Page 8 - Fruit of the Vine issue no. 1

Fruit of the Vine | June 2021
FRUIT OF THOSE WHO COULD NOT GATHER
Wiikwemkoong Holy Cross Mission Atrium opened its door on October 16, 2019 with an open house attended by special guests from Guelph and a blessing by Fr. Antoni Baranowski, SJ, followed by our first session with five registered children that soon dwindled downtoonechild. Wewereveryfortunateto stay open to March 2020 only to be halted by the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially, the hope was for the pandemic to be over soon and that things would get back to normal. But things became so uncertain and with the lockdown all churches and programs were closed. There were resources for particular cleaning procedures for re-opening of atria but that didn’t happen. The biggest question was what to do for the child? I read about what Covid-19 resources were available from CGSUSA. I knew the child would need materials andIknewthatIcouldnotdothatover Zoom as I was not familiar with Zoom.
I contacted the grandmother and offered, by email, some resources. As the child had been in charge of changing the tablecloth and placing articles on the table, then the first thing to do was a “prayer table”. I encouraged the grandmother to have the child find articles in the home to place on
the table.
She did not have a Bible, so I had one delivered to her door. The grandmother sent me a picture of her grandson by the prayer table after he set it up. I asked what was in the box.
It contained a policeman’s prayer as he wants to be a policeman when he grows up.
I thought he could make prayer cards at home and so sent some samples for his Easter Service at home. I decorated a battery- operated Easter Candle that had a raised Cross on it and included a Cross of the Risen Christ.
His favourite activity in
the atrium was to work with the Good Shepherd and the sheep. So that he could continue the work at home, I wondered what could I do? I needed something to go with the Parable of the Good Shepherd and so I searched my house for what I had to make a sheepfold, the Good Shepherd, and sheep.
I found double sided glossed white cardboard, perfect for
the shepherd and the sheep, a Lazy Susan for
the sheepfold, popsicle
sticks for the fence and bases for the sheep and
Good Shepherd, dowel
for fence posts, green,
black and brown paint,
and Gorilla Glue, plus scissors, a pencil, black permanent marker, and a ruler.
When this was completed, I ventured out to make the delivery. “For me?” “Yes, for you,” I told him. I told his grandfather, a carpenter, that I also was a good carpenter!
Rosella Kinoshameg (Wiikwemkoong, ON)
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