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 21
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Jacker. The young man seeing himself drifting on a plank till picked up by an- exposed on all sides, took the ill-fated other boat. On the same boat was Coburn for New York and perished with drowned Rev. Father Kohler, S. J. The
FRIDERICUS BARAGA, DEI ET APOSTOLICA SEDIS CRATIA Episcopus Clarianopolitanus, IN MICHIGAN.
Lecturis salutem et benedictionem in Domino.
Aujus vigore Decreti constituimus dilecture Notes in Christo , Admodum Des Grow Ignation Maki , Vicarium Generalem Direcens Mostra Marianapolitana en Michigan, utpoté que de misscombus nostres bene meritur est, " quibus jam per quindecion sqatual announ, pendentia et gelo insignes, laborat, type plarimos Indianos ex paganismi tenebris ad. Incen Sandi Evangeli perduait, atque per S. Baptismo, gratis Ompotentes Der , in numerman juliomm S. Matris Eclesia recepit .
In quarman finder hos. Decreturn manu propria exacerimas, nomer 1mb. scrupsimus , sigillumque . Hostun apposimas , Marianopoli , ( Saat-Senate . Mane , ) - Martingas, die rigesina novembris, AD MDCCCLIX
+ Fridericus, Epicque .
FACSIMILE OF BISHOP BARAGA'S LETTERS APPOINTING REV. IGNATIUS MRAK VICAR-GENERAL OF THE DIOCESE OF SAULT STE. MARIE.
her October 15, 1871 in Lake Huron. The only survival of the catastrophe was a Frenchman, who saved himself by
Frenchman tells that while the priest had every passenger, Catholic or Protestant under perfect control in the hour of their
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peril, that student alone was racing he considered his usefulness much les- around the boat a perfect maniac and met his doom in that condition.
sened and therefore chose the St. Paul diocese where he could devote his talents
THE
TĀS
FRIDERICUS BARAGA, DEI ET APOSTOLICA SEDIS CRATIA Gyiscopus Atlarianopolitanus, IN MICHIGAN.
Lecturis salutem et benedictionem in Domino.
Totum Ist omnibus has literas inspectores , Nos permousse 4 Admodumi Kev. Dno Ignatio Mrak, Vicario Nostro generali, ter instituere trans Mare Atlanticum, proprimis ut in patria sua, et alibi. Missionaries querat pro Misscombus Dioces Nostro Marcanapolitana in Michigan, que nunc magna coum penuria laborat", ceque protestation facimas, recipienti Sacerdotes in numerum. Cleri hagus Diocons. Datum in Missione, B. Hans V. sine labe concepta , " Eagletown , Grande Traverse, Michigan',) die vigesima. noni Juli, A. D. MDCCCLX.
Fridoscus,
Esperoque.
FACSIMILE OF BISHOP BARAGA'S LETTERS EMPOWERING VICAR GENERAL IGNATIUS MRAK TO OBTAIN PRIESTS WHILE ABROAD.
ha left the diocese and went to Minne- sota. Not knowing the French language
In September 1871 Rev. John N. Stari- to a fuller extent. His zeal and ability soon came to the notice of his Ordinary. In 1890 Archbishop Ireland made him
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his Vicar General and October 28, 1902 he was consecrated bishop of the newly erected diocese of Lead, S. D.
A document drawn up February 22, 1871 1 tells us of a strange compact en- tered into by Bishop Mrak and Rev. Honoratus Bourion, according to which the latter was to remain pastor of the two churches, Negaunee and Ishpeming, for a period of at least five years; he was
five years, to begin from the date of this agreement." This contract, however, did not remain long in working order, for in the following September Father Bourion withdrew from the parish and from the diocese, leaving the former in a badly mixed-up state. The Negaunee parish property was hypothecated for more than fifteen thousand dollars and its bank- ruptcy plainly visible within the horizon.
The ttog Father, as garde Well know, is do dishifted When Backs aw dentback to Him.
a mon: happy hours and New
again
Convenance lin ford Remaining Weare you service life of sacrifices brahmathing to the Epicepal yoke.
