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 28
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"The intrepid General Silbley imme- diately made war upon the Sioux and cap- tured a large number of them together with their wives and children. The re- volters were picked out, imprisoned in Fort Ridgeley, tried, and three hundred
(three hundred and three, Indians' Re- venge) of them condemned to death, thirty-eight17 of whom were executed on the 26th day of December of last year. Father Ravoux had converted and bap- tized thirty-three of them. According to the principles of our free institutions every one of the condemned was at lib- erty to choose the religion in which he wanted to die, and they were officially notified of the fact. The Government al- so offered to procure the spiritual advis- ers of their choice. Strange as it may ap- pear, thirty-six out of the thirty-nine be- came Catholics, though they had always been under the spiritual guidance of Protestant ministers who, as has been said, were in the employ of the govern- ment for years past at the different agen- cies. Their Catholic spiritual adviser was the Rev. Father Ravoux, who is at present attached to the Cathedral at St. Paul as Vicar-General of the diocese.18 The remaining are still awaiting their fate. The other one thousand five hun- dred who are confined at Fort Snelling I have visited in company of Vicar General Ravoux and have appropriately address- ed them. On this occasion mothers of- fered their little ones for holy Baptism and we christened fourteen of them. Father Ravoux has, however, baptized one hundred and seventy-five children and sick adults, many of whom have since gone to their Creator.
"This old and sickly priest told me that a young priest who would stay right with these savages could convert all these pris- oners. I also requested General Silbley
15 " The Indians' Revenge, by A. Berghold.
16 New Ulm Pioneer, March II, 1859. In- dians' Revenge by Berghold. p. 9.
17 Thirty nine according to Indians' Revenge. 18 The Indians' Revenge by Rev. Alex. Berg- hold pg. 146.
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in St. Paul to deal kindly with them. Be- fore the Rt. Rev. Bishop, I have set forth the great necessity of additional mission- aries for the Chippewa as well as the Sioux tribes. But whence will he get them since he lives in such poverty that he can scarcely defray the expenditures of his house, he can still less maintain a seminary. Twenty priests, in his diocese, give services at one hundred and eleven missionary stations. With the bishop's kind blessing I returned to my beloved Chippewas where more work awaited me than my old age allows me to perform. May kind Providence send good priests together with some temporal means into this poor diocese of St. Paul! Oh how much good would be accomplished for the honor of God and the salvation of mankind."
Father Pierz' pleadings were some- thing like the 'voice of one crying in the wilderness,' he thought in person he could effect more. Accordingly without previous notice to his friends, he ap- peared in January, 1864. in his native Carniolia. In his expectations he was not disappointed, Rev. Joseph Buh, now Monsignor and Vicar General of Duluth, was the first whom he gained for the American mission, then the theologians, John Žužek, Ignatius Tomazin, James Trobec, now bishop of St. Cloud, from the diocese of Laibach and Aloysius Plut, John Tomaževič, James Ph. Er- lach and John Velikanje from Goerz archdiocese. Messrs. Francis Spath and Frederick Stern, theologians, accompa- nied Frederic Xavier Katzer, afterwards Archbishop of Milwaukee, who crossed the Atlantic on the Str. Mercury at the same time.
During his absence, Rev. Anthony Gaes (who came from Munich to Mar- quette Diocese in 1862 and left the same year for Minnesota ) looked after his mis- 'sions. Father Buh was assigned to Win- nibigoshish and Rev. Žužek, after his or- dination, Nov. 1, 1864, was appointed as- sistant to Father Pierz at Crow Wing. In 1865 three more received ordination; on February 12th Father Plut; Septem- ber 8th, Father Trobec, now bishop of St. Cloud; November 5th, Fr. Tomazin. Er- lach, Katzer, Spath and Stern had been detailed to Milwaukee. Velikanje turned out to be a school teacher.
Among his manifold labors for the conversion of the redskins Father Pierz had allowed the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to pass without any par- ticular celebration, but his Bishop kept the event in mind. In summer of 1865. Bish- op Cretin gathered his thirty priests to a retreat, and after it commanded Father Pierz to celebrate his golden jubilee of priesthood. With all possible splendor the venerable missionary sang a solemn High Mass in the Cathedral, and re- ceived congratulations from the bishop and his fellow priests. After the dinner. which the Bishop gave in his honor, Father Pierz expressed the feelings of his joyful heart in a lengthy Latin speech. He returned to his missions for almost another decade of years.
