St. Ann Chapel
- Regional Pastor: Fr. Peter Dai Nguyen (sugiatinhyeu1868@gmail.com)
St. Ann Chapel in K’atl’odeeche First Nation (also known as the Hay River Reserve) represents an important Catholic spiritual presence within a primarily Indigenous community on the South Slave Region of the Diocese of Mackenzie–Fort Smith. Although detailed published parish histories are not widely available online, there are several key points that help sketch its significance, both spiritually and historically, in the lives of the local people.
K’atl’odeeche First Nation is a South Slavey Dene community located on the southern shore of Great Slave Lake at the mouth of the Hay River. This community lives on one of only two Indian reserves in the Northwest Territories and is rooted in a deep history of seasonal fishing, hunting, and gathering that has sustained Dene life for centuries. The area later became a meeting place for European missionaries and Dene peoples, with Catholic and Anglican missions being established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of broader contact and exchange.
St. Ann Chapel is identified as a Catholic chapel associated with Assumption Parish in Hay River, serving the K’atl’odeeche reserve community. It functions as a local worship space where Mass and sacramental life are celebrated for residents of the reserve—particularly important given the distances and isolation that can make frequent travel to larger town churches difficult.
The presence of St. Ann Chapel reflects a continuity of Catholic ministry within Indigenous northern communities, where the Church has historically been present alongside local traditions and life rhythms. On the Hay River Reserve, the Roman Catholic mission played a significant role alongside other missions in the area’s history; Ste. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church and other mission buildings at the Hay River Mission Sites are recognized as part of a National Historic Site, marking decades of interaction between Dene peoples and Christian churches.
To the people of K’atl’odeeche, St. Ann Chapel is more than a building: it is a place where community members gather for prayer, sacraments, and shared spiritual life. It stands within a community deeply shaped by Indigenous cultural resilience and spiritual identity, yet also shaped by the historical presence of Christian missions. The chapel embodies both continuity and transformation—serving parishioners in their current faith journeys while connecting to a complex history of encounter, resilience, and adaptation.
Mackenzie-Fort Smith 