Bertrand Mathieu was born on January 5, 1923 to Pierre and Rose-Alma (Rivard) Mathieu in St. Germain de Grantham (Drummondville), in the Quebec Diocese of Nicolet, where his family operated a dairy farm. As a young man, he sensed a call from God to work as a missionary. He joined the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1943 as a religious and was sent to Lebret Saskatchewan to complete his studies for the priesthood to which he was ordained on June 29, 1949. He lived these two vocations to a high degree during his entire life and went to receive his eternal reward on July 16, 2011 His entire life was spent working among the Dene people of northern Saskatchewan, beginning in 1950 at La Loche where he spent 37 years. Then he was posted to Wollaston Lake and Patuanak till 2010 when he took up residence at St. Mary's Oblate Community at Battleford. He was a strong, lively and jovial man, qualities which suited him for his missionary work which included learning how to travel by dog team, snow shoes or just hiking for many miles to meet people in scattered communities, to offer Mass, anoint the sick or help people travel to the hospital in La Loche. He was in charge of the church, convent, hospital, and hall, helping to maintain them and supply large amounts of wood for heating them in winter. He learned to speak the Dene language very well which was necessary in preaching, teaching religion, visiting the elders and counselling. One of his outstanding traits was his ability to remember names and families, and on meeting someone, he would tell them their parents' names, grandparents and relatives.
This was helped by the care he took to keep exact family and baptismal records. People would often come to him to learn their family history, going back to four or five generations.
Among us he stands as a tall spruce tree in a forest. Father Mathieu is survived by his brothers of his religious community, The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI Lacombe Canada, Saskatchewan District), his brother Albany and his sisters Lucille Leclaire, Yvette Lafond and Therese Deschenes. A Vigil of Prayer will be held on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011, 7:00 p.m. at Mazenod Residence, 1111 Saskatchewan Crescent W. Saskatoon, Father Albert Ulrich presiding. The funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Vital Catholic Parish in Battleford at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 21st, Father Albert Ulrich, OMI presiding; homilist will be Archbishop Sylvain Lavoie, OMI. The funeral mass will be preceded by a Visitation beginning at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Mazenod Residence. Arrangements are entrusted to Saskatoon Funeral Home.
May he rest in peace.

• Date : 2011-07-16 06:00:00
• Location : Battleford, SK