On August 17, our pastoral community gathered for an All Reservation Mass to honor the life of Nicholas Black Elk, a revered Lakota holy man who lived from 1863 to 1950. To mark his memorial day, Deacon Bill shared powerful words of reflection and inspiration.
A Message from Deacon Bill White…
Hau Mitakuyepi, I am Deacon Bill White, Local Postulator for the Cause of Nicolas Black Elk. The postulator keeps the cause going, keeping people interested and praying for his intercessory help. I am the local postulator here in the area where he was from. We have a Rome postulator, who serves as our liaison between us and the Vatican.
We gather today to celebrate the Mass and the day of death for Nicholas Black Elk. If you’re like me, you struggle with celebrating the day of death. We need to pause and reflect on this celebration. We are all Saints when we get to heaven. When the church canonizes someone, it is saying that they lived a holy life in obedience to God’s will and entered heaven upon their death. So, his death is the first step towards sainthood. That is why we celebrate the day of death.
We couldn’t have had this celebration without some of the key figures from the cause, who have passed away but contribute from the other side: Deacon Marlon Leneaugh, Bishop Peter Muhich, Father Dan Jeulfs, and George Looks Twice. May they rest in peace.
Nicholas was a deeply prayerful Lakota man throughout his life. With his Lakota spirituality, he prayed with others during their most challenging moments, offering them hope. Later, as a catechist for the Catholic Church, he continued to pray with people and guide them toward hope in Christ. Despite facing his trials, he always kept his focus on something greater than his earthly journey. He believed that God had a plan for us when our time on Earth is over. He was shown that we all must live together in a vision. This is the message we need most today.
No matter our background, God has a plan for us, and we should live in harmony. We don’t need to become exactly like each other, but we should accept one another for who we are. It’s better to focus on what we have in common rather than our differences. We are all children of God.
Nicholas Black Elk: Pray for us!
Mitakuye Oyasin
