Cataldo Pilgrimage welcomes 900 people to 82nd annual event
<p>Matthew Slater prays following communion at the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's 82nd annual Cataldo Pilgrimage mass on Monday at Old Mission State Park in Cataldo. The Catholic mass celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and featured a coming together of the Catholic religion and Native American culture.</p>
<p>A Cataldo Pilgrimage mass attendee, right, accepts communion from a priest on Monday at the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's annual mass at Old Mission State Park.</p>
<p>Dressed in traditional regalia, Coeur d'Alene Tribal Member Andy Kitt performs a Cup Dance on Monday at the Tribe's annual Cataldo Pilgrimage mass at Old Mission State Park. The dance is performed before communion to honor the food from heaven.</p>
<p>Diocese of Boise Bishop Peter Christensen leads mass at the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's 82nd annual Cataldo Pilgrimage on Monday at Old Mission State Park. The Catholic mass was attended by more than 900 people.</p>
<p>The Rose Creek Drum Group performs ceremonial music on Monday during the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's annual Cataldo Pilgrimage mass at Old Mission State Park.</p>
<p>Coeur d'Alene Tribal Member Brandon Cook waves smoke of a smudge stick over members of the Catholic church during an incensing ceremony on Monday at the tribe's annual Cataldo Pilgrimage mass at Old Mission State Park.</p>
CATALDO — Bright feathers on Andy Kitt's traditional men's bustle bounced to the rhythm of drums.
The silvery sound of bells upon his regalia could be heard with every movement as he proceeded through a crowd gathered on the lawn of the Old Mission in Cataldo. Kitt, a member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, performed the Cup Dance to honor his ancestors and celebrate the "bread of Heaven."
"I feel good, it's an honor to do this for our Tribe," said Kitt, of Desmet. "It's wonderful that we have all these people here because it helps promote our Tribe. I'm here to help represent."
Kitt's Cup Dance was one of several special events Monday during the 82nd annual Cataldo Pilgrimage, which honored Coeur d'Alene Tribal history and the Catholic celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. About 900 people attended.
"I’m just overwhelmed by how many people there were," said Coeur d'Alene Tribe member and event coordinator Cece Curtis-Cook. "I’m humbled by how many people come because it’s meaningful for them in whatever way. For me, it’s just carrying on those traditions of my ancestors. They would come up here every single year on the 15th of August, so for me to continue doing that is special for me because I’m carrying that on.
“This is a really special day in the history of our Tribe," she said. "For us to come up here year after year for a pilgrimage is really sacred and special for our people.”
The ceremony included a procession, several prayers, readings, an incense burning and Communion. For the Assumption of Mary into heaven, the Diocese of Boise with Bishop Peter Christensen consecrated the diocese to Mary. The feast is significant to Catholics because it marks the day the Virgin Mary was received into heaven.
Curtis-Cook sang several lines in the Salish (Coeur d'Alene dialect) language while the attendees took their communion.
"How far as we've come, it's amazing. You go back to when things first started out and the Black Robes came and our people were not allowed to speak their language and there were things they weren't allowed to do," she said. "For us, it’s our language and it’s our dances and our regalia. That’s how we can understand the Great Spirit better. That was a pivotal moment. Bringing the two together is awesome that we can do that. Pope Francis encourages it.
“We’ve come a long way and I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like in the future," she continued. "Maybe we’ll have an entire Mass where it’s just in Salish."
The pilgrimage symbolizes a return to the river for the Tribe, reminding members of the work their ancestors did in building the Mission and learning to farm wheat.
It also commemorates Chief Circling Raven, who had a vision that a Great Spirit would come to strengthen his people. This happened in the form of the "Black Robe" Jesuit priests who arrived in the 1850s soon after the chief's vision.
“The Coeur d’Alene Tribe, for hundreds of years, have been living in this area," said Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council vice chairman Ernie Stensgar. “When the Jesuits came, we built this beautiful church. When I was a little guy, many many moons ago, I’ve been coming up here, and I remember my mother and my grandmother when they visited up here. They’d talk about the heart of the tribe and the spirit of the ancestors and how much medicine was in the air up here because of all the ancestors that were here. And it was good, it was good to sit up here and unite ourselves with those members."
Char Carhart and her son, Joe, attended the pilgrimage for the first time. She said the whole experience was awe-inspiring.
"I got chills when the music started," said Carhart, of Athol. "There was a lot of spirit throughout the whole Mass to me. The Holy Spirit was with us. It’s bigger than just church. The setting is amazing and the history is just awesome."