FACSIMILE OF ARCHBISHOP PURCELL'S LETTER TO BISHOP LEFEVERE REQUESTING HIM TO INFLUENCE FATHER MRAK TO ACCEPT THE EPISCOPAL CONSECRATION.
to become responsible for the existing in- debtedness of both churches, in consider- ation of granting "to the said party of the second part (Bourion) all the reve- nues of the said churches and church property, either from pew-rents, or free gifts of the people and other regular in- come from the diverse functions of the ministry, and all that for the space of 1 Dioces. Archive.
To save the parish property and the good name of the Catholic cause, the Bishop appointed Rev. John Vertin to succeed Father Bourion, trusting that the young priest, whose financial economics in Houghton had shown him in the best of light, would be able to cope with the ex- traordinary debt. In this the young priest effectuated fully the expectations of his Bishop. At this time, Ishpeming
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Jacken to mtwee zer There Ihave Read the Apostolic Latin, for your Conversational All are anxious That you Should accept- and the Ho's Father will be destrefie av dospecare of gar Refuse Istota in my first Lettin the
FACSIMILE OF ARCHBISHOP PURCELL'S LETTER TO FATHER MRAK URGING HIM TO ACCEPT THE EPISCOPAL BURDEN.
.
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also became an independent parish and Rev. John Burns its first resident pastor. ' For the two vacancies created by the above appointments there was only the new arrival, Rev. Anacletus O. Pellisson, available, but Eagle Harbor on account of its isolation received preference so Houghton was again made tributary to Hancock until February 24, 1872, when Revs. Luke Možina and Oliver Comtois were ordained and appointments made. On the 20th of June of the same year Bishop Mrak conferred holy Orders on Rev. Paul Nadeau, S. J.
In Marquette there was a good con- tingent of French-Canadians from the very start of the city, and their number steadily increased so that in 1872, they considered themselves strong enough to branch off from the Cathedral parish and build a church of their own. With the approval of the Bishop they purchased on Washington street the Methodist church for the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, remodeled it to meet the requirements of a Catholic church and on Sunday, the 18th day of August. 1872, Bishop Mrak blessed it for them, dedicating it to the honor of St. John the Baptist. This was in the diocese the first church of a national character. Rev. Moise Mainville of the Viateurs was present at the dedication and was in- stalled, for the time being, as its first pastor.2
" Die 18. Augusti A. D. 1872, Dom. XIII. p. Pent. in festo Sti. Joachim Ecclesia Canadien- sium, sita in Washington Str. quam a Methodistis pretio 2500 monetae americanae emerunt, a me infra scripto in honorem Sti. Joannis Baptistae, assistente Rev. Dmo. Moise Mainville, sac. congr. Sti. Viatoris benedicta fuit.
IGNATIUS MRAK,
Epus. Marianopolitanus et Marquettensis. Lib. Bptz. Eccl. Cathedr.
The Bishop's residence, built by Father Duroc in 1856 for the double purpose of church and house, had by this time, if not entirely, outserved its usefulness, become very uncomfortable. Besides the pastor and the servant the Bishop kept always, or most of the time, a student, which made the house well crowded. This made him think of a new house and he, in his mind, was designing one that might be turned at any future time into a semi- nary. The only specifications he laid out for it was that it should be of brick and large enough : pretensions as to the style and external appearance he had none. In the fall of 1872, expecting to be absent for a long time, superintending the print- ing of an Indian prayer-book, before his departure he laconically said to Father Eis: "You know what kind of a house we want. Build that house while I am gone. Build it large enough." Father Eis know- ing the Bishop's ways, understood his task but did not consider it as lightly as the Bishop expressed it. Down town was an architect employed by some, who were putting up large, up-to-date buildings on the main street. After a consultation the two agreed upon the size and style and Mr. Greene was asked to make the plans accordingly. To suffer no loss of time. Father Eis at once ordered the excava- tions for the foundations. Just then the Bishop returned unexpectedly. He was well satisfied with the priest's attempt but the plans, being drawn to a scale. and shaded to show with effect a modern residence, would not do at all. It was all too stylish. He called in a man Gregory. who by occupation was an undertaker and carpenter and to him he explained what kind of a house was wanted. The
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PIUS PP. IX .
