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Mi’kmaq keep the faith for 400 years
Written by Carolyn Girard, The Catholic Register
Wednesday, 30 June 2010 12:40
In a re-enactment, Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Henri Membertou embraces the Catholic faith in a ceremony June 24 marking the 400th anniversary of the first baptism in Canada. (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Catholic)
On June 24, 1610 Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Henri Membertou, hoping to solidify relations with Nova Scotia French settlers, became the first native Canadian baptized into the Catholic Church. He was joined that day by 20 family members and within 50 years the entire Mi’kmaq nation had become Christians.
The 400th anniversary of that historic baptism was celebrated in a public showcase June 24-28 that paid homage to Mi’kmaq culture and the important contribution made by Membertou and the Mi’kmaq nation to the spread of Catholicism in Canada. To this day, virtually every Mi’kmaq is a baptized Christian.
The celebrations, which included a recreation of Membertou’s baptism, helped reaffirm Membertou’s Christian beliefs, said Sr. Dorothy Moore, a Sister of St. Martha in the diocese of Antigonish and member of the Mi’kmaq nation.
“I think it will and is renewing our faith and our appreciation for our history, our history in the Church,” she said. “And I think it also renews hope for the future, hope that who we are and what we are will continue in the generations to come.”
Membertou, a respected leader, was regarded as a shaman and prophet. He forged a relationship with the French that helped them survive the harsh winters and, over time, he built a respect for their faith which, like Mi’kmaq spirituality, was centred on a belief in one God.
catholicregister.org/features/mikmaq-keep-the-faith-for-400-years
Written by Carolyn Girard, The Catholic Register
Wednesday, 30 June 2010 12:40
In a re-enactment, Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Henri Membertou embraces the Catholic faith in a ceremony June 24 marking the 400th anniversary of the first baptism in Canada. (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Catholic)
On June 24, 1610 Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Henri Membertou, hoping to solidify relations with Nova Scotia French settlers, became the first native Canadian baptized into the Catholic Church. He was joined that day by 20 family members and within 50 years the entire Mi’kmaq nation had become Christians.
The 400th anniversary of that historic baptism was celebrated in a public showcase June 24-28 that paid homage to Mi’kmaq culture and the important contribution made by Membertou and the Mi’kmaq nation to the spread of Catholicism in Canada. To this day, virtually every Mi’kmaq is a baptized Christian.
The celebrations, which included a recreation of Membertou’s baptism, helped reaffirm Membertou’s Christian beliefs, said Sr. Dorothy Moore, a Sister of St. Martha in the diocese of Antigonish and member of the Mi’kmaq nation.
“I think it will and is renewing our faith and our appreciation for our history, our history in the Church,” she said. “And I think it also renews hope for the future, hope that who we are and what we are will continue in the generations to come.”
Membertou, a respected leader, was regarded as a shaman and prophet. He forged a relationship with the French that helped them survive the harsh winters and, over time, he built a respect for their faith which, like Mi’kmaq spirituality, was centred on a belief in one God.
catholicregister.org/features/mikmaq-keep-the-faith-for-400-years