At last his strength commenced to fail him. "It is a year," he writes, "since my sight is giving out, that I cannot read pa- pers anymore. In my eighty-seventh year I am failing fast; two years ago I could with ease yet attend twelve mis- sions, preaching in French, German and Indian. This year the Rt. Rev. Bishop
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has invited me to retire, and to stay with him, or at least to take a small German mission. I have sustained twice a slight stroke of apoplexy but warded off its fatal issue by my homeopathic medicines; now, however, a continual noise in my head tells me that I better prepare for the journey to my last mission." 19
Father Pierz decided to spend the re- mainder of his days in his own native country. He would have returned with Father Čebul, of Marquette diocese, who in the fall of 1872 was making a visit to his home, but an Indian book on temper- ance was not quite ready for print. so he put off his departure for another year.
In consideration of his great service to the Indian mission, Bishop Cretin com- missioned Father Tomazin, his assistant, to accompany him across the Atlantic. On September 3, 1873, he bade a tearful farewell to his so well loved Indian mis- sions, friends and America. They arrived in Laibach on October 3rd. Although en- feebled in body, his mind was as active as ever. On his voyage he wrote a Slov- enian poem in which he extols the merits of Bishop Baraga.
He returned to his native land penni- less, and the necessaries of life might have been a serious question to him, if it were not for the fact that at the intercession of the ordinary of Laibach the Austrian government extended him the usual pen- sion of superannuated parish priests. He first took his residence with the Francis- can Fathers in Kamnik, near his native place, but already the following year he removed to Laibach to live in the Cathe-
dral presbytery where he also ended his most useful life on Jaunary 22, 1880.
His funeral was conducted with great solemnity by the Prince-Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Chrysostom Pogacar, himself. Be- sides the numerous clergy, societies and delegates from all parts of the country immense masses of people followed the remains of the great servant of God to his last resting place.
Canon Dr. Zupan pronounced the fol- lowing eulogy at the grave. "'Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord, for their works shall follow them.' ( Apoc. XIV. 13.) These words of the holy scripture press on my mind, as I think of this venerable priest whom we have en- deavored to honor by accompanying him to his grave. My God, who could enum- erate his labors of almost forty years among the Indians in America! Who could adequately account his anxieties for them, his fatigues, journeyings, instruct- ing and preaching in German, French, English and Indian. How often did he suffer hunger and thirst, cold and heat, only to gain these savages for the holy faith-to save their souls. Who could estimate even his merits teaching the In- dians the first lessons of farming. In cities and villages, in palaces and wig- wams. on American plains and moun- tains, generation after generation will tell of his deeds and more than we know of them are recorded in the books of eternity into which he has preceded us. The deceased one has been the crown and glory of missionaries, of priesthood, of our diocese and our land Krain!
"To our consolation and more so to his spiritual children in America are the
1º Letter January 20, 1872, Franc Pirc by P. Fl. Hrovat.
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words of the learned Pope Benedict XIV. in Laibach, Carniolia, at the left hand, as who exclaimed upon learning of the death of Leonard of Port Maurice say- ing: 'We have lost in him a great deal, but have gained a wise mediator in heaven.' In consideration of his pious life, his assiduous diligence in the vine- yard of the Lord, the lively faith which he implanted in unbelievers, his just fights which he fought as a missionary. I be- lieve we are justified in saying: 'Fran- cis, poor and meek here below, goes rich into heaven.'
"Here then, Francis, brother beloved in Christ, you rest in the blessed soil of your country far away from your dearest children! Here among the priests of God and servants of Christ, you rest. the zeal- ous pastor, and the indefatigable mis- sionary of American Indians! Thus you rest, beloved countryman, among fel- low priests and fellow laborers in the vineyard of God, at the side of the most reverend bishop who has ordained you a priest. You sleep with them side by side, above you all waketh Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who calls out to you: ‘I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me although he be dead, shall live.' (John XI, 25.)
"Rest then from your long and weary toil till the sound of the wakening angel penetrates your grave at the dawn of the great day of the resurrection of all flesh and bids you to partake in this flesh of the joys of the kingdom of your heavenly Father."
Canon Zamejec and other friends erected a well merited monument to his memory.
