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 18
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long the piercing blasts of our northern country, and that they would shorten his days. Oh, I shall forever remember the pitiful and sorrowful look that his Lord- ship threw at me. He seemed to re- prove me with the words of Cæsar, Tu quoque, fili mi. That thought of being left away from his flock almost caused
him another attack. No, said he firmly, I must go and die where I have lived, and even should I die on the way going home, I must try to go back. The day after, fearing that some of the Fathers would propose the question to the consideration of the Bishops, he came out from the hospital, and at his request, we started for home immediately, without even call- ing at the Archbishop's residence. He was weak, very weak, during the whole way on the cars, I had to hold him upon my arms, and when necessary to change cars I had to carry him from one car to the other. I scarcely believed then, that he would live to see Lake Superior again. I was almost sure that he would die on the way home. But no: God had resolved after having afflicted him bodily. to give him to drink the chalice of affliction to the dregs. When we arrived at Mar-
quette, we found everything upset. One upon whom the Bishop had relied had left his post, to the shame of the good Bishop and the scandal of the people. Oh, the
tears the Bishop shed !! Poor Bishop! that gave him the last stroke! His phy- sical and mental faculties have been sink- ing since. He had the greatest difficulty in speaking and he could not make a step alone. Notwithstanding his weakness, as long as his infirmity was confined to the extremities, we hoped that he would live until spring. Three weeks before
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his command keep safe all that belonged to the Bishop and keep the whole under lock until the arrival of the successor? Excuse my prolixity, Monsignor, and allow me to subscribe myself, of Your Grace,
The most obedient son in Xto, H. BOURION,
Pastor of St Paul's, Negaunce, Mich.15
The body of Bishop Baraga lay in state, in the Cathedral, for twelve days. It was vested in a white cope and the precious mitre. They had but one purple vestment in the Cathedral; the approaching ienten season claimed it for its ritual because another one could not be imported in time, and it was decided to give the beloved Bishop the white cope and his precious mitre. The interment was postponed with the fond expectation that a neighboring bishop, would come to officiate and likewise to give the diocesan priests a chance to arrive from their dis- tant missions. Their first wish did not realize. Bishop Henni of Milwaukee reached Green Bay by rail, when just then a snow storm made further travel by stage impossible. He wrote his con- dolence and returned home. Likewise only five priests, besides Father Jacker, could reach Marquette. On the 3Ist day of January ( 1868), assisted by the Revs. Terhorst, Bourion, Duroc, Burns and Vertin, Father Jacker held the last obsequies. Under the Cathedral close to the Blessed Virgin altar a brick vault had been constructed and there the plain
pine coffin with its precious contents was deposited.
End of April, 1874, during a mission given by Father Cooney, C. S. C., the vault was opened with the permission of the Rt. Rev. Bishop Mrak. The remains were found in a life-like state of preser- vation, and were viewed by the bishop and the missionary, as also by Fathers Eis, Langner, Brown and the student Peter Menard. When in 1879 fire reduced the first Cathedral to ashes, the coffin was taken out of its repository and, with permission of Bishop Vertin, opened again. This time also the body was in a perfect state of preservation. To await the upbuilding of a new Cathedral the remains were temporarily re-interred in the sand, under the episcopal residence. After twenty years, out of the ashes of the old Cathedral, through the munifi- cence of Bishop Vertin, rose the majestic new stone Cathedral. In the parterre of the south-west corner a magnificent vault was erected for the burial of the bishops of Marquette. Six niches are there pro-
vided. The first one to occupy was the first bishop of Sault Ste. Marie and Mar- quette. Baraga's remains were exhumed in September 1897. Although the dry- decay had done its work, the body was still complete notwithstanding that the moisture of the sand had eaten up the boards of the coffin. All that was mortal of the saintly Baraga was lifted into a steel casket and deposited in the place prepared for it. This ceremony was witnessed by Bishop Vertin, Fathers Bourion, F. Eis, and the student A. J. Rezek. The inscription on the marble slab enclosing the tomb, was written by ourselves and the lettering done by
15 The original of the above was presented to The Catholic Archives of America by Most Rev. Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati, Ohio.
From the Catholic Archives of America in the Bishops' Memorial Hall, Notre Dame, Indiana. Martin I. J. Griffin, Historical Researches. October, 1897.
