The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-06-29
RBhARIl, lBIH / ] / y
He Was Elected 50 Congress from 3 ilsi
II Prison Cell ii the y ids ~ s5s
81 rlichigan.
The Noble Life ois qabrle'l ~ VI
II II Richard IS 4 MISSIONARY s's % q b.
and Legislator. fsss

II 1..95g
His Name Was Sent to Rome. As
the Choice for First Bishop
Df Detroit. @ y III
| j The Rev. Gabriel Richard was re-
|markable priest, who when superior OF the
Sulpecian Seminary at Issy, near Paris,
Little dreamed that he would one day SIT
lin the congress Of the United States as:
delegate from one of the territories. He
came to the United States in 1898, and h
| was in 1899 sent to Detroit to take charge
| OF st. .Anne's Church, a parish whose es- I.
| tablishment dates back to 1901. The Abb
be Richard became not only pastor ct his
| flock, but one Of the leading spirits in tfe l
development Of the Northwest. He gave
| EN- impulse to education, and established
1.-the first printing press in Michigan, IS +
suing several useful books. and the drst
copy of the Scriptures printed west Of the
Allegheny mountains.
Not only does Father Riehard bear the
distinction OF lbeing the Only catholic
priest ever elected to congress, bnt the
only one who inah the strange fortune Of
going directly from a prison cell to the
house OF representatives,; not, however,
with full powers as q representative, but
as a delegate from a then far western ter
ritory. ~,
The Rev. Gabriel Richard was a dele-'
gate in congress from the territory of
Michigan in 1923. Lannman's Directory.
|ofthe United States Congress says Of him:
.sHe was Roman Catholic priest, man
| Of learning. Borne at saintes, France,
Oct. 15. 1864, educated at Anglers, and re-
ceived orders at a Catholic seminary IN
Paris in 1880. Game to America in 1898,
and was for a time professor of .mathe-
matics in st. Mary's College, Maryland
HE labored as missionary In Illinois, and
went to Detroit, Mich, in 1893" fs
| During his pastorate at ST. Anne's.t
Church io Detroit it became his duty, ac-
cording to the church, to excon1municate
one Of his parishioners, who had been d.
yerced from his wife. For tl1is he was
prosecuted for defamation Of character,
which seaulted in a verdict being given
aeains, him Of 81 ,O00 This money the
priest .,ou1d not pay. AS his parishicners
were poor French settlers they could not
pay it@for him, and he was thrown into
prison While lconfned In the common
| Jail, with little hope OF ever being l.berat.
ed, he was elected a delegate 70 congress.
and vent from his prison cell in the w4lds
Of kichigan to his seat on the door Of ccn-
greas. 1rSy. K
Tho career in congress Of Father Rich.
! ard was, remarkable one. He delivered
several speeches on matters pertaining to
This territory which marked him as an able
speaker. He was not only a thorough
French and English scholar, but was con-
yersant with the Spanish, German and
! Italian languages, and had leAned the
! Indian tongues Of the tribes Of Michigan
In 1909 he introduced the snrst printing
press to the West and became the flrst
Catholic publisher il the NORTH, printing. /,
the Essai d,, Michigan, q paper which
gave mortal offense to.tahe English colony
at Detroit, and for which the Englhh M
thorities laid hands on the good sprieet etand
Fdragged him into imprisonnnentsA After
| the surrender OF Gen. Hull, in a1414, heS
was released, and soon afterWat tds publish
1.-The laws of che new territory al French
AT that time there was great suffering
among the settlers: tire crops had been
taken by the sold tiers and the good pastor
Icame to the rescue In purchasing and DIS
ltributing wheat among the destitute Deo-S
pie. Fl @ ESD 81 f$ VI 81
I The church ii which Father Richard
first oticiated In Detroit was a large fsatne
l>building. towering far above tale.surrogfad- 7