Flute Dile salutam; it Sporodicom IBenedictionom Apostolatus efaiun restis licet imparibus lobis ex alto commikum que celesia rumregi. mini Divina Bouldertin praslinus, unbitir corpul adjuvante Domino cupientes delliune corde viddemur se voletev aut rum de caruminen, giminibus aginer committenti tales us inJustos's prise firete Studen mus que populum Guas curae creditum diant non solum Dottrina verdi,va) ellam'exemplo beni eperis informage commisesque Like cerlesias in situ pacifico o tranquille velinter valeant Quetore Domino dalublin vegers afdinter quberoute Dubim Siguiiem provistonem cleliarund omnium tunes'scableum, quaeque in postetum s'enturas dispositions , Vice. reservavimus decorrentes Do tune insitum. it inare quidquid secus dupor his a queaquam quails autoritatevivientes null ignoranter conge vit attentati Bestmo dum vero Quali Ecclesia MarianopolitanwachMarquetensi numer Ofstralis volutio destituta, les aftjuidem Collective provisionum' celevem as felvon? in qua nemo pressevitos de potuto, potevitie immis ce ve, reservatione I Decreto obsieversitu" kuju moci ne illa' caponatur longal'vacationis incommodi paterno se delicito, Jeudio inten dentes, post deliberationor quam de profitinès einem Culuices per jonam mailem a fructussam cum VV.99. V.V. Vì & Cardinalibel negotis Propagandae Sidei praspositiv habeionus diligintendemuman De Pilsen fili qui ca leguinno i Matrimonic procreatus et in adate bli am legitima es constitué quique prae en qua enitis pirate pruden in Wigeonis pirmoveneat Music, aligque, virtutious lobes Summoners commentario o culos mentis rostros convertimuss. Fuioui omnibus
Vertudo o perpersiste a quibusvis excomun suspensions et interdite puisque ecelicipden, con, es porres quovis mido vel quavi Se causa taxis de. quas forte incurresta hujus tartun vei giatia absolvente, ne absoluteum fore consente, camden Marionocturnarx) au llargusnerven> Ecclesian De persona tua webis at me myfair la reinalibusod morun esigentian meritmais accepta de cortodenif (") Consilio Quimicaes apostolica terrore prosentten providemus segue Olli in (jingrum Graficinus ez Descrem, cu vam regimen, et administrationenvigueur évolution tite in Spisimalit us as tempo sa libres plena rie commiss sido in Illo qui des grateset targius dons con fisi quod dirigente Domino meuituos fria celesia puertaund Circumspectonis industrias u falan unlear ac proyuri dinightut, gralagets en- Spiritialibus at temporalibus Ortholara Veligir ilispirit invernosta Jugumigitar Uomini turimposutim. humoris prompte Devotions anime semplertens, curaniet administrationens planinudead felices prideetterque hacercest in halasimpla provido. Je qauideal Gubernator Juiste touwnisam; turgut raster alterna) retributionmi i premium, Mostrais quoque et aplicar deoro aberries Karinde consegui metererit bendiciónim et y'atiano. On tum'as in june intars code re presunt temmocitatis augumenteon je 'orubilite fintandenen, uli, in a queuurque quem malueris Catholics Artistite gration Vet communionini. Entrexe Sier hatantes diritti, et in her ille adviseentibus ineous Gustopis, et nisi reperire commode queant durdu I corum lors Herberts rid in Cuiladiastica, dispitate constitutes, nul si ne De quidois !! Spieriprfuit, Sorularibus Veluwmobo, col rujusque ordinis live In situati 'regularidad time.
