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In the Middle of the Turtle Mountains
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September 22, 2023Fr. David’s journey differed slightly from that of the Diocesan priests Fr. Raymond Pendleton and Fr. Thomas Swierc. Since he is a member of the SOLT community who happened to have their General Chapter in July, he had to wait for his assignment: “I spent a couple of weeks with my family, then I helped in our parish in Detroit before getting to know my destination,” he shared.
On August 1st, he went to the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, ND. “We’re on a Native American reservation, and we have three parishes: Saint Ann’s, Saint Anthony’s and Saint Michael’s,” he describes his new home. Fr. David is coordinating the SOLT volunteer program with 9 participants, primarily young people of college age, who help in the school and parish.
The parish has been serving the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Métis native American tribes: “Métis means ‘mixed,’ and most of them are descendants of Cree women who married French settlers,” he says, “and the main question is how do we enculturate the Gospel.”
What does he like most about his new ministry? “I enjoy getting to preach every weekend,” Fr. David says. “I can build on what I’ve said the previous weekend…” He also likes to hear confessions, “there are wonderful moments of grace.” And he is happy to get to know the people in his parish: “I have never been around Native Americans, and they are very spiritual people.” They just had a pow-wow, and he learned much about their traditions.
He didn’t expect to be assigned to so many funerals – “we have 2-3 per week,” he says. Many people who live in other parts of the U.S. want to be buried on the reservation, “their land, which means a lot to them.”
Besides him, there are two other SOLT priests and one priest of the Diocese of Fargo in the parish. The SOLT sisters also have a community with four members and three aspirants. Getting used to the new place was not such a big challenge to him: “My formation in the religious order prepared me to adapt pretty quickly,” he says.
