Latest news with #RosellaKinoshameg
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Anishinabe Spiritual Centre transitions to Indigenous-led governance
The Anishinabe Spiritual Centre transitions to Indigenous-led governance, marking a historic step in self-determination and Catholic-Indigenous collaboration. A decades-old spiritual centre in Espanola, Ont., that has served as a gathering place for Indigenous communities and Catholics is now under Indigenous leadership, marking what participants call a historic and sacred moment. Anishinabe Spiritual Centre The Anishinabe Spiritual Centre, a decades-old spiritual centre in Espanola, has served as a gathering place for Indigenous communities and Catholics alike is now under Indigenous leadership as of May 30, 2025. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News Northern Ontario) The Jesuits of Canada formally transferred governance of the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre to a newly formed Indigenous-led board of directors this week, a move celebrated as a step toward self-determination and reconciliation. The transition was commemorated with the gifting of a special medal honouring Pope Francis' 2022 visit to Canada. Rosella Kinoshameg, a respected Indigenous leader from Manitoulin Island, will chair the board. 'To me, it's a sacred moment,' she said. 'It's the beginning of a new chapter, a new way of life for the board of directors. I'm really happy with that.' Established over 40 years ago by the Jesuits of Canada, in partnership with the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and local First Nations, the centre has been a unique space intertwining Catholic faith and Indigenous traditions. It has hosted thousands for retreats, cultural programs, and spiritual gatherings. Father Jeffrey Burwell, Provincial of the Jesuits of Canada, called the transition a 'feel-good day' and a natural step for the missionary order. 'We come to a place and then we leave,' he said. 'We've reached the point where we can now hand this place over to a Catholic Indigenous-led board. It's a great joy for us, knowing transitions are never the final word in a relationship.' Anishinabe Spiritual Centre The Anishinabe Spiritual Centre, a decades-old spiritual centre in Espanola, has served as a gathering place for Indigenous communities and Catholics alike is now under Indigenous leadership as of May 30, 2025. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News Northern Ontario) Eddie MacDonald, the centre's executive director, described the shift as a long-awaited milestone. 'This is a historic day,' he said, noting its alignment with the 60th Call to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which emphasizes Indigenous self-governance in spirituality. 'The people here are grown up – they can take care of business now.' The Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie will remain a collaborative partner, with Bishop Thomas Dowd emphasizing the centre's role as a bridge. 'My job is to bring people together,' he said. 'This centre has been a jewel for ministry and service. I see an opportunity for growth, a place of encounter.' Plans are underway to welcome students for field trips, showcasing how culture and faith can coexist – a model the centre has embodied for decades.
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Catholic church hands over Anishinabe Spiritual Centre to Indigenous-led board
Social Sharing The Catholic church is officially handing over the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre near Espanola, which for 45 years has been at the forefront of blending Christian and Indigenous spirituality, to Anishinaabe people. The centre on the shores of Anderson Lake was established in the early 1980s by the Jesuits of Canada and Bishop Alexander Carter of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. On Friday, a ceremony will be held formally passing control of the centre to an Indigenous-led board of trustees. "I'm excited, so now we won't have that extra layer above us," said board chair Rosella Kinoshameg. "The future looks brighter, the program will continue. It will be good for the people, it will be good for us." Kinoshameg has been involved with the centre since the early days and remembers being impressed by Bishop Carter's "vision." "That was the first time that I ever heard from a bishop to say that he was encouraging the native people to rediscover their roots and to value their own culture," she said. "That really touched me." Kinoshameg attended residential school "and I know what happened here. I know we what we weren't allowed to believe in," but says her parents also taught her "our way of life and our traditional ways." When she worked as a nurse, she said she approached the daily realities of life and death from both Anishinaabe spiritual traditions and Catholic teachings and did the same when she started going to courses and retreats at Anderson Lake. "A lot of the people were not fully recognizing the Indigenous part. Because they're still under the belief, 'This is all evil,'" Kinoshameg said. "So I started to teach them the way I learned." She said in recent years the centre has been doing more community outreach, specifically in incorporating Anishinaabe customs into funerals and burials, many of them, Kinoshameg said, young people who died of a drug overdose. The Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and the Jesuits of Canada will still be involved in the classes and courses offered at the spiritual centre through "sacramental guidance and spiritual oversight."