Tin ciceresJuli gratinmet communionsin haberlidu rounds Consecrationi"iespere libere at licite popis er valea s'ac siden Quinti; ut, recepti' a la prius Catholicac Videz professione) justa articulos pride sine Jede, to tra prepositos de fidelicati Debitar Soliti juramento, ptum munuttibe Quite . Va imperide re Visite valent, plenam et liboram harum derec tribuirmuss facultatemu Volumes intendat decerni- mud ult, nisi tusplit u te prius put Sietur Artistitony juramento, ag professione Videi kujusmodi Pers Kriter Consecrationi nunutrition pensare, neque illus recipe se presumpjestli, dichit's daisy a dont 'scalix Miris el temple quem tu a regimine et nomine didesearum" Vestreium Juspensi ini, ob iado. . on obsernitibuy Aplicis Constructions but it Ordinationibut , nes non Divorce Eclesias viam juta_ mento, confirmatione. Bpler an'el aliaquaris firmitate roboratif d'alice, consuetudinibild ceterisque contrapiù quibuscumque. anna Datum ,romas apud Metrum Vul annula Puntori Vieday. deprembrio annonce Sigerimotertio
Pontificartus Nostre
FACSIMILE OF PAPAL BULL APPOINTING FATHER MRAK THE SECOND BISHOP OF MARQUETTE.
HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OF
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excavations made were quickly suited to the new foundations upon which arose the present episcopal residence. It was ready for occupancy early in the fall of 1873. The old house was sold to Mr. John McCabe who moved it across the street and converted it into a more mod- ern dwelling.
Rev. Joseph A. Hubly was ordained priest December 22, 1872.
The next five years were days of trials and tribulations for Bishop Mrak. The depression in the copper industry which spread, like death-pall over his diocese, causing a great reduction in the popula- tion, was greatly responsible for many of his sorrows. With tearful eye he looked upon the closing of two prosperous schools. The Sisters of St. Joseph not being able to carve out their existence in the Sault gave up their charge in 1871. One year later they abandoned the Han- cock school for the same reason. The same year the Ursuline Nuns were pre- paring to leave Marquette and had it not been for the self-sacrificing spirit of the St. Joseph's Sisters there would have been left but one Sister school in the dio- cese. At the pressing invitation of Bish- op Mrak the Sisters of St. Joseph pur- chased the holdings in property from the Ursulines in Marquette and resumed teaching where the Ursulines had left off, reopening a Boarding and Day school. The missions, on the contrary, increased, but their increasing number caused the Bishop additional worry because he did not have enough native priests to supply them. To Menominee he sent Rev. Mar- tin Fox, who, with indefatigable zeal, completed a church, for those days cer- tainly an extraordinary church-edifice.
On the feast of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29, 1873, Bishop Mrak, with the assistance of the pastor, Rev. C. Langner from Escanaba and Rev. Ed- ward Walsh from Fort Howard, dedicat- ed it to St. John the Baptist. Clarksburg received a pastor in the person of Rev. Joseph François Berube, an arrival from France. Torch Lake, the present Lake Linden, was given in charge of Rev. Francis Jacob Helliard, a priest also adopted from France. In L'Anse-the L'Anse proper-a church was under con- struction but had to be left in Father Ter- horst's care for want of priests. So like- wise the new church in Wyoming, the Pennsylvania Mine, remained a mission to Eagle Harbor.
In 1873 not a single priest was or- dained for the diocese. In 1874 Bishop Mrak obtained two students in Rome, Fabian Pawlar and John Pitas, but for some irregularity in the papers sent to Rome by Bishop Mrak, the latter refused to wait till they could be corrected and was ordained for the diocese of Buffalo. Father Pawlar received the Holy Orders, for the diocese of Marquette, on the 19th of May, 1874. At home Bishop Mrak conferred Holy Orders, on May 29, 1874 upon Rev. Philip Finken and Rev. H. J. Rousseau for his own diocese, and for Green Bay, sede vacante, upon Rev. Athanasius Nicholas Buschle.