There, in St. Christopher's cemetery,
you enter, lies buried Francis Pierz, the peer of all missionaries. There may be others who have devoted all their lives to the service of their Master in the evange- lization of heathens, but he stands with- out a parallel in the history of missions. At the age of fifty he abandons a life of literary fame and bodily ease, labors thirty-seven years for the civilization and the salvation of savages, to return, poor in worldy goods, but rich in merits be- fore God, to ask a grave from the coun- try that gave him birth. Requiescat in pace et sit ei terra levis!
Whether or not his name is ever in- scribed in the calendar of Saints. he will be revered as such by those who knew his virtues.
On May 20, 1885. in St. Cloud, Minn., the centenary of his birth and the thir- tieth anniversary of the Mass offered by him at that place, was solemnly com- memorated.
REV. OTTON SKOLLA, O.S.F.
It has been erroneously stated that Father Skolla was a Dalmatian; nay, he was born like his celebrated contemporar- ies Baraga, Pierz, Mrak, etc., in Carnio- lia, Austria. in the city of Rudolfswert, in the year 1805. The date of his birth could not be ascertained. Pater Florentin who wrote a sketch of his life 20 does not seem to have. taken pains to obtain this information from the records of his Or- der, where it likely could be found, even though it was not obtainable from the baptismal registers of the parish. The year in which our Skolla was born, and
2º Cvetje z vertov sv. Franciska I.X., 1889-90.
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1842, I received on the 8th of March, 1843. The reliquary which brother Joachim sent me I have converted into a monstrance; I brought it to St. Ignace where I give every Sunday benediction with it. The picture of the Blessed Mother, from our home, is now in my church, and as often as I look at it the thought comes to me that the image which I have so often looked upon in our parental home I now have the extreme happiness to behold in this distant part of the world, among savages. The watch which the brother sent is indeed very good, even better than those of American make, for it keeps excellent time, as good as a solar clock. The little pocket knife, Felix sent, I carry with me as a remembrance. Brother Joachim, at Rudolfswert, has, however, done the best for my mission."24
His activity was not limited to the Is- land and St. Ignace, but, in the absence of Father Pierz he looked after all his missions of Abre Croche. In Septem- ber, 1845, we find some entries by him also in the Sault. Under date of July 17, 1845, he writes to his brother Francis Xavier : "My health is firm indeed: the work here and in my missions is known to you from my former letters. You may imagine, then, that I am quite busy. sel- dom at home and most of the time on the water. Your last letter I received when just returning from Arbre Croche. Some weeks ago Father Francis Pierz in- tended to go to Grand Portage, and went with his two Indian guides from here as far as the Sault but not finding suit- able transportation returned to Arbre Croche. While he was gone, Indians
"4 P. Florentin in Cvetje.
came to get me to attend to a sick call and I stayed there a whole week.
"I am glad you like the church of Mackinac which I sent you. I would have liked to send you the whole place with the surroundings, just as I have drawn them, but was afraid that the let- ter being too bulky would not reach you. The picture, I first drew shows the whole Island of Mackinac with the church, presbytery, some houses and wigwams of Indians of whom there are always some on the Island. Across the lake is to be seen my other mission, La Pointe St. Ig- nace. The customs of these people I have fully described on former occasions. In September the Indians come here to re- ceive their annual pay for ceded lands, then Father Pierz, will also come. About the death of our dear mother I have been informed by Father Angelus, of that of our sister, your own letter brought me the news. With the death of the mother all worldly interest is lost for me, the hope in my heart flames up so much brighter towards heaven where I will be united with my dear parents. O how could I be so hard-hearted as to forget my mother who has shed many a tear for me. I think of her and the sister every day when offering the holy sacrifice of the Mass: they lived together on earth. I hope they are not separated in heaven. I would be pleased to hear the particulars of the death of mother and sister."25
Much against his own will Father Skolla was detained in the white missions at Detroit, it was only the spirit of obe- dience that made him conform to the wishes of his Bishop, even in Mackinac. he was not wholly satisfied. Like all real
25 P. Florentin Hrovat in Cvetje, 1889.
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prevents sickness and keeps our children healthy. You know there is a manitou (god) in the earth, who makes the plants and herbs grow, who gives us fishes out of the waters and wood and fire with which to cook our victuals and warm our- selves. This manitou below the earth gives us food and drink. But there is another manitou above, who rules the winds, the air, and the seasons. Know, that if you observe the great medicine dance you will go, after death, to a place of happiness, where you will always beat the drum and dance the great medicine dance. Those who despise the great medicine dance shall have to pass over a long bridge under which two large ser- pents are lurking, and shall in the middle of it be seized and devoured by those two serpents."
