Paulatuk, NT

Our Lady of Lourdes

• Pastor: Fr. Fredrick Omegoha (ofredrick224@gmail.com)
• Pastoral Leader: Marlene Wolki (m.wolki@otmail.com)

Box 83 Paulatuk, NT X0E 1N0

Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, stands as a quiet but enduring sign of faith in the Western Arctic. Part of the Diocese of Mackenzie–Fort Smith, the church serves a small, predominantly Inuvialuit community along the shores of Darnley Bay, where life has long been shaped by the land, the seasons, and close family ties.

The church itself is housed in a Quonset hut–style structure, similar to those used by the military. Built for strength and efficiency rather than ornament, the curved metal building reflects the practical realities of Arctic life. Yet within this humble form, the space was made sacred through prayer, sacrament, and faithful presence. In Paulatuk, the church was never defined by architecture, but by the life that filled it.

For nearly fifty years, Our Lady of Lourdes was served by a resident priest from Europe, Fr. Léonce, whose life became deeply woven into the community. He came to Paulatuk and, in many ways, never truly left. Unlike later eras of fly-in pastoral care, Fr. Léonce lived year-round among the people, sharing the isolation, the long winters, and the rhythm of northern life.

Stories are still told of Fr. Léonce walking miles across the land to find families who were out hunting or living in seasonal camps. When he found them, he would pray with them—often right there on the land—before quietly carrying on his journey. In those moments, church was not confined to a Quonset hut; it was present wherever people lived, travelled, and gathered.

The memory of Fr. Léonce continues to shape how Our Lady of Lourdes is remembered in Paulatuk. The church stands as a testament to a kind of ministry rooted in endurance, humility, and accompaniment—a faith lived not through permanence of buildings, but through the steadfast commitment of walking with people, wherever the land took them.