In July the Bishop thought it advisable to transfer Rev. Father Dwyer from Ste. Anne's Hancock, to Rockland and to leave his assistant, Father Hubly, in charge of the parish. This move was met with a vigorous protest on the part of the Irish population. They considered themselves wronged. National feeling
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ran high and incentive street-oratory dis- quieted the agitated minds the more till some of the men proceeded forcibly to re- strain the lawfully appointed priest from the exercise of his office. It was cer- tainly a new feature in a diocese that was scarcely merging from a state of travel- ing missionary-when people were glad to see a priest of any nationality-into a state of well regulated and independent parishes. Bishop Mrak met this spirit of insubordination promptly, calling upon
appointed Frederick Eis as permanent pastor.
The Hancock incident saddened the Bishop; in the simplicity of his heart he never thought that such a thing could happen. He now more than ever regret- ted the acceptance of the episcopacy, and envied the peacefulness of his former missionary life. When he pursued his priestly duties with scrupulous exactness, no accidents rippled the calm of his soul and mind; he was poor but contented,
Dilecto Filis Ignatio Mrack Dois Marianapolitanas et Marquettensis Busbiuro.
Dunya Feb 169, Daien In cinque og seine
Carran Ananas Episcopale Controlunas R. P. D. Ignato Mark is Cathedral.
ADDRESS ON THE BULL OF APPOINTMENT AND ATTEST OF BISHOP M'RAK'S CONSECRATION.
the deluded members of the congregation at once to submit to the ecclesiastical authority, and when they failed to obey, he placed the church under interdict and pronounced canonical penalities upon the ringleaders and all those who resisted his authority. Here, too, the innocent suf- fered with the guilty. The church re- mained closed during July, August and September. Early in October the Bishop in person opened the church and for one Sunday conducted the services, and then
and precisely this apostolic poverty was the chief cause of his happiness because, beyond the wants of daily bread and ves- ture he had none, and these were abun- dantly supplied, though they would not have satisfied an epicure or a gallant, they were good enough for him. Now, his elevation to the episcopal rank has robbed him of that peaceful, happy life and has in no way recompensed him with tempo- ral advantages, for he became poorer than ever. He was like unto a father
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whose children cry for bread and he has none to give them, nor even a place to earn it for them. With accustomed self- denial he could have borne his own tempo- ral poverty, were it not for the demands made upon him which he could not satis- fy. The bareness of his little churches loudly spoke to his gentle heart for the necessary utensils ; the few people widely scattered appealed to him for a pastor, and he had none to send them. Small wonder then, that thoughts of resigning his office frequently invaded his mind. The advanced age of sixty-five years
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SIGNATURE OF POPE PIUS IX.
would have sufficiently justified the step, could but another reason, that of infirm- ity be added. Although of small build, he was still hale and hearty, and the long Indian-missionary life had made him wiry and of almost inexhaustible endur- ance. So he continued to fill the See upon which Providence had placed him. To relieve the great want of priests he adopted from outside Revs. Benjamin Lebouc and Francois J. Helliard in 1871 ; Mois Mainville, Joseph F. Berube. Ana- cletus O. Pellisson in '72: William T. Roy in '73: John Brown. Hugh Mc- Devitt, Simon Marceau in '74. Not sat- isfied to people the diocese with an alien clergy, he made use of all means at his disposal, however meagre at that time, to procure a native priesthood. The Archbishop and Bishops of the Pro-
vince (at that time Marquette still be- longed to Cincinnati) aware of the needy condition of the strugling diocese, voted him in perpetuum two free places in the Propaganda, Rome, established for their benefit by a charitable legacy of the priest, Jeoffray. The same sacred Con- gregation, however, allowed only one, re- serving the other for the Archbishop and the Bishops of the Province.3 The first one to occupy this place was Rev. Martin Kehoe, and after him Rev. Jos. G. Pin- ten ; at present the privilege is enjoyed by J. Stenglein who is expected to complete his studies at the close of the present year (1905).
