Director and founder of Hummingbird Ministries Rev. Mary Fontaine began the first of several circle ministries at the Tsawwassen First Nation in Delta BC on January 25, 2005. Other ministries in the lower mainland of British Columbia include circles at the Sechelt First Nation on the Sunshine Coast, the Kikino Native Housing complex in Surrey. Our work in Richmond has been mainly to support Aboriginal youth through the Richmond Youth Services Agency, to support the annual Aboriginal Day celebration and to support the City of Richmond on an Advisory Committee to seek out the approximately 2000 Aboriginal people who live here. Through the Wai Wah Sports & Recreation Society of Richmond, Hummingbird was able to sponsor Aboriginal Athletes to participate in the North American Indigenous Games in August, 2008. Hummingbird recently started an outreach with children through two projects funded by Something Extra. There has been interest lately to start a second circle in Surrey and a new one in Vancouver.

Hummingbird Ministries is committed to ‘walking with’ Aboriginal people in their healing journeys as identified by them and to ‘walk with’ the churches to promote healing and reconciliation in the relationship between Aboriginal people and the Church. After first becoming a program of the Central Presbyterian Church in Vancouver, Hummingbird Ministries became a ministry of the Presbytery of Westminster in 2007. Mary was ordained in May, 2008 and was officially recognized as Director in June 2008.

Hummingbird Ministries establishes healing circle ministries to restore hope, freedom and justice for Aboriginal healing socially, politically and spiritually and, where the grace and peace of the Spirit of God would prevail in the relationship between Aboriginal people and the Church. In addition to the circles, the Director conducts funeral and wake services, healing and prayer services, weddings and pastoral care in homes and local hospitals. We also work on several projects including the Aboriginal Leadership in Ministry program, the youth cultural recovery project and the Music and Arts project. We also respond to some of the requests for circles by other Aboriginal healing institutions and groups.

Mary Fontaine
604-612-5577
hummingbird.ministries@shaw.ca