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On June 10, three Dominican Sisters from the order of Mary Mother of the Eucharist from Ann Arbor, Mich., arrived at Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church to conduct a Summer Camp for children ages 6 to 16 from Blessed Kateri in Bay Mills; St. Francis Xavier in Brimley; and St. Mary's in Sault Ste. Marie. The camp ran from Monday, June 19 to Thursday, June 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the church.
About 25 children took part in the four-day camp where they learned about the Sacraments, the mysteries of the Rosary, the Eucharist, and Reconciliation, and took time to pray. The Sisters allowed the children to ask questions about their habits and they even learned about each other. They played outside, ate snacks, and sang songs while making motions as they sang. The children were very enthusiastic participants and one could see how they enjoyed and reacted to the Sisters.
The children heard stories about real life experiences. One fascinating story was about our Lady of Guadalupe and how she appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian and a poor peasant who lived in Guadalupe in 1531. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego and told him to have a church built at the very site where she had appeared. When Juan Diego approached the Bishop, he appeared to be very apprehensive and told Juan Diego to provide a sign.
Juan Diego was again going to visit the Virgin Mary but before he did he wanted to visit a very sick uncle so he took another route and went around a mountain instead. The Virgin Mary appeared and told him to go back to the very spot where she had previously appeared. He found roses growing there. It was winter.
Juan Diego put the roses in his tunic to bring to the Bishop. On the tunic was a picture of the Virgin Mary. In the picture she was standing in rays of sunlight and was pregnant with the Son of God. The tunic was made of material that should have lasted for 50 years but it still looks brand new today. Optometrists look at the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and they can see the depth of a human eye. The Blessed Virgin was wearing a gown with stars in the galaxy as they actually appeared on Dec. 1, 1531. Interestingly the Virgin Mary appeared as a Native American woman. This is an example of the kind of fascinating stories and real life experiences the children heard.
One could observe the love the children had for the Sisters. They enjoyed their presence in the community and they all gave them a big hug when the Sisters left. This is an experience these children will not forget for a long time.
Father Ted Brodeur and Father Al Mott are already working on having a two-week summer camp next year. Pray that they will be successful in their endeavor. It means so much for the children of our communities.
The Sisters were treated to some good old Lake Superior whitefish and liked it so much that Father Al sent 30 pounds back to Ann Arbor with them - enough to feed all 59 sisters at the Convent. They were also presented with a beautiful hand-woven basket made by Lynda Pesola as a thank you from the children, Father Ted, and Father Al.
Irma Parrish is an elder of Bay Mills Indian Community and a member of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church.
