Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-19
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY, MAY 10. 1883.
SACRED HISTORY.
Works of Gospel Givers.
st. Mary's the Faithful, OF Che
bOygan.

UOyS gall
The history of the st. Mary's congrega-
ton comprises three periods; 1st, from
1S49 to 1859 it formed a station; I'd, from
1859 to 1868 it formed a mission; Sd,
from 1868 to the the present time it has
existed as quasi parish.
The first visit of a Catholic priest since
the days of the Jesuit fathers, who la
bored in these northern regions, and OF
whom Pere Marquette remains the most
noted representative, was made the
Catholics of ChebOygan in 1S49 by Rev.
Father Piret, a Belgian by birth, who,
the first priest.to visit Cheboygan, was
also the first priest to die, and be buried
i'm this place. Father A. c. Piret was
then residing at Mackinac Island, and
for about six years, until the time OF
his removal ne visited Chcboygan regu-
larly as one of his stations. At his first
visit he found but four families, namely:
that of Peter Mcdonald, the pioneer
farmer, just out of town, and the fami-
lies of John Vincent, Mother RecOlet, and
Mr.. CarOn. However, besides these
four families about forty or fifty young
young men, working in the mill, attend
ed divine service.
From 1855 to 1858, Father John, the
successor of Rev.A. C. Piret at Mackinac,
made few visits to this place. Still
Father Piret did not forget his old trends
of ChebOygan, and more than once had
the Catholics here the pleasure OF not only
behOlding his welcome face but also en-
loved the advantage of his priestly min
istratiOns. Before giving up the sta
ton of ChebOygan to his successor,
Father John, he succeeded in making a
move towards the erection of church;
still his was only an attempt, for the
bare frame only was erected, which after
a struggle of about two years with rain
and storm, was finally blown down, and
was removed across the river to a
lot on Peter McDODald's farm, where the
first. the pioneer church, of ChebOygan,
was erected, and to the present day still
graces the banks Of our noble river, a
relic of days gone by, and monument
to the labOrs of missionaries Of old.
About 1858, Father n. l.. Lieffrath,
from Little Traverse. made few visits
to ChebOygan, until finally towards the
same year. Father 2. B. hurry, from
Mackinac, took the station under his
care and through his well known ener-
gy and zeal, by the erection in 1859 of
the church above mentioned, raised the
same TO the dignity of mission.
When st. Mary's congregation first be-
came mission it numbered about thir-
ty-fiye families, an increase of thirty
since its erection as a station, with prob
ably prOpOrtiOnate increase of I'M
married members among the IabOring
men. Father hurry remained the mis-
sionary priest of Cheboygan about six
years, when his place was supplied by
Father ZOrn, brother of Martin ZOrn
of this place, who has devoted his whole
life to the care of the Indians, and is too
well known in these regions to need any
special mention from us.
Finally in October, 1868 the cOngrega-
ton having acquired population of
sixty to seventy-ive families, besides its
floating population, Rev. Charles l.. De.
Ceuninck was appointed its first resident
pastor, and the congregation erected in
to quasi-parish. No sooner had Father
DeCeuninck taken charge OfEthe cOngre-
CATION than he set about working for the
erection of new church edifice, the old
one being much too small, besides being
too far removed from the center of pOpu-
latiOD, Several sites were proposed and
much discussion INDUCED in as to their
respective merits; among others two
acre lot offered and properly decided by
Macarthur, Smith q Co., met with so
much favor that actually, ground was
broken upon the same; still the site at
the corner of 9Th and Church steerts
prevailed, and in 1869 the present church
ediice was begun and gradually COM
pleted, as the means of the congregation
allowed of doing so. Many a protest
was raised against the wild undertaking
of Father DeCeuninck, as it was called,Of
putting up building of 50xl00 feet
apart of yestibule and sanctuary, which
no man would ever live to see filled; but
the far-seeing father DeCeuninck went
ahead, despite all opposition, and saved
the congregation the trouble, and ex-
pense, of having to build new church
inside of ten years, besides giving an
emphatic proof of his faith in the future
of Cheb0ygan. Let the people thank
him for it; let them thank him also for
having been instrumental i'm having the
river dredged, for having been the first
to bring the feasibility of crossing the
straits i'm the winter season from this
port, to the notice of railroad companies,
and for contributing to numerous other