REWARD, Sask. (CCN) — A long tradition of praying for good weather and a bountiful harvest at the Reward pilgrimage July 12 resonated with that Sunday’s Gospel reading about nurturing the seeds of faith.
The pilgrimage program began in the afternoon with Eucharistic Adoration in the church building, confessions at spots throughout the grounds, and the praying of the Rosary.
The bells peeled from the steeple of the historic Holy Rosary Church to mark the start of the pilgrimage Mass at 4 p.m. with a procession of banners representing parishes from across the former St. Joseph’s Colony — both active and closed — leading the way from the historic church on the hill to the outdoor altar. Children followed the banner, scattering flower petals along the way.
In his homily, presider Fr. Greg Roth reflected on both the beauty of the surrounding fields, and the beauty of a fruitful faith — like the faith of those who established Holy Rosary Church and the shrine at Reward.
“They were people who were willing to plant a seed, knowing that seed would grow thirty-, sixty-, a hundred-fold,” he said.
The Gospel parable of the sower who scatters seed, with some seeds withering and falling away, is a reminder from Our Lord to nurture the faith we are given, stressed Roth. “What do we need to become good soil?”
A former pastor of St. Peter, Unity and St Michael, Tramping Lake parishes who is now serving in Saskatoon at Saint Anne and Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens parishes, Roth returned to preside at the pilgrimage Mass as Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen was unable to attend.
Roth concelebrated Mass with pastors from throughout the area: Fr. Matthew Ramsay (Unity, Wilkie, Tramping Lake); Fr. Paul Oshin (Biggar, Landis, Leipzig, Handel); Fr. Rinesh Menambadath Chacko, VC, (Kerrobert, Major, Dodsland, Luseland); and Fr. Santhosh Thekkekulam, VC (Macklin, Denzil, St. Dontus).
Deacon Donat Davatz of St. Paul Co-Cathedral also joined celebrants at the pilgrimage Mass, proclaiming the Gospel.
Parishioners from Wilkie, Handel and Leipzig parishes provided ministries during this year’s pilgrimage, which again welcomed pilgrims from across the former St. Joseph’s Colony and beyond — including a full bus (plus an additional car pool) from Saskatoon organized by Sr. Mary Peter of St Paul Co-Cathedral.
“It is truly a blessing that we are called back here as Christians to celebrate and deepen our faith in these challenging times,” said pilgrimage committee member Leanne Clarke.
She provided an update about the site and its improvements and upkeep, supported by donations and cared for by area residents. This year, an enclosure was placed around a statue of Mary on the grounds to protect it from the elements, with the new feature blessed by Roth during the opening procession for Mass.
Other recent improvements include the trimming of trees, the re-furbishment of the choir building on the grounds, and the resurfacing of flooring around the outdoor altar. “We are so appreciative of all the donations and absolutely everything that is given or done,” Clarke said. “There is no gesture that is ever taken for granted. It takes many hearts and many hands.”
The Roman Catholic parish at Reward has its beginnings in the heart of Saint Joseph Colony, which was established by German-Russian settlers in 1905.
The Holy Rosary Church building was constructed on ten acres of donated land in 1918 for $12,000, replacing a smaller structure. The “church on the hill” is a designated historic site, and features 15 large paintings completed in 1928 by Count Berthold Von Imhoff, depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary.
In 1932 the annual pilgrimage in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary was initiated for St. Joseph’s Colony, with the Holy Rosary Church at Reward chosen as the colony’s pilgrimage site because of its central location. A wooden outdoor grotto was built as the shrine in 1936, with the present shrine altar built in 1966.
Although the Reward parish is now closed, volunteers continue to care for the building and pilgrimage site with the help of donations, and parishes throughout the colony continue to assist in holding the annual pilgrimage.
During the summer, weekend Mass will also be celebrated on a number of Saturday evenings: July 25, Aug. 8, Aug. 22, and Sept. 5. (Please note that there is no evening Mass at St. Peter Church in Unity, SK, on those dates.)
