Led by UVic chaplain Fr. Dean Henderson, who is currently on a six-month working sabbatical in the Whitehorse diocese, the young people served the community at Vanier Catholic Secondary School through stripping and waxing the floors at Maryhouse (Whitehorse’s Madonna House) and painting the diocesan pastoral centre.
“The Catholic community is small in the Yukon but people have a strong faith and use that to build community,” said Nadia Cornejo, a UVic alumni. “They truly love the land and respect it, something that often gets lost in the hustle of life.”
The manual labour was interspersed with visiting the Yukon Wildlife Reserve, snowmobiling on Kathleen Lake and visiting the isolated missions of Atlin and Teslin. During the mission, they saw orcas, moose, elk, bison, mountain sheep, porcupines, swans, bald eagles, black bears and a grizzly bear.
“I consider those sightings a gift from God,” said Tesi Wagner, a biology student at UVic. “The size of the mountains and lakes reminded me of how small I truly am, which, combined with the landscape’s beauty, made me constantly lift my eyes and spirit to heaven and praise the Lord for His works.”
At Teslin, the students spent an afternoon learning about local history and customs with Tlingit elders and community members — learning which became hands-on when the youths went ice fishing with Chief Eric Morris and elder Carl Sidney.
“It was very encouraging to see how the elders fight to protect and respect all the gifts God gave us,” said Ott. “God showed them how to live in His name throughout millenniums — just in a different way than He initially revealed Himself to us.”
“As an environmentalist, they gave me hope,” said Wagner. “Their experiences have confirmed my previous belief that our consumerism-oriented way of living is not only devastating creation, but also other cultures.”
A highlight of the mission was the showing of a vocation video showcasing the needs of the Whitehorse diocese.
The diocese stretches from northern British Columbia to the Arctic Ocean and includes approximately 7,500 Catholics in 23 parishes. This vast area is served by only four priests, Gordon, six women religious and some lay ministers.
“Looking back, Fr. Dean didn’t really take us there with the purpose of serving,” said Wagner. “His main hope was to advertise the Yukon to us, to awaken the missionaries in us, in hopes that we will be called to serve our Lord in the Yukon. It worked. It showed me a need for missionaries, a hunger for Christ in people.”
(Lawrie, 20, is a creative writing student at the University of Victoria.)
Students connect to God’s creation up in the Yukon
By Bronwyn Lawrie, Youth Speak NewsVICTORIA, B.C. - At the invitation of Whitehorse Bishop Gary Gordon, eight young Catholics associated with the Catholic chaplaincy at the University of Victoria (UVic) experienced a 10-day mission tour of the Yukon.
“I went to find a new connection to God’s creation,” said Anna Ott, 19, who is visiting from Germany. “I hoped to give other Christians hope that there are young people out there who confess their faith through their everyday life.”
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