Serving the Northern Cheyenne
On the reservation for nearly 100 years
Friars Randy Knauf, OFM Cap., Jozef Timmers, OFM Cap., and Jim Antoine, OFM Cap. live and minister among the people of the Northern Cheyenne tribe in southeast Montana. Based at St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, the friars assist both the school and nearby parishes. Since 1926, the Capuchins have worked among the tribe, affirming the local culture and offering access to the Catholic faith. Though sparse in population, the reservation covers an expansive 440,000 acres of land, roughly 688 square miles, and stretches from the Tongue River in the east to the Crow Reservation in the west. While the task of the friars here is sometimes daunting due to the cultural barriers and size of the reservation, the mission of the Capuchins to offer the Catholic faith to the region continues all the same.
Back on the reservation
“Working with people of other cultures always requires a certain amount of listening, skill and adaptation, sometimes even in simple conversations. But the Cheyenne people have known us here,” says Br. Randy Knauf. “We’ve been on this reservation for nearly a hundred years now, and the friars have a long but varied history here.” This is Br. Randy’s third time stationed out on the reservation. He arrived back in May of 2024, following the departure of his predecessor, Friar Truyen Nguyen, OFM Cap. after he left for Ottawa to continue studies in Canon Law. Previously, Br. Randy served in Ashland from 1985-87 and then again as Pastor at St. Labre from 2006-07. “So I have a 40 year memory and a 20 year memory,” laughs Br. Randy. “I jokingly tell people that if I don't know the individual, I might know their grandparents.”
Br. Randy is currently working with campus ministry at St. Labre. The large campus, located 125 miles southeast of Billings, consists of three different schools: the elementary school, the middle school, and the high school and contains dormitories and as well as school offices.
Br. Randy interacts with all of them. His responsibilities include teacher training, organizing class retreats, presiding over Masses with the students, facilitating service projects and assisting Br. Jozef Timmers with the St. Labre Parish. In fact, there are few places where Br. Randy doesn’t serve a role with the school.
“And then I do help out in the parishes around here in various ways,” said Br. Randy. “[Br.] Jozef tells me each week where he needs some help and I go and do it and I do as much as I can. Something I enjoy doing is looking up folks whose faces we aren't seeing in church right now and inviting them back. In fact, I jokingly was visiting one of the families just recently. I opened the car door and stepped out and said, ‘Hi, my name is Father Randy, I'd like to tell you about our church!’ It's a wonderful visit to get together with some of those families.”
Serving at the Parishes
Working closely with Br. Randy is Br. Jozef Timmers, the current pastor at St. Labre Parish that serves St. Labre Indian School. He began ministering on the reservation just two years prior to Br. Randy during the summer of 2022. Since arriving on the reservation, Br. Jozef says that the Capuchins have tried to be a positive influence on the community here, despite waning interest in the faith. “We’re a presence here that tries to be a positive presence,” says Br. Jozef “offering them Catholicism, and you know, trying to promote a good message.”
Br. Jozef’s primary role is to administer and operate St. Labre Parish. While he is not involved directly with the operations of the school, he often assists Br. Randy by holding Mass for the students and faculty. “We serve as chaplains to the school and many people who come to church are indeed teachers and staff at the school,” said Br. Jozef, “We're asked to do different things and prayers at the school, and to be available to the students, and to the staff. So that’s certainly a big part of our ministry here.” Once a week on Fridays, the friars host Masses for the students of St. Labre and, 4-5 times a year, they host all students Masses as well, which get to be quite large.
While serving at the parish over the past two and a half years, Br. Jozef has also been privileged to take part in, not only the life of the parish, but also the culture and key moments of the school. From Fort Robinson Run, a 400-mile run that the students hold in January each year, to numerous Pow Wows, there are plenty of events to helpthe students to really engage. “In September, I think the third week, there’s Native American Week,” said Br. Jozef. “There’s a parade, a tepee construction race between the Crow and Cheyenne students, and different other activities to celebrate Native American heritage.”
Br. Jozef also serves the nearby parishes on the reservation, traveling with Br. Randy to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lame Deer, about 21 miles west of Ashland, and to Christ the King Catholic Church in Busby, which is about 16 miles further. Here the two friars serve as sacramental ministers, offering the Eucharist to the faithful and assisting Deacon Joe Kristufek, a permanent deacon who serves as administrator in the parishes. “Lame Deer is actually much bigger than Ashland,” said Br. Jozef, “So that’s actually a much bigger center of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. That was given over to the deacon some time ago and eventually, if we stay here, when he retires, we’ll probably be taking that over again.”
A lifetime of service
The third friar currently stationed out in Ashland is Br. Jim Antoine. Now retired, he’s served longer than any other friar on the reservations. Arriving on the Northern Cheyenne back in 1965, Br. Jim served in the region for 10 years before being called to Huntington, Indiana to be part of the Capuchin novitiate team. When he returned in 1979, he then served on the nearby Crow Reservation at Our Lady of Loretto Church until retiring in 2017 and moving to St. Labre. Today, he lives a quiet life on the reservation, but is still occasionally involved in the activities of the school. “I’m involved with the grade school children with whom I eat every day that I’m available,” said Br. Jim, “I also have Mass here on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning and I help out at all the student Masses.”
When Br. Jim first arrived on the reservation in 1965, it was as a young theology student stationed in Birney, Montana. During this time, he would come out the to reservation each year during the summer to help with various programs while he took courses in theology in Marathon, Wisconsin and completed courses in both Indian Studies and Anthropology at the University of Montana in Missoula. “I did that for two summers and in between I resided here at St. Labre helping out with Masses and returning to Missoula to finish up my studies. Then I came back and I joined the community here.”
One of Br. Jim’s most prominent experiences serving the Northern Cheyenne came in 1969. “During that time, I had the opportunity to be taken into the Chief Society,” said Br. Jim. “I participated as a liaison between Cheyenne men who are chiefs and members of other societies.” As a member of the Chief Society, Br. Jim was asked to participate in the newly created Northern Cheyenne Research and Human Development Association, a Cheyenne effort to collect the memories of their elders and save them on tape for future reference as well as to develop a curriculum that could be used in the schools to teach about Cheyenne life and beliefs. Looking back at the way Cheyenne life is today underscores the importance that this project served even then.
“Today there’s less connection between the younger generation and the traditional values and beliefs of the Northern Cheyenne people,” said Br. Jim. “Along with that, there’s a loss of language ability. A loss of the use of Cheyenne language. Where years ago alcoholism was present, today you have drugs added to that. I think there’s, how can I say it? I think a lack of hope to live on the reservation because of the disconnect between the younger generations of Cheyennes and past generations.”
Br. Jim highlights that, due to this lack of hope, the Capuchin presence on the reservation today continues to be important. He highlights that what’s important is “loving the Cheyenne people for who they are and what they have for now and being with them in their losses without judgment. Loving them in the space and time that they are presently in.”
We are grateful to all of our Capuchin brothers who are currently serving and continue to serve among the people on the Montana reservations. We hold our friars here in prayer and in our hearts as they continue to support this mission of love and service.
