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Archdeacon Nancy is spending the month of July as a visiting priest in Mistissini, QC. The town is located in the south-east corner of the largest natural lake in Quebec, Lake Mistassini, and is within the boundaries of the Municipality of James Bay. It is the second-largest Cree community with a population of approximately 3700 people. (The word Mistissini in Cree means Big Rock.) Nancy is greatly enjoying living on the lake and being able to kayak in the evenings or on her day off. This week, it has been cool, and she can be seen wearing a warm wool hat as she kayaks in the morning.

During her second week in northern Quebec, she travelled to the town of Waswanipi to preside at a two-day funeral. There she was billeted with a couple who took Farley under their wing during her absence.

As the Archdeacon has written to us, the funeral was a great learning curve for her as she witnessed how they blended the Anglican traditions with the Cree. The casket was open as family members read from Scripture and hymns were sung in both English and Cree. At the time of the Commendation there was a slipper ceremony, where the foot of the casket was opened, and the daughter of the deceased woman dressed her mother’s feet in a pair of beautiful beaded moccasins.

At the cemetery, after the committal, flowers and other decorations were thrown onto the casket, which had been lowered into the gravesite. The men of the community took shovels and immediately filled the grave. After final prayers, a funeral feast was offered to all the guests.   

The following week, Nancy returned to Waswanipi for some evening baptisms and posted some beautiful photos of her journey there and back through rugged, rocky country that can be seen under the gallery menu item on this website.

Archdeacon Nancy will have much to tell us on her return about her experiences and about these wonderful Cree communities and people that she is privileged to visit and spend time with.

 

Written by website editor Sylvia McConnell from letters sent by Archdeacon Nancy