Mission - Revival

Sr. Anna Tantsits and Peter Chepaitis, OFM, of Bethany Ministries led a mission/revival for four parishes in Philadelphia, Mississippi. They were invited to Philadelphia by Sr. Gloria Frank, who ministers there to the Mississippi band of the Choctaw tribe. Sr. Anna spoke of the experience as "fascinating and inspiring of how faith can bring diverse cultures together and diversity can enrich the experience of prayer."

The participants in the mission/revival sang in Choctaw and English, used drumming to accompany an examination of conscience service and smudged with sage while praying to the four directions. The Choctaw were one of the tribes forced to move to Oklahoma by Andrew Jackson in the early 19th century. They traveled what was called the "Trail of Tears." During the journey, some of them hid in the swamps of the Mississippi and survived to become the Mississippi Band of Choctaw. Since the mid 19th century, the Choctaw have survived as a tribe and grown spiritually because of the work of several Catholic priests and religious sisters.

Sr. Anna and Peter also gave missions in Farmville, NC, with Sr. Grace Campbell; Oxford, MS, with Sr. Mary Schoberg; and Burlington, NJ, with Sr. Ann Newell.

Shown in the photos below are Sr. Anna and Peter as St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi during a prayer service at a parish church.