Drumming from Within

Readers will be provoked, inspired and spiritually nourished by these moving tales drawn from the real-life experience of a Catholic missionary priest/bishop among Canada's aboriginal peoples and their neighbours. Sylvain Lavoie's territory covers some of the most rugged and sparse geography in Canada. The diocese of Keewatin-The Pas spans 144,000 square kilometres in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as a corner of northwestern Ontario. First Nations and Métis, Cree and Dene, as well as non-aboriginal people - all blend together in a portion of God's beautiful creation in a lifestyle that is truly northern. This collection of Lavoie's memories will inspire both smiles and tears. Some reveal faith meeting life in heartwarming and humourous situations. Others deal with the trauma of substance abuse, family violence, poverty, and hardship. Here Lavoie shows how faith and the human spirit can overcome even the most tragic circumstances. Still others are gentle slices of life among God's "salt of the earth," as the author stickhandles the vagaries of Church and village life in the north.Sylvain Lavoie