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Messrs. Michael Tibor & Son, marble workers in the city. It reads as follows:
J. H. S. HIC JACET CORPUS ILLMI AC REVDMI FRIDERICI BARAGA, D. D. OTTAWA ET CHIPPEWA INDIANORUM APOSTOLI. IMI EPISCOPI MARIANOPOLITANI ET MARQUETTENSIS. NATUS DIE 29A JUNI!, 1797, IN CARNIOLI4, AUSTRIA. ORDINATUS PRESBYTER LABACI DIE 21A 7BRIS 1823. CONSECRATUS EPISCOPUS DIE IA 9BRIS 1853; OBIIT DIE 19A JANUARII, 1868.16 R. I. P.
To most of men the tombstone is the keystone to their memory; not so with Baraga. Hidden, almost among the foundations of the imposing Cathedral, his memorial is written on a marble slab. God's sun never sheds his golden light upon it, and not a dozen people read the inscription in a whole year, but his name is upon the tongue of more people in every single day of the year than of any living person in the United States, bar- ring the Chief Executive. The merits of Bishop Baraga are so great for the betterment of mankind that grateful hearts have striven to surpass one other in perpetuating his name among their posterity. First of all the present village of Baraga was named for him. Then, when the new county was being organized under an act of Legislature February 19, 1875, it was thought fit to
16 J. H. S. Here lies the body of the Rt. Rev. Frederic Baraga, D. D., the Apostle of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. First Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette Diocese. Born June 29, 1797, in Carniolia, Austria. Ordained Priest, in Laibach, September 21, 1823. Consecrated Bishop, Cincinnati, Nov. 1, 1853. Died Jan. 19, 1868. R. I. P.
call it Baraga. The act is summarized : "That part of Townships 47, 48, 49 and 50 north, lying east of the Sturgeon Riv- er, or the South Branch thereof, or Range 35 west, is hereby detached from the county of Houghton, and is hereby orga- nized into a county to be known and designated as the county of Baraga. The county seat of said county is hereby es- tablished at the village of L'Anse.17
Even though late. yet the city of Mar- quette has also paid its due tribute to Baraga. September 23, 1903 the City Council changed Superior Street, run- ning east to west, past the St. Peter's Cathedral, into Baraga Avenue. This act, although unanimously concurred in by the Honorable Alderman, was chiefly due to the Hon. Peter White. "I have partly paid my debt." said Mr. White. Barring the two guides who have accom- panied Bishop Baraga on almost all his travels, William Mirron, now resid- ing at Bay .Mills, and John Bouche. Indian guide at the Sault, there is no other man living who knew Bishop Baraga better and was more intimately acquainted with him than Mr. White. Their path in life crossed many times, but the story of the incident which indebted Mr. White to Baraga more than anything in their common life runneth thus :
"Over fifty years ago, one winter, I was making my way to Keweenaw Coun- ty : that trail led us from L'Anse by way of the Portage Entry, Portage River and from there overland to Eagle River. In crossing Portage Lake I met, or rather overtook. Father Baraga and his guide, on their way to Eagle Harbor. As I
