The Jesuits of Canada are transferring governance of the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre to a new, Indigenous-led board of directors, which will include participation from the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie.

The landmark event takes place this evening in a ceremony from 6-9 p.m. at the centre’s sacred ground on Anderson Lake, Ont., and marks a pivotal moment in the path toward reconciliation, self-determination and renewed spiritual leadership rooted in Indigenous tradition and the Catholic faith.

The new board, with Rosella Kinoshameg as chair, will oversee the centre’s operations while maintaining strong ties with the diocese for sacramental guidance and spiritual oversight. Board members, community leaders, elders, Jesuit Provincial Fr. Jeffrey Burrell and Sault Ste. Marie Bishop Thomas Dowd will be in attendance at the ceremony.

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The Northern Ontario centre, since 1981, has been a place of peace, a retreat space and a welcoming conference centre which has welcomed many, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to deepen their spirituality and to become educated and trained in the leadership of their faith, to retreat and for recreation. It’s rooted in Christian tradition and builds on the history of the Jesuit communities working with First Nations of the region. It’s a place for enlightenment and spiritual nourishment, growth and healing, and provides opportunities to find the Creator within self, others and all creation guided and inspired by ancestors, elders and Jesuit tradition. 

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The Anishinabe Spiritual Centre has also been designated an official 2025 Jubilee Pilgrimage site, which affirms its role as a sacred destination for reflection, healing and reconciliation during this Jubilee “Year of Hope.”