The Irish standard., 1902-12-20
First Christian Temple in the State was
Log Chapel Built by Two
JeSutS in 1927.
Rev. Lucien Galtier, French Priest, Gave
the Name of ST. Paul to the
States Capital

On Monday evening, Dee. s. Rev. I
Ambrose McNulty delivered an inter.
cstiny address ON "St Paul Chapel and |
the beginnings of the Catholic Church |
in Minnesota" before Il large and in |
trlligent audiences at the state His
torc,l Society rooms in st. Paul. lie
said i'm part:
The first ChriStaim temple in what
is now MillcSot; was bunilt bv two
Jesuit missionaries. Mitchell Guignns
and Nicholas DE Gonnor. ut the French
trading post, Fort Bcaulnlrnois, on or
near the plot now occupied by Villa
Maria convent, Frontcnac. This log
chapel was ready for use at the end
of October, 17221,
In October, 1871, the Rev. Lucicn Gal
tier erected the first Christian house
of worship in the settlement destined
to become st. Paul. This log chapel
of st. Paul. ON Bench street, was the
second Catholic church in Minnesota,
though for more than !; year religious
services were regularly held in dwell
ings at Fort Smelling and Mendoza.
In the interval between the time of
Guiglns and The day of Caller, the
fortunes OF war had made profound
changes in the political aspects of the
new world and of the old world. Ia
l727, when the Jesuit missionaries
came to cvnngrliyc the Indians of til"
unknown Northwest. imperial France,
mistress of Canada Anh Of the Mis-
missionaries for all pagan lands, had
reached the zenith of her power and of
! her glory in North America. When
Galticr son though he was Of war
%courgcd France, landed at Fort Smell
ing in 1910. he came MS Il citizen by
choice of the new republic Of the West,
whose rising star Of cml ire flashed n
message of hope to the lovers Of lib
rrty throughout the void.
ON first thought it may seem Strange
that Il, ont eighty years should have III
trrvrnnd between tie nDnn'oulncn! Of
the F'rontcnHc Indian miss Oh and tho
Inauguration Of the Catholic church in
embryonic st. Paul. However, it must
be borne in mind that the overthrow
Of France in the new world left tatilu.
lie missions n the Northwest lnpro
tcctrd and untcnHblc nnd that the tide
of emigration to the upper Mississippi
was necessarily held in allegiance while
the young republic Of tie United States
was struggling u second time with
England for the independence anh ter
tory won in the rrvclut 'onnry war.
In tracing illc growth of st. Paul
Of many agencies. IniIrrc Of crops
ard other misf"rtrncs induced many
of the Sclkirli cO!OnistS on the CanHdi-
IN EUrdcr to seek homcS in more
prnrilinlIS surroundings. Some Of
these refugees following the Rcd river
and the st. Peter or the Mnp"Sot'I.
were among the first to settle about
Fort Smelling Soldiers Of The fort,
also whose term Of service had OK
pircd. took claims in the nciylihorhOod
soon Struggling settlements; began t0
form along HE banks Of IRE NJ s+issip,
ri. \ cluster Of caI,i $ opp, site tho
fort was called 81 Peers il has
since become famous as Mendoza.
When Bishop IoraS, Of Dubuque. III
1920, visited tl,is part of III s vast
diocese" he estimated the number Of
Catholics at and about Fort Smelling 1T
1S5. His enumeration was probably
| residents. Matthias Lorns came 10
America in response to an appeal of
Bishop PORTER, Of Mobile, then IN
France asking for missionaries for his
southern diocese. Father L0ras labor
cd faithfully for seven years in Alabn-
ma. rising to the office Of vicar genera
In 1877 he was appointed bishop of
tlc newly formed diocese of Du-