17. History of U. P. of Mich.
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spoke the Chippewa language, Father Baraga seemed delighted to meet me and in course of our conversation, while walk- ing on, he most cordially invited me to call on him at the Mission, and I cheer- fully promised him that I would at the first opportunity. This was my first inti- mate acquaintance with Baraga, though I had met him before. I believe the first time in Abner Sherman's store at L'Anse. We separated then, after going a few miles together, because my party of three wanted to go faster than Father Baraga was taking it. I spent two weeks at Ke- weenaw Point-and other points-on my way back I stopped over night with one of the two men who lived at "the Entry" and started about eight o'clock next morning for L'Anse. I soon found the swamps that bordered the shore impene- trably thickly wooded so that I preferred to wade along the shore in the water. Finding the water too cold for traveling convenience, I struck inland and to my satisfaction saw an open space of consid- erable size. Without hesitation I took for the open route and passing from one to the other I must have struck and crossed seven or eight of these marshes. It was splendid snow shoeing ! I followed them regardless of proper direction and bye and bye I struck nice hard wood tim- ber and traveled on faster and faster rea- lizing that I must have lost some time on the meadows. I had not seen sun all that day ; at 4 p. m. I came to a little valley-a brook running through its bottom-I crossed the brook and ascended the little fifteen or twenty foot hill on the other side, and as I got to the top, to my aston- ishment, I noticed the bright reflection of the sun on the trees ahead of me! I
knew at once that in order to reach L'Anse- the head of the Bay- I should have been going west, towards the setting sun. So I turned back, crossed the brook again and struck fast in the direction of the last glimpse I had of the sun. In fif- teen or twenty minutes I found a snow- shoe trail and said to myself 'now I am all right again,' but in another twenty minutes I struck another trail. I then measured the tracks with my own snow- shoe and to my dismay found that I was the fellow who was running around in a circle. By this time it was getting rap- idly dark. I was in possession of a good double blanket and had plenty of matches but no axe. However I experienced no trouble finding enough dead limbs to make a roaring fire : but did not sleep much that night. I realized that I was lost and did not know which way to go, except, per- haps to follow my tracks of the day be- fore, some twenty odd miles back to the Portage Entry. if I could find them again. I had two cans of oysters, one I had already eaten. In the morning about seven o'clock I was about to start on my exploration when I heard an Indian yell off to the left and soon another one to the right. I kept answering them and in twenty minutes two Indians reached me from opposite directions. 'The priest sent us to find you' they said, and in less than an hour I was in Father Bara- ga's house. Father Baraga returning from his tramp to Eagle Harbor arrived at the Entry an hour after I left there ; they did not follow my trail for they knew a better one, consequently arrived at the Mission that night. Father Baraga knew that I had not passed there and at once surmised that I must be in the woods
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and had probably lost my way. So he sent those two Indians to look for me, next morning as soon as they could see. Father Baraga did me a good turn, and perhaps actually saved my life. If my strength did not fail me, I could have gotten out before night. Still I often say that 'he saved my life.' Hence my debt of gratitude."
This story is from the pen of Mr. White himself.
Facing St. Peter's Cathedral in Mar- quette rises an imposing structure, the Parochial School. Over its main facade is written "Baraga School," while over the entrance from Baraga Ave. the gilded letters of "Baraga Auditorium" friendly greet the visitor. It is all the work of the indefatigable Cathedral pastor, Rev. Jo- seph G. Pinten. On February 17, 1903 the St. Joseph's Academy, where the par- ish school was also located, was destroyed by fire. He at once understood his task. With unrelenting zeal he set to work to upbuild a school worthy of the first parish of the diocese and to perpetuate, more than ever, the name of the first bishop of Marquette. He has accomplished both. The new school is a worthy counterpart of architecture to the brown-stone Cathe- dral and is a beautiful monument to Bish- op Frederic Baraga. Father Pinten had not only in view to rear this grand monu- ment to the name of Baraga but to per- petuate his inestimable merits for educa- tion, for in his time there was not a con- gregation in his diocese without a school. As if divine Providence had directed the course of events, on the fiftieth anniver- sary of Baraga's Consecration the corner stone was laid. On the feast of All Saints 1903 the semi-centenary was observed
throughout the diocese. For this oc- casion the Rt. Rev. Bishop Eis, published the following circular :
"The Feast of All Saints this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the day when our saintly predecessor, Bishop Baraga, received episcopal consecration from the hands of Archbishop Purcell, in the cathedral of Cincinnati. It is in accordance with the spirit of the Church that we honor and venerate those who, whilst here on earth, were eminent for their virtues and sanctity. It is therefore meet and just that we commemorate this historic event in the history of our Dio- cese in a solemn and fitting way. The apostolic zeal, virtues and labors of Bish- op Baraga are undoubtedly well known to you. There is, however, one particular aspect in which the memory of Frederick Baraga will occupy a special niche in the history of Michigan : He was the Apostle of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. It would certainly be a great pity that the tradition of such a "clarum et venerabile nomen," the glory of our Diocese, should be allowed to die out by lapse of time. We consider this occasion exceedingly propitious to revive his hallowed memory and to perpetuate it to future generations. What a great contrast between now and the time when Father Baraga first came to this northern country! Almost every vestige of the early Jesuit missionaries had disappeared. The churches built by them at Sault Ste. Marie and at St. Ig- nace had been leveled to the ground, and no traces of them remained. Thousands of poor savages were still steeped in pa- ganism and there was none to bring them the glad tidings of Christianity. It was then that God, in His inscrutable designs,
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monument to the piety, zeal and liber- ality of the good Bishop Vertin. Truly, God had blest and multiplied the seed sown by Bishop Baraga, who was in truth a High priest after God's own Heart.
