Remote Ltyentye Apurte Catholic community pays tribute to Pope Francis
Santa Teresa's church lies at the foothills of mountains that surround the remote community.
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ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin
)
The former mission town is home to about 600 people, more than 80 per cent of whom identified as Catholic at the 2021 census — making it one of the most Catholic places in Australia.
A statue in the garden of the Catholic Church in Santa Teresa.
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ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
Here in the heart of Australia, worlds away from the Vatican, news of Pope Francis's death has rippled through this small desert community.
This week, his framed photo is on display at the church altar, the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre and in the school library.
Framed photos of Pope Francis are on display in several places in Santa Teresa.
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ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
At the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School, Eastern Arrernte teacher Carmel Ryan talked about going on a pilgrimage to Rome to see a previous pope.
She said she was "really sad" to have not met Pope Francis.
Eastern Arrernte teacher Carmel Ryan at the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School.
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ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
"I am very sad [hearing about the pope's death] … and we will be missing him," she said.
"
I was always wanting to go and meet this Pope Francis but it didn't happen.
"
Sitting in the community's spirituality centre, Eastern Arrernte artist Clare Young is surrounded by her paints and rows of painted crosses hanging on the walls.
Clare Young surrounded by her paints at the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre.
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ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
Ms Young said her and her cousin had recently painted a cross that was sent to Rome.
She later found out they happened to paint the cross in the colours of the Argentinian flag — a link to Pope Francis's home country.
"We didn't even know what colour Argentina's country's flag was," she said.
"[The cross] was sent to Rome with one of the nuns who came to visit the centre.
Clare Young painting a cross in bright colours.
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ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
"I've still got it [the story] here, in my mind, and in my heart.
"
Thinking back after [we] heard about his death, made me feel really sad.
"
One of Clare Young's finished crosses.
(
ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
Crosses line the walls of the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre.
(
ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
Fighting to keep culture strong
Santa Teresa was established by a Christian mission in the 1950s.
Sunrise over the community of Santa Teresa in Central Australia.
(
ABC News: Greg Nelson
)
Early Catholic missionaries across Central Australia instructed Aboriginal people to abandon their language and belief systems and fully adopt Catholic beliefs.
But in Santa Teresa, residents made Catholicism their own, by championing their cultural knowledge.
Inside the local church — where photography is prohibited — the walls are painted with biblical images featuring solely Aboriginal people, including an Indigenous Jesus.
The Santa Teresa community was established in the 1950s as a Catholic mission. The church was built by locals from mud bricks.
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ABC News: Isabella Higgins
)
Ms Ryan said while she was a "strong Catholic woman", her language was what gave her strength.
"There is a lot of culture in the churches, singing in language … doing activities in language, reading," Ms Ryan said.
"Our belief in our language and culture and Catholic faith are joined together as one.
"We do respect the pope [in] how he was respecting all languages, all races, all nations."
Santa Teresa is believed to be one of the most Catholic places in the country.
(
ABC News: Xavier Martin
)
Older residents spoke about the impact assimilation policies continued to have on their lives and their families.
Ms Young said the Santa Teresa community's culture remained strong despite that, and they "want to keep it that way".
"For our kids, for our future, because we don't want to lose our identity," Ms Young said.
"We don't want to lose our culture, and we especially don't want to lose our language."
The large cross atop the mountains shining over the community.
(
ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin
)
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