USA > Michigan > Marquette County > Marquette > History Of The Diocese Of Sault Ste, Marie And Marquette; Containing A Full And Accurate Account Of The Development Of The Catholic Church In Upper Michigan, With Portraits Of Bishops, Priests And Illustrations Of Churches Old And New, Volume 1 > Part 16
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M. Flannigan arrived from Montreal and he became another subject for ordi- nation. It was agreed that the young candidate for Holy Orders would meet the bishop in Hancock, whither he would come after his visit to the Eagle Harbor mission. Thursday, June 26th, Baraga arrived in Hancock. The subject of James Sweeney's ordination was broached again, but with still no definite result. Upon these deliberations broke in Rev. Michael McLaughlin, from Chicago, with a request to be taken in to the diocese. On account of his thorough knowledge of French, the Bishop favorably considered his application and sent him on the out- going steamer to the Sault. But this un- expected intermezzo did not accelerate the solution of the bishop's hesitation. On Sunday, his 65th birthday, at three o'clock in the afternoon, Baraga gave P. M. Flannigan the tonsure and the four minor orders. Failing to associate his client with Mr. Flannigan, Father Jacker redoubled his efforts and won out. After a brief visit to L'Anse for the purpose of inspecting the new house which Father Terhorst was building, the Bishop re- turned to St. Ann's and on Thursday, July 3rd, conferred upon James Sweeney, before mass. the tonsure and the four minor orders.
In the Sault Bishop Baraga found two friends awaiting him; the Jesuit Father Hannipaux, who for many years was stationed at Garden River and a check from Paris to the amount of fourteen hundred twenty-eight dollars. We will not presume to judge which he welcomed most. A short inspection tour was de- voted to the Baie-de-Goulais church. The two French carpenters had done sc
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excellent a job on the small structure that it pleased the Bishop exceedingly. He at once formed the plan to take them down to Alpena and have them put up the new church there. Before he would enter upon this venture, however, he thought it advisable to investigate how far the collections, instituted a year ago, had ad- vanced. By way of Mackinac he reached Duncan where Father Murry was ac- cidentally found instructing a class of children for first holy Communion. In St. Mary's, Sheboygan, Baraga con- firmed this class, on Sunday, July 27th. To obtain a better opportunity for a boat to Thunderbay, the Bishop returned to Mackinac. But this time his plans mis- carried. He found a boat for Port Huron instead, but after lounging around the town he learned that there was no vessel available for Alpena, and he journeyed to Detroit. No good came out of this long trip, except that Bishop Lefevere paid him the annual stipend of two hundred dollars for the sustenance of missionaries whom Baraga maintained in Lower- Michigan territory.
On the sixth of August the Bishop ar- rived again in Mackinac. He visited all his lower point missions in an Indian sail- boat he also paid a friendly visit to Père Piret at St. Ignace and returned to the Sault on the slow steamer Backus. In the mails was a friendly greeting from the Leopoldine Society in the shape of a draft of four hundred and thirty-seven dollars. Another surprise was in store for him! Father Gaes, whom he had ex- pected over two years, had arrived from Munich and on the 5th of September was sent to Mackinac to take charge of that parish.
Through a long correspondence Father . Fox of the Minnesota Mine, had induced the Ursuline nuns to open an Academy in his now flourishing parish. As it were to condone for the abandoned unprofit- able field at Sault Sainte Marie, they ac- cepted the proposition. They arrived in the Sault on the 14th of September, on the Illinois, and left with the same boat for their destination. On the same day, to the great surprise of the Bishop, the two clerics, Flannigan and Sweeney, ar- rived, who had been sent to Milwaukee to complete their theology. The Civil War had robbed most of the institutions of their higher students; those who had not been already drafted into the army were afraid to return to their benches on account of the enforced conscription, thus many a hall of learning remained closed.
The Seminary of St. Francis was not an exception. The theology course was suspended, and the two students returned home. The Bishop was much perplexed what to do with them. The conditions were about the same all over the States. He either had to send them to Canada or ordain them. He chose the latter, and the following morning, Monday, Septem- ber 15th, he conferred sub-deaconship, and on the 16th deaconship upon Mr. Flannigan, while he still hesitated about Mr. Sweeney who was not as well ad- vanced. But finally he decided to ordain both. On the 17th he gave to Mr. Sweeney sub-deaconate and on 18th deaconate. He was ordained priest on the 19th and immediately sent to Hancock. P. M. Flannigan, who wished to be raised to priesthood in his parish church at the Minnesota Mine, also left for home on the day of his elevation to the deaconate.
