Indigenous Catholic Community of Thunder Bay

Vision:

To serve First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, through serving the Gospel of Jesus Christ;

To support the empowerment of First Nations, Inuit and Metis leadership in the Catholic Church, organizing training for current leaders (Deacons, Ministers of Service, Music Ministers, Lectors, Ministers of Communion) and new, emerging leaders.

Who We Are:

Under the guidance of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Thunder Bay, our Community currently consists of:

St. Anne Parish, Fort William First Nation
Kitchitwa Kateri Anemewgamik, City of Thunder Bay
Sacred Heart Parish, Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek
Our Lady of the Snows Parish, Armstrong Station

The Jesuits of Canada currently serve these four parishes under the direction of the Bishop of Thunder Bay.

In 2018, the Bishop of Thunder Bay established the current Office of Indigenous Ministry for the Diocese.

The purpose of this Office is to unify and support the Indigenous Catholic Community of Thunder Bay. Initially working with the parish communities served by the Jesuits, the vision of this Office is to reach out to the wider Indigenous Catholic communities of the whole Diocese.

Our Mission:

The service of Indigenous Peoples is a priority for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Missions in Canada and the Jesuits of Canada. Our Community is committed to working with Indigenous leaders, discovering together new ways of empowering and supporting community leadership. We are committed to the empowerment, training and support of leaders called to service in the Catholic Church, as Deacons and Ministers of Service. We believe that a new generation of equipped Indigenous leaders will have greater influence in the lives of young people, who are our hope for the future.

Our ministry strives to provide a safe, welcoming atmosphere where the Trinity may be encountered through embracing both Roman Catholic and Indigenous Traditions. All peoples are Welcome. We are open to our own spiritual growth, through discernment in the tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola and tapping into the diversity of the spiritual tool chest given to us in the Spiritual Exercises, to discover where the Trinity is leading us, into the future.

Indigenous peoples will always - and in fact are encouraged to - retain their culture and values. Without compromising truth, Indigenous leadership in our fellowship embrace these values as a means of helping to follow our vision.

Across Canada, new opportunities are emerging to reach into the farthest areas of our country and into our urban areas where many Indigenous live today. In our changing landscape, and the new challenges facing us today, more needs are arising for Indigenous Peoples, and Catholics. This website is intended to be a resource to assist in addressing these needs.

I encourage you to call us if you have any questions regarding: concerns for the spiritual needs of your community; resources available from our Office of Indigenous Ministry; and Indigenous Spiritual Leadership Training. We would truly love to hear from you. As this Ministry grows, I pray it embraces the present and future needs of the Indigenous peoples. Please let us journey as one in Christ.