Tom Henihan
Express Staff
@SmokyRiverExprs
Pure Witness Ministries, a Catholic youth oriented evangelical mission based in Saskatoon, visited Holy Family Catholic Regional Division (HFCRD) schools from February 1 to February 9.
The team, comprised of seven members, held retreats and performed at schools in Grimshaw, Manning, Peace River, High Prairie, McLennan and Vallyview, stopping at Ecole Providence on February 6.
Four of the Pure Witness team members is from western Canada: Gregory Mallet is from a farming family outside Saskatoon, Courtney Buhrke is from Williams Lake, BC with two Albertans, Katie Jodoin from Spruce Grove and Daniel Pashula, Calgary.
However, two members hail from further afield with 19-year-old Michael Salamida being from Pensacola, Florida and Christa Taylor, who is also 19-years-old, coming from Aurora, Ontario.
This is both Salamida and Taylor’s second time to the region with Pure Witness, having visited the HFCR schools at this time last year.
Twenty-year-old Calgarian, Daniel Pashula was bandleader when they were in the region last year and this year he is a Pure Witness Ministries staff member overseeing the group while they are traveling.
Pure Witness Team holds retreats and other activities including interactive games, testimonies, inspirational music, theatre and humorous sketches.
This year’s Pure Witness Ministries “Revive Retreat” takes students on a journey that enlightens them as to meaning of allowing Christ to revive their hearts and help them to discover a genuine sense of purpose and have a meaningful life.
The team travel approximately two weeks at a time, then return to Saskatoon for a couple of weeks running a youth group there and offering local retreats.
The early February visit was aimed at the Grade one to six students and the team will return from March 1 to March 9 offering a slightly modified retreat and performance for Grade 7 and 8 students.
Pure Witness Ministries is a Canadian non-profit charity so the team members are not paid.
Everything they do is through the support of donations from individuals, communities, family members etc.
Working mainly with Catholic schools, the group will accept an invitation to any school regardless of its religious affiliation.