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suited well enough also another purpose, that of Flannigan's ordination. He took the Northern Light, on November 4th, but this voyage proved to be a long and tedious one. Floating ice and bad weather delayed them at White-fish Point, thirty-six hours. They arrived in Han- cock on the 7th at 4 p. m. On the boat he had already experienced a weakness which compelled him to discontinue the journey at this port. Father Jacker re- ceived him cordially and cared for him most devotedly. He used his influence and persuasive power for a discontinuance of the journey, urging the enfeebled Bishop to remain at St. Ann's till he should have recovered his strength. This marked solicitude was agreeable enough to Bara- ga, but duty forbade inactivity just at this juncture.
The season was far advanced towards the winter; all the boats were up and in less than a week's time they would be bid- ding their farewell along the ports of Lake Superior. On Sunday, November 9. the Iron City, on her last trip down, brought Rev. P. M. Flannigan to Hancock. He was a deacon and came down with the in- tention of returning to the seminary. Father Jacker suggested his immediate ordination, but the Bishop little favored the proposition, while Rev. Flannigan himself strenuously opposed it. In course of the evening the Bishop allowed himself to be persuaded that the scarcity of priests would not only allow but even demand the shortening of the student's course, particularly in this instance where the subject had already had a good course. Not being able to resist the persistence of Father Jacker, and respecting the wish of the Bishop, Rev. Flannigan consented to
his ordination but reminded the Bishop of the promise he had made to his mother to ordain him in the parish church of Rock- land. To this the Bishop agreed. On the morning of October 10th after celebrating Mass early, the Bishop started afoot from Hancock for the Minnesota Mine. Ac- companied by Father Jacker and P. M. Flannigan he ferried across the Portage to the Houghton side and briskly struck the Ontonagon road. For a while they all marched well; the muddy road and the six-mile hill had done their work; Bara- ga's weakness returned. All day long. supported on one side by Father Jacker and on the other by Flannigan, he wearied along over the hills and dales of the primeval forest. Exhausted, the trio ar- rived at the half-way house at ten o'clock at night. From this point the country be- ing more level, the walking was much better : they reached Maple Grove, Flannigan's home, at five o'clock next day. The following forning after celebrating Mass, the last seven of the forty miles were made with as much leisure as possi- ble. Minnesota Mine was reached at eleven o'clock. The happy completion of the journey could not but imbue the venerable Bishop .with new strength. After a few hours' rest he drove unaccompanied to Ontonagon and stayed over night in the house of Mr. Schick, and during the fol- lowing two days he accepted the hospital- ity of the Sisters in the Academy.
That our readers might not wonder why the Bishop did not remain as the guest of Father Fox, we must add, in explanation, that the rectory was so small and contained but one bed and that on this occasion there were four persons having legal claim to it.
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Mine on the day of ordination. The
Sisters at Ontonagon most tenderly cared for him during his day and a half wait for the boat. On the 17th, at seven in the morning the Mineral Rock made her last call in the port. The worn form of the venerable Bishop moved Captain Mc- Kay's heart and he tendered him his own cabin for the voyage which he knew would be unusually prolonged on account of the much freight loading. On the 27th of November, at nine o'clock in the morning they put into dock at the Sault.
At home most depressing facts con- fronted him. Father Mclaughlin was being accused of too great a love for in- toxicants. Rather than to face any pos- sible scandal, the Bishop would risk the probability of being left alone all winter, and sent the priest away. Baraga now keenly regretted having permitted Father Bourion to take up the mission at Ne- gaunee, and was on the point of recalling him, but the thought that many people. of that prosperous iron mining district would be without religious services, de- cided him to shoulder the burden of the Sault parish for the ensuing winter. To make this outlook more dreary even, the faithful Caspar showed signs of dis- contentment and threatened to leave. Father Gaes, of the Mackinac Island mis- sion, also had left for Minnesota. Amidst these distressing occurrences of his epis- copate, Baraga again took up the ordinary duties of a priest during the winter season. On week days he would attend to numer- ous Indian missions, and on Sunday say two Masses at home, preach two and three sermons, and often in as many languages, and perform the incidental duties of a pastor.
