In 2024, a group of 23 Indigenous United Church ministers and spouses from northern Manitoba and Ontario gathered for a much-needed retreat at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre. This time of rest, healing, and renewal was made possible by your generosity through Mission and Service.
For many, it was the first opportunity to gather with others who truly understand the weight they carry. These ministers are often the only ones available to walk with their communities through addiction, suicide, and profound grief. The emotional and spiritual toll is immense.
“The number of youth funerals we do now is overwhelming,” says Rev. Grant Queskekapow, who was ordained in 1987. “When I started in the United Church, we buried a lot of elderly people. But now we bury a lot of youth who die as a result of suicide.”
At the retreat, ministers were offered trauma-informed support, rest, and spiritual care through sharing circles, art therapy, and cultural practices like beading. The space allowed them to grieve, to speak the unspeakable, and to begin to heal.
It was more than a retreat. It was a lifeline.
The impact was clear. Participants returned to their communities with renewed strength and a deep sense of support. Because of this, a second retreat is being planned for September 2025 to once again offer this crucial care.
And the need has only grown.
As wildfires sweep through northern Manitoba, nearly 17,500 people are being evacuated from First Nations communities facing dangerous conditions and blocked escape routes. Once again, our Northern Indigenous ministers are offering strength and leadership, even as they face these threats themselves.
Please hold them in your prayers.
Your continued support through Mission and Service is essential. You are helping provide healing space for those who carry the grief of entire communities. You are ensuring they do not carry it alone.
Thank you.