New archbishop learned from northern exposure

Murray Chatlain may have been “a reluctant priest,” but he’s happy to be the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg.

“I wasn’t eager to become a priest,” Chatlain said, recalling his time as a young seminary student.

He thought he’d go to seminary for a couple of years and drop out, like two-thirds of the students back then. While there, he felt a call from God to enter priestly ministry.

“I followed the call dragging my feet, but I followed it,” Chatlain, 62, said, adding, “God does work in mysterious ways.”

Originally from Saskatoon, Chatlain was ordained in the Diocese of Saskatoon in 1987. He became the bishop of MacKenzie-Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in 2008. He was appointed archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas, which includes parishes in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, in 2012.

Chatlain will be installed as archbishop for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 7:30 p.m. Friday. It will be live-streamed on the archdiocese’s YouTube channel and Salt+Light Television.

Service in the north left a deep impression on Chatlain, including a love for the land and for how everything is connected — people, the land, animals. He also learned to pay more attention to signs and symbols.

“I learned to be more sensitive to the supernatural while in the north,” Chatlain said, recalling a time when he had to decide about a new appointment for service.

As he was driving home from a retreat centre where he went to pray about the decision, a flock of swans flew up in front of his car and flew in front of him for about 10 kilometres.

“I knew right away it was a sign from God, that I could trust I was going in the right direction,” Chatlain said.

Service in the north also taught him not to be anxious about time.

“I learned not to worry about how slow things take, to be more relaxed,” he said, adding he also learned about generosity from Indigenous people.

“Sharing is such an important part of Indigenous culture,” Chatlain said. “They taught me to be more generous.”

Time up north also figures in his attire. Each morning, Chatlain selects a different beaded cross from among the many given to him by local artists.

“They connect me with the people,” he said. “They were made with love and prayer.”

When thinking about issues facing the Roman Catholic Church today, the clergy sexual abuse scandal isn’t far from his mind. A lawsuit was filed against his former archdiocese in Keewatin-Le Pas last month by a man who alleges he was sexually abused by a priest there in the mid-1980s.

“It’s a tragic part of our history as a church,” Chatlain, who has ministered to survivors of clergy sexual abuse, said. “There are deep, deep wounds. I want to do whatever I can to promote healing.”

He said he understands some Catholic women are frustrated about the church. From his time in the north, he learned to appreciate the important leadership roles women play in local parishes.

This included four kookums — Cree for “grandmothers” — Chatlain relied on for advice and counsel. Those women led services in their parishes when no priest was available, he said, adding, “I appreciated their gifts.”

As he looks forward to his new role in Winnipeg, Chatlain said he intends to take time to “listen and learn” in the spirit of synodality promoted by Pope Francis.

“We are all together on a journey,” he said of the need for clergy and lay people to work together. “We are all called to serve God together, no matter what we are called to do.”

Chatlain is getting used to life in Winnipeg — it’s a big change from life in the north, where he would sometimes travel to parishes by winter roads or snowmobile.

“I like cutting wood, making fires,” he said. “Life in the city will be an adjustment.”

One thing Chatlain expects to miss is being on the land.

“An elder told me if you don’t spend time on the land, you just don’t miss the land, it misses you,” he said. “I need to walk in the forest, be among the trees … I’m glad to be in Winnipeg, but I’m very thankful for the time I spent in the north.”

One other thing that sticks with Chatlain is his support for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“I’m a Saskatoon boy. I bleed green,” he said, laughing as he added he hopes people in the archdiocese won’t hold that against him.

Chatlain succeeds Richard Gagnon, who retired to British Columbia last month after serving in Winnipeg for 11 years.

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