry team is still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with people leery of participating in public gatherings due to rising infection rates in this largely Native American population.
Before churches on the Rosebud reservation opened in August, St. Francis Mission was able to have family groups come to celebrate baptisms and confirmations.