By Joan Janzen

The community of Tramping Lake was a hub of activity on Saturday, June 11, when guests arrived from all over Saskatchewan and parts of Alberta to attend the 100th anniversary of St. Michael’s Church. Visitors came from Biggar, Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford, Kerrobert, Macklin, Denzil, Wilkie, Unity and Calgary.

Christine Lang, Mayor of Tramping Lake, said, “After a year of planning and preparation, it’s over. It was a glorious day, and everything went according to plan.”

Those plans included Mass, which took place at 4:00 p.m. Father Greg Roth, St. Michael’s pastor, officiated at the Mass, along with five other clergy from Saskatoon, Biggar, Wilkie and Kerrobert. Monsignor Raymond Senger, from the Diocese of Saskatoon, was one of the visiting clergy in attendance who grew up in Tramping Lake.

“The collection at the church during Mass was divided in half,” Mayor Lang explained. “Half will go towards the upkeep of the church, and half will go towards the upkeep of the cemetery.” Many visitors toured the cemetery, which had been well maintained by a group of eight men from the community. The weather cooperated, with a light rain that cleared up later in the day.

The 225 guests thoroughly enjoyed the delicious turkey supper with all the trimmings, which was catered by Jan’s Catering from Unity. Supper was served a 6:00 p.m., followed by a short program.

The MC, Gwen Lang Marshall from Regina, shared some history about the parish. Gwen grew up in Tramping Lake and went on to become a nurse. The Village of Tramping Lake, as well as the CWL and Knights of Columbus, brought greetings to the guests. Unfortunately, the Tramping Lake branch of the Knights of Columbus is currently in the process of disbanding due to a lack of members.

The planned activities concluded around 9:30 p.m., but many lingered afterwards visiting. Mayor Lang said, “Others stayed until the wee hours of the morning, relaxing and having fun. Some people hadn’t seen each other for 3-5 years and got reacquainted. It was so great to see classmates and cousins in their old stomping grounds.”

According to Mayor Lang, a group of about a dozen people did most of the work preparing for the event. When asked what she enjoyed most about Saturday, Mayor Lang said she enjoyed planning it, getting things ready, and then seeing the results. Planning this event is only one of the many activities in which Mayor Lang is involved.

She will finish her term as mayor in 2024. “By then, I’ll be 83 years old. I’m still on the board of the Credit Union, president of the CWL, and am on the parish council. I keep busy,” she said, stating the obvious.

St. Michael’s parish couldn’t be more pleased with the success of their recent celebration, and they hope it will hold fond memories of the day for those who were able to attend.

St. Michael’s Church in Tramping Lake is one of 99 church buildings in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. Mayor Lang said they welcome visitors any time, who can phone ahead for a tour of the beautiful church.