1863.
The new year of 1863 found Bishop Baraga occupied with pastoral and mis- sionary duties. He found it burdensome to the extreme to be without a priest. Caspar's malicious sickness had deprived him even of the help he was wont to give. Thus all kind of work had to be done by the Bishop himself from the kindling of his own fires to the sacred functions and sick calls which often took him to far-off places. "This is most burdensome for me in my old years. The other day I had a sick call twenty miles away. An Indian girl became dangerously ill, and her good mother was much alarmed lest her daughter should die without receiving the holy sacraments. She sent for me and I went there on a bitter cold day. There are many villages ten, twelve and fifteen miles distant which I must often visit. But above all the thought de- presses me that there is no end of these troubles in sight, for I do not know when I shall get a priest for the Sault. Each one of my fifteen priests is so necessary in his own place that I cannot with good conscience, take him away. I must there- fore hold out till kind Providence sends me a good and suitable priest." 3 Provi- dence was rather slow sending relief. The day after the above letter was written, happened to be Holy Thursday and the old Bishop was obliged to consecrate the oils without any assistance. He had indeed made application to other bishops, but most of them were as helpless as himself. Pleading for the loan of a priest he winds up his letter to Bishop Lefevere with this tearful sentence : "Could not your Lord- ship let me have one of your priests at
3 Letter April 2, 1863. Dr. Voncina.
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preach twice every Sunday in the Indian cerns, that one priest could no longer language, once in the morning and once attend to their spiritual wants. He, therefore, decided that the work should be divided at least between two priests. Accordingly, on the 12th of Sep- tember, Father Broun appeared in Eagle Harbor as the new pastor and Father Flannigan was shifted to the Cliff Mine, while the poor old Bishop still remained pastor and curate at the Sault. A certain Father D. D. Ryan was with the bishop the first three weeks in October. in the afternoon. Poor Indian mission- aries! It requires much patience and heroic self-sacrifice to spend one's life with the poor, simple, and naughty Indians. May God reward them forever!" 5 This spirit of self-sacrifice is not given to every- body; no wonder, therefore, that the Bishop was unable to people his diocese with priests as fast as he desired. The missionary life offered no temporal emol- uments of any kind as it barely gave a meager living. Two hundred dollars, ill named salary, was the earthly premium placed upon the talents, education, physi- cal and spiritual accomplishments. Placed into the wilds of Lake Superior one was more liable to corrode than to advance in them. With these disadvantages in view, men who did not possess sufficient self- reliance, kept aloof from these uncivilized regions. Still God did not suffer this so much arable vineyard to remain untilled. In course of the summer ( 1863) another candidate was presented to Baraga for ordination, and on the 30th of August, John B. Broun was raised to the dignity of priesthood.
One would naturally imagine that Baraga would have looked upon his new priest as a solution of his solitary con- finement in the Sault. But here shines forth most brilliantly the unselfishness of Baraga! He kept Father Broun in the Sault only till he had made his canonical visitation of missions. On his tour he found that in the Keweenaw county the population was so large, there being over fifteen hundred families scat- tered among the various mining con- 5 Letter August 4, 1863. Leop. Berichte.
Bishop Baraga kept a journal during ten years. Day after day he made the entry of his movements and whereabouts. While he did not keep a formal diary, yet without these daily jottings of events we would know but little of his life as a bishop, and many a humorous morsel of diocesan history would have remained entombed in the past of time. We repro- duce the last entry verbatim and littera- tim: "July 16. Expectatio Steamboati. Sehr kuehl, imo kalt! Ich machte diesen Morgen Feuer im Ofen, in spite of July !" 6
We would not be true to the thread of our narrative, if we did not record a slight disturbance in the quiet life of the teach- ing force in the diocese. Montferrand had been teaching school in L'Anse for years; his impaired health necessitated a change. As we have mentioned Baraga obtained the appointment of M. Donovan in his place. L'Anse being a government school, no relaxation of duty could be tolerated, hence the exchange. But Bara- ga got the worst end of the bargain. Montferrand was not able to complete the
" Awaiting a boat. Very cool, yes even cold. I made fire this morning, in spite of July.)
