Kateri Northwest Ministry Institute
That is where we are – at the foot of the mountain.
Under the guidance and direction of our scripture teacher Maureen Foley-Bensen, the participants of the Kateri Program have been journeying together through the passages within the Book of Exodus. It has been a journey with parallels as the groups have been exploring the meaning of kinship, studying about the oppression and the displacement of the Hebrew People, taking note of the sources and authors of the text, while at the same time reflecting upon the history of oppression and displacement of their own Native People. As the groups have looked deeply into the tribal kinship of the Hebrews, the participants have been able to open up and tell their own stories about their families, their ancestors, their tribes, revealing the similarities as well as the deep bonds of culture and tradition that hold together a People with whom they identify and call their own.
Two of the three groups – the Spokane group and the St. Ignatius group – have the good fortune of Maureen being present for the instruction and interactive discussion on the Sacred Scriptures. With the help of modern technology, our director, Fr. Mike Fitzpatrick, S.J., is able to bring Maureen’s class to the Great Falls participants via recorded video. Fr. Mike uses what has transpired with the Spokane and St. Ignatius groups as a jumping off point for the Great Falls participants to share stories from the perspective of their own experiences and tribal affiliations.
The three groups have also studied texts of various Native American authors from their respective regions. It is evident in the writings of these Indian authors how the Great Spirit has lead them in the old ways of traditional cultural practices. Some of the more current authors discuss the challenge of maintaining the Indian traditions in today’s modern society and ensuring that the stories and traditions stay alive throughout the generations. As I was speaking with one of the Spokane participants about the Kateri classes, she was reminded of some of Fr. Mike’s words regarding God’s revelation to the Hebrews and the Creator’s revelation to the Native Peoples: “The in-depth study that Maureen provides is challenging but so illuminating about how these ancient and foundational books of the Bible originated in the tribal stories of the Peoples that eventually came together as the twelve tribes of Israel. For me, it makes it all the more clear how the Creator revealed himself to the Native Peoples in their histories, remembered also in the stories handed on by the ancestors. What a different history we would have experienced in the meeting of European Christianity and Native revelation if the effort had been made to understand and respect that revelation.”
So, here we are, at the foot of the mountain, about to climb up to the top. In the Book of Exodus, that would be at the foot of Mount Sinai where Moses climbs up to the top to embrace the Holy Covenant revealed by God to the Hebrews. As we proceed with our study of the Sacred Scriptures, we will continue to draw parallels and to find the similarities between the experiences of the Hebrew People and our own Native People. On the journey, we will discover how the Creator blesses us and what we ourselves will embrace when we get to the top of the mountain.
Photo captions:
1 - Kateri altar in Great Falls
2, 3, 4, 5 - Maureen Foley-Bensen discussing Scripture with the St. Ignatius group
6 - Maureen Foley-Bensen and Cherrie Druffel — Spokane group
7 - The Spokane group in study
8 - Frieda Hunter in study - Spokane group
9 - Jama Van Brunt and Marie Poirier in study while Fr. Mike looks on and records - Spokane group
10 - Harvey and Gail Wallace intently listening - Spokane group
11 - Fr. Mike Fitzpatrick, S.J., sits back and records Maureen Foley-Bensen’s scripture class - Spokane group
12 - Sr. Margaret Hillary, O.P. enjoys her gift from the Christmas gift exchange - St. Ignatius group
13 - Maureen Foley-Bensen displays her beaded purse received from the Christmas gift exchange - St. Ignatius group
14 - Linnea Gariepy sharing the Sunday readings - St. Ignatius group
15 - Jerome Main displays a CD he received from the Christmas gift exchange - Great Falls group
16 - Bonnie Lankford proclaiming the Word - Great Falls group
17 - Jerome Main, Nellie Main, and Charlotte Kelley celebrating the eucharist - Great Falls group
18 - Fr. Mike Fitzpatrick, S.J., celebrating the eucharist with the Great Falls group
