In a liturgy that honored the intersection of Catholic and Native American tradition, Gonzaga Prep welcomed Fr. Peter Byrne, S.J., `61 and members of the Coeur d’Alene tribe for Sacred Hour Mass in November. The Mass was part of a celebration of Native American Heritage Month, which pays tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

The words of tribal elder Cindy LaDeaux capture her gratitude for this Mass at Gonzaga Prep:
“I have lived on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation most of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my people and heritage. Long ago the Catholics didn’t allow our language to be spoken. Now as you will see and hear today, we speak and sing the language in parts of the Mass. It is very beautiful.”

Fr. Byrne is pastor of the DeSmet (Idaho) Mission Community where he serves in companionship with the Coeur d’Alenes. Through the Mass, he connected the Jesuit Apostolic Preference of Care for our Common Home with indigenous peoples’ reverence for Mother Earth.

Coeur d’Alene tribal member Cece Curtis-Cooke joined Fr. Byrne on the altar, singing beautifully in Salish parts of the Mass and hymns. "I'm so happy and thankful to be able to share with you today my heart and spirit as a proud indigenous woman,” she said. Curtis-Cooke is Director of Liturgy and Religious Education at Sacred Heart Church in DeSmet, Idaho.

As Mass ended, Curtis-Cook and LaDeaux stood outside the chapel to smudge the community with purifying smoke to connect the community more closely with the creator.