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quette and he in turn was supplanted in away, others flee to Canada for fear that the Sault by the newly ordained Rev. they will be compelled to serve in the war. Aloysius Maria Kopleter, who stayed "This year a Provincial Council was to have been held at Cincinnati, but on ac- count of the war disturbances the Arch- bishop of Cincinnati did not consider it advisable to have it this year. I went as far as Detroit to attend the Council, when I was informed that there would be none this year. there only a few weeks and was trans- ferred to Houghton in September and died there January 24, 1865. Such con- tinual changes, the great scarcity of priests, and most likely not a little, the being alone during two consecutive win- ters, impelled the good Bishop to induce the Jesuit Fathers to come back to the Sault. Father Menet arrived in Sep- tember and took up the work which he had dropped some three years before. In the Ontonagon County the population was also fast increasing, so much so, that with the added care of the Ursuline Aca- demy Father Fox could no longer satisfy the demands of his missions. In May Father Flannigan was sent as assistant to him. And upon the removal of Father Flannigan from the Cliff Mine, Father Broun assumed the pastorate of the en- tire Keweenaw County.
His own travels Bishop Baraga sum- marized in the following two letters to the Leopoldine Society.
"Since my last report many things have happened in these unhappy States. Our most destructive Civil War contin- ues raging more violently than ever. Our president does not want to hear of any proposals of peace and has lately ordered a conscription of half a million soldiers. The whole country suffers in conse- quence; everything is twice and three times as dear as formerly and the country is being deprived of its most active and useful citizens. Our missionaries suffer very much as a matter of course. Every where they complain that many members of their congregations are being taken
"My first missionary visit this year I made to a new country town with quite a number of Catholics. I spent six days in this place and said holy Mass on Sun- day in a large school house. It was the first Mass ever said in this place and the people assisted with much devotion. After Mass I preached, and among other things touched upon the necessity of having a church and for this purpose called a meet- ing. I bought a lot in the middle of the growing village for one hundred and fifty dollars and opened a subscription list for the new church. I subscribed one hun- dred dollars as my contribution, after which some subscribed ten, others twen- ty, forty and fifty dollars. Even the Protestant population contributed liber- ally, and now a nice church will be built, which with God's assistance, will be com- pleted next year.
"From Alpena I went to Beaver Is- land, in Lake Michigan, on a small steamer, where I had established a mis- sion thirty-two years before. There the zealous missionary Father Murray is sta- tioned, and with great labor and much exertion has built quite a large church and house. He has accomplished much good, principally in combating the vice of intemperance among his people. For this purpose he established a temperance so-
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uted to the building of this church; one member giving six hundred dollars." 7
The Bishop continues :
.
"I have just returned from a two months' visitation amongst the Indian missions. First I visited the mission of Cross Village, where I was very much pleased at the good progress this mission has made since my last visit. As the church was too small, the Indians deter- mined to build an addition and fit it up. What they had resolved to do, they really did. They executed the work so skill- fully and durably that no white carpenter could have done it better. It is true the zealous missionary, Rev. Louis Sifferat, helped them considerably in their work. In order to animate the Indians who are naturally slothful, he himself put hands to the work and labored assiduously at enlarging their church. I remained until the following Sunday, on which I preached twice to the Indians and gave Confirmation.
"From there I went to Middle Village, another Indian mission, which is attended from Cross Village. There also the mis- sion church is too small. Preparations are being made to build a larger one. I hope the work will soon be started. It is a pleasure to see how the Indian mis- sions are growing, whereas the pagan In- dians in the woods, who will not hear about conversion, are remarkably de- creasing in numbers. I have often heard from my Indian guides on my former missionary journeys, when passing by the places : 'Here was once a large Indian village; now, not a single Indian lives here, or only a couple of families, who eke
out a miserable existence.' On the other hand the Indians in the mission-stations increase more and more, live happy and are satisfied.