Another one spoke in the same strain, whereupon they all walked with folded arms and great reverence around the wooden owl. This looked very much like an unprofitable trip. "I had not yet baptized a single savage, because their minds were absorbed by the idolatrous festivity. But some good came from it. The evening before my departure I was invited into a house where I found all the Indians of this locality. They were seated upon the table. under the table, on the floor and everywhere. I took a chair next to the chiefs, in anxious expectation of what will happen. The two chiefs filled their pipes and smoked amidst dead silence until the pipes were smoked out. Then one of them said: 'Father, we are glad that you have come to us, you are a man whose conduct is such as it becomes you ; you pray, preach, and speak of the Great Spirit and for that we all love you.
Father, you said you would build us a church; you may build one if you will, for we have already selected a place for it. We are heathens as yet, but if I am bap- tized, all my people will want to be bap- tized, but still they say that they will not become Christians until you have built a church.' This was plain enough expres- sion of what they wanted. Father Skol- la therefore set to arrange a house for the purpose of a chapel. He swept and cleaned it thoroughly, made a wooden cross, ornamented it with such small pic- tures and medals as he had on hand, and commenced the instruction by means of an interpreter and reading of Indian books. He baptized six persons and after the best possible instruction admitted them to first holy Communion. He also made good use of the willingness of the Indians by getting the necessary timbers for the prospective church. He returned to La Pointe on the 27th of May.
In Grand Portage. whither he had un- dertaken a journey on July 8th. he found a well established Christian community, the fruit of Father Pierz' labors. Al- though they had not seen a priest for three years they were still faithfully per- forming the enjoined order of daily de- votions. The visit was not entirely un- expected : three Indians who had met the missionary while at Fond du Lac, brought the news home that he would visit them early in July. They prepared therefore for his reception by making a chapel of branches. A short visit was made also to Rivière aux Courts. The church which Father Pierz had commenced was still without a roof.27
" Letter Sept. 1, 1846. Leopoldin Berichte. XX.
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ed in the winter by an iron stove; the gains more savages for his creed than small building is my wood-shed which I the Protestant, because their services are more solemn and edifying.'"
expect to use, when finished accordingly, for cellar purposes.
"The cemetery in front of the church is small and swampy, and the Indians strongly object to being buried in a swamp, because, although they are now Christians, they cannot overcome their olden predjudices, they believe, namely, that one must enter eternity over a nar- row bridge. For this reason they first place stones and sand with some birch bark, under the coffin and over this a house-shaped box which they fill with sand to the top.
"It may also interest you what Pro- testants write about our missions among the Indians. In the month of August, 1847, a venerable old man, accompanied by a few others, came to La Pointe to view this Indian country. I showed him our church, explained the pictures and other objects of interest. Returning to New York this man described in a paper, of the 18th of October, 1847, everything noteworthy that came under his observa- tion. About this mission he writes: 'La Pointe on Lake Superior is situated on a nice island of some twelve square miles. there are about one hundred houses with three hundred Indian families. Besides three good company stores there are two churches, a Catholic and a Protestant. The former is placed on an elevation from where one has a fine view of the lake. The inside of the church is built in an ordinary style, it has a nice altar and about twenty-five paintings ornament the walls.'
"'I noticed that ordinarily the Catho- lic missionary has the better success and
Another Protestant writer,28 after a very flattering opinion about Baraga, says: 'We also wished to visit Father Otto Skolla, from Rudolfswert, Caryn- thia,' ( should be Carniolia ) a pious monk located on Madeleine Island. We rapped at his door with a genuine home feeling, and now almost blush when we think how friendly a reception this pious mis- sionary accorded to us laymen. We have not seldom been eye witnesses of farewell biddings or meetings of friends, but do not recollect a more touching scene than when this jovial Franciscan was told that we came direct from the capital of Aus- tria. This manifestation of pleasure was due to the fact that in twenty years (twelve only ) he has not shaken hands with a countryman or spoken in his mother tongue.29 In his priestly func- tions, be it on the pulpit or in the con- fessional, or on the street, he speaks In- dian, French or English. His poverty touched our hearts most ; even in his sa- cred calling it is a great hindrance to him in doing more good for his Catholic con- gregation, which consists nearly all of converted Indians and half-breeds, and at that so poor that he cannot expect from them anything for himself or for the church. He is his own sexton, he decor- ates his own altars, sweeps the church, rings the bell, keeps his own house, and even paints pictures for the church.
