| Summary: | them at ease with his sense of humor and interest in each person. He delighted in having his picture taken with each confirmand and family. Sacred Customs One cannot forget the beautiful custom the Metis have in reverencing their dead. The Wake is a gathering of loved ones and friends to pray and give respect and honor to one who has died. Conversation centers around the goodness of the deceased person. Bringing food and sharing it becomes a highlight around the table. How close to the Mass is this custom of the Metis, thought the Visitor. The Mass, he mused, is honoring and speaking of God and His Son, Jesus, then eating Spiritual Food together. The cross is placed upon the forehead of the deceased person, a reminder of all Christ did for each Christian. On New Year's Day the blessing is given by the parents to their children. This blessing should remind the child that the parent, together with Christ, wishes each one a life of goodness and blessings. He or she lives under the sign of a Christian. Faithful Footsteps The Visitor knew there must have been many persons whose footsteps could tell us varied and interesting stories. As he gazed about in the buildings and the grounds, he was told of those who spent many an hour driving a bus or maintaining cleanliness, plumbing, heating and order on this hill. A few names were recalled to him: Art Longie and his wife, Alice (now deceased), Agnes Belgarde, Emily Gourneau, Ernest LaFromboise, Verlin Longie, Archie Kinney (deceased), Bill Grant (deceased), Raymond "Budgie" Belgarde and many others who gave years of service. At present, LaVerne DeCoteau, the Mission housekeeper, can be seen daily moving from building to building in her quiet, faithful way. Napoleon "Pony" Frederick is always ready to give his services as maintenance man. Agnes "Didi" Azure prepares meals for the three priests and their guests. Beatrice DeCoteau faithfully cleans the church each week. Many are the ones who gave years of witnessing in serving their church. Some have died and their footsteps have led them to eternal life. Others are still trudging up those church steps in love of God, their church and community. The Visitor expressed to a friend, "St. Ann's people owe much to their elders." These People, Their Faith! The Visitor stood once more at the grave of Father Malo. Bowing his head in prayer, he was grateful to God for these people and their faith. He was grateful for the priests, brothers and sister missionaries who encouraged this faith, but most of all he was grateful for having learned the history of the Turtle Mountain people and their church. Walking down the old cemetery hill, he gazed in ap preciation at the little town of Belcourt. He wended his way to the church and there he once more heard the refrain, "Good St. Ann, we call on your name." He saw the faith-filled people file into the church for the veneration of the relics of those saintly persons who had gone before them. "Bless them," the Visitor whispered, "Keep them holy." With this prayer another St. Ann's Novena came to a close, a historical one, St. Ann's Centennial, 1985. Some Who Served Father George Antoine Belcourt Father Belcourt was the state's second resident priest. Having at heart the industrial as well as religious development of the state of North Dakota, he was the great missionary among the Indians and mixed bloods in northern and eastern North Dakota. Father Belcourt was born in the district of Three Rivers, Province of Quebec in 1803. He attended Nicollet College and was ordained in 1827. In 1831, Father Belcourt came to the mission of St. Boniface (Manitoba) and labored in the Canadian missions until April 10, 1847. One of the first things he did was to acquire a perfect knowledge of the Chippewa language, and compiled a French-Chippewa dictionary which he was financially unable to have printed. The dictionary was published later under the editorship of another priest, Rev. Albert Lacombe. Father Belcourt arrived at Pembina in March 1848. The journey from St. Paul was a difficult one. When he reached his destination he was welcomed by mixed bloods and some Chippewa Indians from Red Lake. These Indians had visited his mission on Rainey Lake when he was stationed there. Father Belcourt had proposed to build a mission at Pembina. When he arrived, the people had built a temporary chapel of bark to serve until a better one could be erected. The Chippewa dialect was spoken at Pembina. The missionary made plans to open a school in which Chippewa, French and English would be taught. The Mission was very poor. Father Belcourt had a dream that Pembina would be the diocese, but poverty made it difficult to survive. St. Paul became the diocese. In the winter of 1850, learning there were Indians well settled in the western part of the Turtle Mountains, he decided to visit them, leaving the care of the Pembina mission to another priest who had come to aid him. He left Pembina the second week of January. The chapel and camp equipment were loaded onto five sleds drawn by 15 dogs. There were six men in the party. The guide led the way and the men followed on snowshoes after the dog train. After camping on the Creuse River and the White River, where there was a mixed blood camp, they arrived in the Turtle Mountains where there was a village of about 30 huts. Here he learned of a large encampment on the Souris River which he decided to visit also on this journey. They moved westward after some time was spent at this village. 62 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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