On the 23rd of April 1875 Bishop Mrak ordained Rev. Peter Menard.
The diocese of Marquette belonged, since its formation as Vicariate Apostolic in 1853, to the Province of Cincinnati to- gether wth her sister dioceses of Cleve- land, Columbus, Covington, Detroit, Fort Wayne, Louisville and Vincennes. The Province of St. Louis was an extraordi- nary large one having as suffragan dio- ceses Alton. Chicago, Dubuque, Green Bay, La Crosse, Milwaukee. Nashville, Santa Fe. St. Joseph, St. Paul, Vicariates Apostolic of Arizona, Colorado, Indian Territory, Montana and Nebraska-fif- teen in all, embracing the states of Mis- souri, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa. Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Dakota, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Indian Territory, covering an area of 1,041.555 square miles, or almost five times as large as the whole German Em- pire. This colossal Province Pius IX. dis- membered by erecting Milwaukee and
" Letter of Card. Franchi, Praef., May 31, I875. Archiv. Mar.
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Santa Fe into Metropolitan Sees on the 12th of February 1875. In the new Province of Milwaukee, besides Green Bay, La Crosse, St. Paul, the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota was al- so included the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette. The papal Able- gate Monsignor Roncetti, accompanied by Dr. Ubaldi, had brought to Cardinal McCloskey of New York the Biretta and at the same time carried the Apostolic Briefs and the Pallium for the first Arch- bishop of Milwaukee. On May 31st they arrived in the city. "On the 3d of June, the Octave of Corpus Christi, were as- sembled in the Bishop's Hall a great number of priests from the Archdiocese and the neighboring dioceses and the Rt. Rev. Bishops, Heiss of La Crosse; Mrak of Marquette, Foley of Chicago, Ryan of St. Louis, Seidenbusch of St. Cloud and Krautbauer of Green Bay. The joyous pealing of bells accompanied the psalm- ody of two hundred and twenty seminar- ians, over two hundred priests and the above bishops in their solemn procession to the Cathedral. The Bishop of La- Crosse, as senior bishop of the Province, celebrated the Pontifical Highmass with Rev. Father Batz as deacon, Father Wil- lard as sub-deacon, and Father Wappel- horst, the rector of the Seminary, as master of ceremonies. Assistants to the Archbishop on the throne were Rev. Father Lalumiere, S. J., archpriest; Fathers Donoghoe and Casey deacons of honor; Rev. J. Joseph Keogh, professor at the seminary, was master of cere- monies. After the gospel Bishop Ryan ascended the pulpit taking for his text the fifth verse of the XV. chapter of St. John.
"After the Pontifical Mass the cele- brant congratulated the Archbishop upon his well deserved elevation, paying high tribute to his long labors in the vineyard of the Lord. Thereupon the Apostolic Ablegate, Msgr. Roncetti, explained the meaning of the Pallium, spoke at large of the archiepiscopal dignity, alluding to the splendid merits of the first bishop of the State, he expressed his great delight to have been chosen as the bearer of this token of appreciation on the part of the Holy Father and concluded with the ex- pression of sincerest hope that priests and the faithful will in this marked be- nevolence of the Holy See receive a new impulse to remain loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, the Mother and Teach- er of all churches.
"The Archbishop deeply moved an- swered likewise in the Latin tongue 'That you, Most Reverend Ablegate were or- dered, by a special disposal of kind Provi- dence, to the greater honor of the Church in the United States, by our Holy Father Pius IX. to bring to the excellent Arch- bishop of New York the mark of his car- dinalitial dignity was well known to us. But who would have presumed that you would visit our humble city, that such a solemnity would take place here today, and that such an honor would be con- ferred upon this, by Gregory XVI. erected episcopal See. It was even at that time a great favor raising me, though unworthy, to such dignity and entrusting to me the jurisdiction over a territory peopled mostly by Indians and in which I found four missionaries but where today through the mercies of God there are four episcopal Sees and more and more
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