28 Reisen in Nord Amerika in den Jahren 1852 und 1853. Leipzig. Cf. Hrovat.
2º Neither is true. The writer thinks Father Skolla German; he has shaken hands with Fath- ers Pierz and Baraga and most likely con- versed with them in Slovenian, his mother tongue.
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"On Sunday we assisted at the ser- vices. Four half-breeds dressed in linen surplices, sang a Latin mass with such an expression of piety that one would act- ually think they understood every word of it. The sermon was plain and com- prehensible to his common parishioners. In the afternoon he gave catechetical in- structions in Indian to those who had but recently joined the Church, or who on account of their great age, could not understand any other language. At the conclusion benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given to the kneeling con- gregation who blessed themselves most devoutly. It is to be heartily regretted that more means cannot be placed at his disposition, for then this Catholic mis- sionary would be more efficient in his un- selfish work; he would be truly the teacher of youth, the physician of the sick, the consoler of the poor and the be- reaved."
During his stay at La Pointe Father Skolla had two extraordinary visits from clergymen. "I may also mention, he writes to his brother in the above letter, that in September of 1847, three mission- aries, Revs. Baraga, Pierz and Chone, came to me and stayed almost a month; last year Fathers Baraga and Chone re- mained here six weeks. You may im- agine how glad I was, and that I gave them of the best my poor home could af- ford; the missionary is satisfied with al- most anything. On this occasion, we held, for this part of the country, extra- ordinary solemn services. As luck would have it, I had a pair of old dalmatics with me and I took out my best vestment. Father Baraga sang three times a solemn High Mass, Father Chone and I assisted
him. This solemnity made a deep im- pression upon my people who in all their days have not seen anything like it.
"This year I had the pleasure of a visit from Rev. Clement Boulanger, Provin- cial of the Jesuits. He arrived directly from New York and remained here three weeks. He was on his way to Père Chone at Fort Williams. On the 8th of August he returned to LaPointe and stayed two weeks more. He is a man of sixty, was ordained in 1813, and is a Frenchman, like Father Chone. He is unpretentious, humble, but very friendly, a true son of St. Ignatius Loyola. In May, he at- tended the Council of Baltimore and told me that there will be four new archbish- oprics erected, in St. Louis, Cincinnati, New York, and New Orleans, many bish- oprics and also some bishops appointed for the Indian missions." 30
Persistent rumors of the Government's intention of removing the La Pointe In- dians across the Mississippi circulated freely amongst the scattered tribes in Northern Wisconsin. In summer, 1850, a general council was held in Au Lac du Sable but no general agreement was reached. The death of the President, Zachariah Taylor, seems to have warded off the threatening transfer, at least for some time, but the rumors had thorough- ly unsettled the minds of the Indians, so that they commenced looking for a place of safety without being confined to a reservation.
Writes Father Skolla: "The beauti- ful island of La Pointe is as flourishing as it was, there are still three hundred Indians living here although many have emigrated to Ortonagang, Lac de St.
SO P. Florentin Hrovat in Cvetje, 1890.
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terpreter. A few days later we walked to a fertile valley where there was an empty house, and with the boards bought at the saw mill, we commenced the re- modeling of the house into a church; but on account of the late season as well as for lack of funds we could not complete it before winter. It is so small, being only twenty four by eighteen, that scarcely all the baptized savages will find room in it. Thirty miles from here is a large settle- ment of baptized and non-baptized Me- nominees; from all sides they come in daily requesting me to christen them. The celebrated Menominee chief Oshkosh promised me faithfully to embrace Chris- tian religion, together with his family, in the spring. He is so well known that the Government decorated him with a medal for rendered services. He lives with his three hundred subjects far out in the forests. Jadwedok, the oldest chief has made me the same promise and now my journeys through the Oconto valley and around Green Bay have no other purpose than to unite all these Menominees, who are partly Christians, partly heathens, in- to one Christian congregation. No pen can adequately describe how wonderfully God pours out his blessing upon these poor savages !
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