Footnotes 1- Each religious order, congregation, and society has its constitution and rule. They have often been written by the founder and provide for both the governance of the congregation and to remind each generation of their charism and spirit. These small books are found in the personal possessions of religious and are well worn, often filled with notes and, not uncommonly, stained with tears. 2- I am greatly indebted to David J. Goa, Curator of Folklife at the Provincial Museum of Alberta, for his guidance and wise advice. The discussions we have had over the last two years have helped give form and substance to this project. 3- There are subtle distinctions between the religious order, congregation, and society. The religious order is bound by a series of solemn vows – a vow is declared solemn by the church and is then seen to carry with it a higher authority or purpose. The religious congregation is a community united under a common rule and subject only to simple (i.e. not solemn) vows. An ecclesiastical society is a community living under a rule but without vows. (Addis and Arnold, 1957) 4- The charism is a special gift bestowed by God on the individual and intended for use in proclaiming the gospel in word and deed. St. Thomas Aquinas defined the charism as “a grace given by God not for the personal justification or sanctification of the individual, but for the spiritual welfare of others.” John Whalen, ed., The New Catholic Encyclopaedia (Washington: Publisher’s Guild, 1979), 3:462, hereinafter cited as Whalen. Thus, the charism differs from the sanctifying grace, from virtues, from gifts of the Holy Spirit, and from graces of the state of life, all of which are concerned with the subject’s perfection. 5- Now known as Nickerson Township, it is located approximately twenty-seven miles southwest of Superior, Wisconsin. Father Ebner describes Nickerson as a six-person city. His use of “city” can perhaps be understood in the context of the desert Fathers and Mothers who were fond of calling their fledgling communities in the wadis of Egypt and Syria “spiritual cities.” Struggling for the salvation and fulfillment of a few pilgrims presents the full range of human experience to those who are attentive. 6- Benjamin Berger, “Early life and childhood.” Recorded conversation between Father Francis Ebner and Benjamin Lyle Berger, August 1, 1996. Folklife Collections, Provincial Museum of Alberta, AU.97.11. 7- I do not know whether Father Ebner, in his seminary days or during his ministry, read the work of the fifth-century Greek Father of the Church, Gregory of Nyssa. However, Gregory’s argument, that creation is the energy of God, is one way of understanding Father Ebner’s ease with nature’s holiness. 8- The “Baltimore Catechism,” or Catechism of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1885), was one of a number of catechisms written in the nineteenth century which focused on the individual’s Christian experience. (Whalen 3:230) 9- Since the Council of Trent (1564), reading of the Bible has been regulated in the Catholic Church. At the time, this regulation was viewed as a defensive measure, for the biblical text was the “rallying point” of the Reformation. This scriptural control “has the unfortunate effect of separating the laity further from the Bible.” (Whalen 2:535) However, Biblical passages remained an integral part of Catholic devotion. Biblical passages were incorporated into all parts of the Catholic liturgy in the form of chants, readings, and the proclamation of the Gospel. Circa 1960 the Bible text in its entirety became widely read and a fixture in the Catholic home. 10- Brother Anthony Kowalczyk was born in Poland, June 4, 1866, and died in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 10, 1947. He entered the Oblate Order at St. Gerlach in Holland on October 1, 1891. Brother Anthony was in Alberta for the balance of his life, working at the Collège St Jean from 1911 until his death. His devotion to the Blessed Mary, his dedication to the Oblate Congregation, and his concern for the students who passed through the Collège is legendary. His canonisation is now being pursued by his fellow Oblates. 11- Murray, Peter and Linda. The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.