VOL. 68, NO. 19
WWW.CROOKSTON.ORG
NOVEMBER 19, 2014
A sign of hope in Red Lake
Relationships are key for the ministry of St. Mary’s Mission By Katrina Genereux Staff Writer, OND
RED LAKE, MINN. - November has arrived, bringing with it the chill of late fall, the approach of the holiday season and a time to give thanks and reflect on blessings received. The same is true at St. Mary’s Mission in Red Lake, Minn. Much has happened at the Mission this year, and there are many blessings for which to give thanks. One of these blessings is the work of newly hired Charmaine Branchaud, RN. She is the Outreach Director and Parish Nurse for St. Mary’s Mission. Branchaud previously worked as a diabetes educator at the hospital across the street from St. Mary’s Mission. “When she began talking about retirement, we started speaking to her about outreach here,” said Father Jerry Rogers, Pastor at St. Mary’s Mission. The Outreach Director and Parish Nurse position was made possible by a multi-year grant from Catholic Extension. Through her position at St. Mary’s, Branchaud offers support and education for members of the Red Lake community. She is not involved in direct nursing, but is an advocate for those who are ill and need care. “She serves as a liaison between the family, patient, community and tribe to make sure their needs are matched with available resources,” said Father Jerry. According to Father Jerry, Branchaud knows the local doctors and can speak with them on behalf of the patients. “One of our favorite grandmas needed palliative care, but kept getting sent home,” Father Jerry said. “With Charmaine’s help, she
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Above: Father Jerry Rogers leads St. Mary’s Mission School students and teachers in prayer around the altar of St. Mary’s Church. (Photo reprinted with permission from Catholic Extension; Copyright 2014) Right: Principal Tony Kerr guides fifth and sixth grade students in a computer exercise in the newly relocated computer lab at St. Mary’s Mission School. (Photo credit: Katrina Genereux, OND)
received hospice care at the hospital.” Branchaud recently visited a woman with a bedbug-infested mattress. She had it removed from the home and is now working with her to get a new bed. Her Native American heritage helps Branchaud gain acceptance and better serve and understand the people of Red Lake. As Father Jerry says, “Doors open for her; she knows the leaders.” One need at St. Mary’s is help for those in mourning. Father Jerry and Branchaud are working to establish grief support services on the reservation. More than 80 funerals were held at St. Mary’s in the past year. “We have so many funerals,” said Father Jerry. “Funerals are one of the ways we reach out to
the community.” The goal is to create groups that can continue that support after funerals. After the grief support ministry is up and running, their next goal is to create a suicide support group. “Suicide is too much of an option here,” commented Father Jerry. He described that recently a 13-year-old committed suicide, a 15-year-old was murdered, and then a 10-year-old committed suicide. “Death is far too common here,” he said. “We can’t take for granted that people are coping well with the after-effects of suicide.” A constant challenge those who serve at St. Mary’s face is adapting programs to meet the needs of, and fit in with, the
Native American culture. “It is a learning process for us,” said Father Jerry. “Our experience as middle-class whites has to be adapted to work through the Native American culture. What emerges doesn’t look like what is being used anywhere else.” “We need to meet their needs and meet them in ways that meet their culture and allow their culture to support them,” he added. “We’re not here to bring God
to them,” said Father Jerry. “He’s already here; that is witnessed through the culture. We need to separate the culture from the poverty. The culture is amazing; it’s poverty that creates the hell.” “The conflict is between the Native American culture and poverty,” Father Jerry continued. “Our job is to keep that conflict creative so that the culture can blossom. Our primary task is to MISSION: Continued on Page 3
Pg. 3 - Q&A With St. Mary’s Principal, Tony Kerr Pg. 9 - Events From Around the Diocese Pg. 4 - Advent Confession Times for Area Parishes Pg. 10 - Sr. Agnes Kraft Obituary Pg. 5 - Word to Life Faith Sharing Commentary Pg. 15 - Dec. Prayer Calendar and Scriptures