Old Mission's Feast of the Assumption draws a crowd
Photos by CHANSE WATSON Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Catholic Church clergy members gather in front of the Cataldo Mission and prepare to start Mass.
Bishop Peter Forsyth Christensen speaks to attendees during Mass. Originally from California, Christensen was named the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Boise by Pope Francis in 2014.
From left clockwise: Calvin Nomee, Tsones Nomee, Butch Nomee, Joseph Nomee and Cheffrey Sailto chant and play a drum to signal the start of Mass.
This year’s Coeur d’Alene Tribe Pilgrimage and Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was well attended. Many were forced to stand or sit around the designated seating area from Mass due to the event’s high turnout.
CATALDO — Celebrating history is something the Silver Valley knows about all too well. From the east end to the west end, each community has its own point of pride that sticks with them over the years.
For the Old Mission State Park in Cataldo, they certainly have several of these points of historical pride. One of these is the annual Coeur d’Alene Tribe Pilgrimage and Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On Wednesday, the home of Idaho’s oldest building hosted the event for the 84th year in a row and to the delight (and maybe slight stress) of the Parks & Recreation staff in charge — it was very well attended.
“I think it was great,” Old Mission State Park ranger Kathleen Durfee said. “We had 900 people here and over 300 cars that we parked … everybody really enjoyed themselves.”
Several attendees made the trip to the mission the night before and camped out in anticipation for the next day’s events.
Wednesday morning was when people really started to show up though, creating the rare scene of overflowing parking at the Mission.
Just after 11 p.m., a small parade of Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Catholic Church members began walking to where the outdoor mass would take place next to the Old Mission.
The overcapacity crowd watched the procession move to the front of the audience while listening to a traditional drum beat performed by the tribe.
To open the ceremony, Father Robert Erickson greeted attendees and introduced those present with the church — which included several clergymen from all over the globe.
“Welcome everyone, all of you,” he said. “This is the 84th anniversary of coming to the Cataldo Mission and it’s pretty special to celebrate Mary’s assumption into heaven. It’s also the 125th anniversary of the Boise diocese, so we are definitely honored.”
From the tribe, Tribal Chairman and Sacred Heart travel adviser Ernie Stensgar took the podium next and thanked everyone for coming.
“On behalf of the tribe, we want to welcome all of you to join with us as we celebrate this feast day and our annual pilgrimage to commemorate our ancestors and our bloodline. We are very, very happy to be here. It’s a time for us to enjoy it, see old friends, renew our faith and remember our heritage — where we are from.”
After a couple readings from the Bible from both tribal and church members, Bishop Peter Christensen delivered his sermon. Christensen spoke of many things including the significance of the day, God’s grace and the importance of Mary as a relatable person to us.
The day wrapped up with a mini powwow performed by the tribe that involved dancing and song.
In an earlier interview, Durfee explained the significance of the event for the tribe by speaking about Chief Circling Raven.
“About 150 years before the Jesuit Missionaries met the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Circling Raven told his people of his vision about a man with a white face dressed in a black robe, a black hat and necklace with a cross,” she explained. “This man was coming to tell the Coeur d’Alene people about the Great Spirit, and they were to watch for him. Many years later, the tribe met the black robes and embraced a new religion and melded it with their own beliefs.”
For more information about the Old Mission State Park, call 208-682-3814.