The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-17
Churches Il Clergy of st. Paul.
Roman Catholic.



Last Sunday We traced the faint foot
prints Of the first pilgrims Of Catholicism in
this State, from the visit OF Father llESSE-
ris, in 1850, to that Of Bishop LoRAs, in
1889, under whose direction, in the follow
ing year. the Rev. Mr.. CALLER was sent
TO establish mission station ut Mendoza,
then in the diocese Of Dubuque. Mendoza,
at that time, the headquarters Of the Indian
trade OF the Northwest, above Prairie du
Chen, presented then an aspect much more
picturesque and animated than now, even
with all the advantages of recent progress
on 'ts side. Around the large new store
houses Of the Fur Company, and Mr.. SiB-
Lys handsome stone dwelling which had Just
been built, u group Of log hu,s and neat
white cot or two, swarming with population,
made quite an imposing picture OF civliza-
tion--al the more imposing from the vast
.olitudes which surrounded it. Along the
bottom and back in the shadows Of the ad-
accent hills. lodges Of Sioux were huddled
in tawny cones like small volcanoes
which had burst with an eruption of
Young Indians, rolling and tumbling
over each other at the base, while
groups Of Indian hunters. in their
warrior costume, stretched laziy smoking,
in fresh ycrmilion and new blankets, upon
the sloping banks OF the Minnesota.
Besides these suburban swarms Of In
dams, the population was chiefly haltbrceds.
A few French and Canadian attaches Of the
Fur Company extended n warm welcome to
the Missionary who was to revive in the
mids, of the wilderness, the sacred memorials
Ola worship which had halIowed the rcmin-
sciences Of their youth.
On the opposite side of the river, the bold
outline Of For, Smelling crowned the crest
OF the white bluff, aud outside the walls at
little distance stood, "a now, the stone
houses OF the Indian Agent and Interpreter
The latter the late SCorr CAMPBELL, gave
up TO MIR GurIxK a portion Of his resi-.
doncc. and services were held here till in
lsll. j Il. FARIp,rLr, the original Of all
the FARPAuLrs. presented the mission with
log house for the purpose, which was ac-
coriingly cousecra,ed as ST. Peters Church
This buiIdiug, patched with subsequent add
ditions. still exists at Mendoza, ind the well
preserved cross upon il still marks the first
church in Minnesota This was only one
of the numerous occasions on which at this
aud subsequent periods, the church was
largely indebted 10 the contributions Of Mr..
StpLxy, Mr.. FosRss, and Mr.. F,sB,rLr.
In the same year. the primitive log church
from whose ,utelar saint Saint Paul took
its name-wa buit upon the plateau
now occupied by the School of the Sisters
of Charity The OCCASION which gave rise
to the separate parochal division Of ST.
Paul marks also the origin Of the settlement
a, this point On account Of selling liquor
10 the soldiers. the unlicensed settlers at the
mouth Of the Minnesota were expelled from
tue Reserve, which extended at that time
beyond The present limits Of 81 Paul A,
the same time, the apostolic name Of 81.
Paul displaced the iess classical appsllatiou
~ Pigs fyr,' which our old friend
BRIsErrs, in a moment Of Inspiration, had
bestowed upon the place to immor,alize tb-
optical ieclhar.,c Of the whisky selling
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