St. Anne and Little Flower Parishes
The vast and beautiful Blackfeet Reservation in Northwest Montana is home to around 8,000 enrolled members of the Blackfeet Tribe, most of whom are also baptized Catholics. Little Flower and St. Anne’s Parishes, with five mission churches spread over the 1.5 million acres, serve as beacons of Christ’s presence where the faith shines brightly. Last year we celebrated 147 funerals, including that of Fr. Dan Powers, SJ, who was a long-serving priest on the reservation. We hosted a teen Search Retreat where 3 were baptized, 7 confirmed, and 6 received First Holy Communion. The Missionaries of Charity taught 87 children in our summer catechism class, which culminated in a Marian consecration.
In June, Blackfeet from across the reservation welcomed young people participating in the Justice Outreach Project for a week’s worth of service, cultural immersion, and solidarity. Centered on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, J.O.P. is about engaging in meaningful, Christ-centered relationships with the Blackfeet. This year we served over 1,500 hamburger and hot dog meals at two community feeds! More important than the free food, we engaged in meaningful conversations with the people in these communities.