"From Middle Village I went to the mission of Arbre Croche which was my first Indian mission. Thirty-four years ago I began my missionary life there, which I have ever since continued, for I always considered myself a missionary. The Indians of this mission, especially the aged, are always happy to see their former missionary in their midst, and I myself always feel very happy when I remember the many consolations I had in this mission, for then conversions were still very frequent and numerous. Whole families became converted and were bap- tized together, father, mother, and all their children. The missionary stationed at this mission, Rev. Seraphin Zorn, is so zealous and active, that I admonished him to moderate his zeal a little, because he is in danger of prematurely sacrificing his health and precious life. He preaches every morning after Mass, and often makes long journeys to visit and instruct the Indians that live at a distance. I con- ferred the Holy Sacrament of Confirma- tion and preached to the Indians who likewise feel happy when hearing their old missionary preach.
"From there I went to Grand Tra- verse, the mission of the aged missionary, Rev. Ignatius Mrak. He has been labor- ing among the Indians for a long time and his ministerial labors are very hard, for besides Grand Traverse, he has ten other smaller missions which he visits from time to time, and is obliged to preach in four different languages, In- dian, English, French and German. To
7 Letter September 18, 1864. Annals, Tran- slat. Verwyst.
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some of these stations he has to go on foot, and carry all things necessary for holding divine services; to others he goes on horse back or in a boat. I went with him to some of these missions to admin- ister Confirmation, but was often obliged to dismount from my horse and go on foot because I was afraid that the horse might fall down and injure me as the roads were unusually bad. I spent two weeks with this excellent missionary and gave Confirmation at different stations on Sundays. I went with him to Carp River, where the good people had built a small church, which I blessed to the joy of that Christian congregation. In like manner I blessed the spacious grave-yard which the good people had fenced in. I would have fulfilled their earnest wish of having a resident priest. but unfortu- nately I am in want of priests. The Cath- olics of my diocese are increasing in num- bers, but seldom do priests offer them- selves to come to this distant diocese.
"From Carp River my way led me to Mackinac. This mission is very old. Jesuit Fathers labored here over two hun- dred years ago. At present it is without
a priest, but the missionary at Point St. Ignace, Rev. Andrew Piret, comes here every Sunday. I confirmed one hundred and twenty-three persons in these two missions, partly children partly adults. From Mackinac I set out for home, where I arrived on the 26th of Novem- ber.
"Notwithstanding my advanced age, I always feel very well, thanks be to God. I hope to serve the Lord in these missions for a long time. I am very well satisfied with my priests. They serve God zeal- ously and uprightly, and they willingly bear privations and hardships. I assist them as much as possible and I thank the Rev. Directors of the Leopoldine Society for the charitable help they annually give me. In regard to pecuniary matters I de- pend upon Europe; whatever I have, I received from there. My diocese has no income, not a farthing !" 8
The threatened ordination did not take place, the good old Bishop reconciling himself with the inevitable.
8 Letter November 29, 1864. Annalen, Trans- lat. Verwyst.
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Chapter VII.
Bishop Baraga transfers his See to Marquette .- The diocese receives the title of Sault Saint Maric and Marquette .- Baraga attends the Plenary Council at Baltimore .- Is stricken with apoplexy. His long sickness-His death .- The fiftieth anniversary of his consecration.
Various mining enterprises had at- tracted multitudes of people to Lake Su- perior regions, and in particular the pros- perous copper mines of Keweenaw, Houghton, and Ontonagon counties. Keeping pace with the development of this section of the Upper Peninsula, the diocese had also prospered. Here the population had increased with wonderful rapidity; there were more churches and many more priests within a radius of forty miles in the Copper Country, than within a hundred miles of the Sault. Five months out of a year the episcopal city was inaccessible except on snow-shoes. Missionaries found it therefore difficult to communicate with their Bishop and hence the idea, that he should transfer his See to a more central place was as logi- cal as it was general. Father Jacker es- pecially became the champion of the agi- tation. He broached the subject to the Bishop and found him more agreeable than he had expected; evidently he had given it some deliberation himself. A correspondence followed. On February 23, 1865, Baraga wrote to Father Jacker :
"I wrote to you lately that I would speak to you regarding the removal of my episcopal See. But I can tell you now very briefly my opinion in the matter.
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