"It was a source of great gratification to us to learn that the City Council of Marquette had unanimously voted to re- name one of its principal streets of the city and call it Baraga Avenue. The Council is to be highly commended for its noble and generous action, whereby it paid a glorious and lasting tribute to the memory of the first Catholic Bishop of Upper Michigan, thus testifying to pos- terity Marquette's affection and venera- tion for him.
"We feel it to be a matter of strict justice to commemorate this anniversary by a special observance throughout the diocese. We therefore direct that in all parishes, on the Feast of All Saints, after the last Mass, the "Te Deum," or hymn "Holy God" be chanted, together with the usual prayers of the Ritual in thanksgiving to Almighty God for the singular graces and blessings vouchsafed to our diocese during the fifty years since it was first established an Apostolic Vi- cariate.
"It is moreover our ardent wish that on All Saints' day Pastors speak to their people on the labors and virtues of Bish- op Baraga, and thus acquaint them with the chief events in his life, reminding them at the same time of the debt of grat- itude and love which they owe to him.
"In our Cathedral there will be a sol- emn service of thanksgiving at which Bishop Messmer, of Green Bay, will de- liver the panegyric. In the afternoon of
the same day we will bless and lay the cornerstone of our new parochial school, which is being erected and which will be dedicated to the memory of Bishop Bara- ga-'Cujus memoria semper erit in bene- dictione.'
"In conclusion, let me beg of you, dear Fathers, to offer fervent and repeated prayers to God, that in His goodness He may deign, ere long, to inspire His church to inscribe the name of Frederic Baraga -in the book of her Saints-where it shall never fade. "Fulgebunt .... qui ad justitiam erudiunt multos, quasi stellae in perpetuas aeternitates."
"We direct that this circular be read at all Masses on the Feast of All Saints.
Believe me to be ever yours faithfully and devotedly,
+ FREDERICK EIS, Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie and Mar- quette.
Given from our Residence at Mar- quette. the 28th day of October, A. D. 1903, the Feast of SS. Simon and Jude."
In the Cathedral Bishop Eis held a solemn Pontifical Highmass, assisted by Monsignor C. Langner as presbyter as- sistens, Rev. M. Faust, and T. J. Atfield deacons of honor; A. J. Rezek deacon, D. Donovan S. J. subdeacon; J. G. Pint- en and F. X. Barth masters of cere- monies. Besides the Rt. Rev. S. G. Mess- mer there were present : Msgr. J. J. Fox, now bishop of Green Bay, Wis., Dr. Se- linger of St. Francis Seminary, Rev. M. Kehoe of Ishpeming, Rev. Raymond Jacques, and J. A. Sauriol of Marquette. In his stirring sermon for the occasion, Bishop Messmer detailed the growth of the diocese, showing how after the little mission on the shore of Keweenaw Bay
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was started, congregation after congre- gation was formed; how from the first baptism by Father Baraga the population has risen to upward of seventy thousand; that apace with the number of congrega- tions and increase of population the num- ber of priests from two has risen to sev- enty; how with the requirements of time and circumstances churches were built and rebuilt; how on the foundation of Baraga's labors, throughout this vast ter- ritory of Upper Michigan, churches, schools, convents, hospitals and orphan- ages have sprung into existence, all for the greater glory of God and the salva- tion of souls. From this categorical enu- meration the Bishop switched on to the general development of the church from the mission of the Apostles to the present day. In an admirable manner he wove, before his hearers, the crown of glories of the Catholic church-her combats and her victories.
In the afternoon, at 3 o'clock the cere- monies of the corner stone laying com- menced. On the platform besides the two bishops and the aforementioned clergy, . least, the main purpose is that in this way were members of the City Council. the building committee and other prominent citizens. Surrounded by the school chil- dren, Catholic societies and a concourse of over four thousand people, Bishop Eis briefly made allusion to the occasion, and then introduced Bishop Messmer, who spoke as follows:
BISHOP MESSMER'S ADDRESS.
