God's Explorers

A Television Documentary by Susan Cardinal

Winds of Change

Through the 1940s and 1950s, the Oblates’ power grew. They were the de facto government with the residential schools serving as the cornerstones. During the 1960s, their familiar world was shattered by events both inside and outside the Catholic Church. A new liberal theology began sweeping the Catholic world with the announcement of Vatican II and suddenly the Oblates’ Indian missions were being questioned. Outside the Church, debate raged over plans to build a gas pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley. Justice Thomas Berger conducted his historic Inquiry into the Pipeline and the people it would effect the most – the Dene. The Dene Nation found its voice and a powerful political force was born. A handful of young missionaries – a new breed of Oblate – started to work with the Dene.

But most of the older, conservative Oblates were lost. The residential schools were shut down. Power and control slipped out of their hands, triggering an identity crises.

"We had to find a new identity… it was very difficult for the Church to let go, because we knew we were losing a means of evangelization," says Bishop Denis Croteau, omi, Bishop of the Mackenzie. "Once you don’t have the schools, you don’t have the young people."

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"The Church was loved by the people. The Church was powerful. But we hit the Titanic with modern society"

Bishop Denis Croteau, omi

Bishop of the Mackenzie Valley in "God's Explorers"

omi - Oblates of Mary Immaculate

God's Explorers' funding agencies and broadcasters