| Show natives of arctic circle have new cathedral far up beyond the arctic circle on the barren shores oi of the arctic sea stands the most northerly cathedral in the british empire recently dedicated by the most reverend D T owen primate of all canada situated at the mouth of the vast mackenzie river waterway to the north the little cathedral is in some ways sways reminiscent of the days when hsuch such towering piles as cologne strasbourg and other famed cathedrals were built for aklavik cathedral perhaps no monumental edifice such as the cathedrals of the old world was in truth built with love by the hands of those who worship in it eskimos and indians with a white carpenter supervising all work was done iby by the natives who crowd into it each sunday for the three services at the dedication the natives brought with them the only wealth they know furs As they trooped into the cathedral clad in tribal regalia the head of each native family came forward and placed on a pile near the door a fresh muskrat skin as an offering off ering the pile of skins symbolic of the faith of the natives was blessed by the rt rev A L fleming anglican bishop oi of the arctic two natives fred lester an eskimo and jim edwards an indian also participated in the services both are studying for the ministry and are lay readers services at the cathedral are held in three languages english the tongue of the Louch eau indians and eskimo each sunday for miles around the flat barren country surrounding the cathedral is heard the somber tolling of the quarter ton bell in the tower A strange sound to be heard in the silent northland it brings the sabbath and the passing of time to v land that only a short time ago knew neither god nor the meaning of tile the word time to the eskimos and the indians it is something new to the furred royal canadian mounted police on duty in the post to the white doctors trappers traders and other emissaries of empire it brings a touch of home perhaps a little french canadian village or a small town on the vast prairies or to some perhaps the sound of a similar church bell tolling in a little faraway far away english country village |