MY DEAR FRIENDS, LADIES AND GEN- TLEMEN: Let me first of all offer my heartfelt congratulations to the members of this congregation, for whose benefit this magnificent structure is being erect- ed. It is always an occasion of joy and
congratulation to any Catholic congrega- tion, in fact to the Catholic population at large, when another of our buildings, des- tined for the religious education of our children, goes up. I dare say it is a mat- ter of congratulation, not only for Cath- olics, but in general for all those who stand for principles of morality and prin- ciples of religion as the foundation of the welfare and prosperity of society at large.
It is one of those occasions, my dear friends, when an opportunity is offered to us to state and explain the principles upon which the policy of the American Catho- lics in maintaining their own common school system are based. It is necessary, and it is well that it is necessary, that we should not let an occasion of this kind pass without stating and explaining that principle, little understood as yet, by the majority of our non-Catholic fellow citi- zens. There are a great many false and wrong ideas still holding sway among the non-Catholic Americans as to the real cause, object and purpose of our schools. They think that the only, or possibly at we may strengthen the church, and may increase the number of her members and her followers, for the sole purpose, gradually to control the affairs of the country. There is no doubt but that a great many are still entertaining ideas of this kind. Now, let me assure you, my dear friends, in the most solemn manner. that this is not the correct idea. It is in- deed, the purpose that we may keep our own children in our church, in the church of their baptism. It is the idea and the purpose to give to these children, and in- still into their souls during their school years a sincere and loyal love towards
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their church-that church which in our most sacred conviction we believe to be the true church of Jesus Christ.
However, as regards the idea that all this is to be but a means, a great trick, to obtain a political or social pre- dominance, is nothing but a chimerical dream of our adversaries. Again, it is sometimes stated that the reason why bishops and priests of the country insist so strongly on the American Catholics having their own schools, wherein their children would be under their religious control, was not for education or instruc- tion, but to keep them in ignorance, keep from them that broader and wider in- struction, as it is called, that would be im- parted to them in the schools furnished by the state, to close their minds against the ideas of liberty and independence and patriotism that they are taught in the schools of the country. This, my dearly beloved people, I do not hesitate for one moment to brand as a calumny, as a slander outright and pure, nothing else. Why, this very fact strikes against it. Do not the children of our schools learn everything that is taught in other schools? Who dare say that our children growing up in the country-our boys and girls-grow up with less love and less enthusiasm and less loyalty toward our American country than the children of other schools? Who can show even one in all these years during which millions of Catholics have been concerned in the affairs of the country, have taken their ranks and their positions in public, as well as private capacities among other citizens, who can point out one attempt against the country, one fact speaking against the loyalty of Catholics to their country ? No,
we furnish them with the same educa- tion; we try to instill into their minds the same amount of knowledge.
But over and above this, we also firmly stand, as your Right Reverend Bishop just told you, for a knowledge of another kind-a knowledge far more necessary -a knowledge more useful not only for themselves, not for the individual alone. a knowledge more useful and absolutely necessary for the welfare of society, for the state at large as well as the church- that is for religious knowledge and re- ligious education. The principle upon which our school policy is based, and the principle for which the Catholics of this country have fought all these years and made great sacrifices, the principle for which at least twenty millions of dollars every single year are spent in support of the parochial schools is simply this: that in order to make man what he ought to be, in order to make him a useful member of the state as well as of the church, the education that is given to him while a child must be religious, and that mere in- tellectual education, a mere knowledge and storing of the mind without forma- tion of character, without forming or shaping the will, without those impulses and those convictions that make you do what is right, and keep away from what is wrong, that kind of education is false.
It is, ladies and gentlemen, a matter of congratulation for us that thousands of our non-Catholic fellow citizens are now beginning to see this great and important matter in the same light as we do. Why only this year at the Convention of the National Educational Association of the United States, comprising we might say the most of the educators of our country,
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the idea that the members of this congre- gation give expression to by building this magnificent structure. Again, I beg to offer my congratulations, and wish you God's blessing for the successful comple- tion of this institution.18
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