Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-19
Father Kempker Formerly of OF.
rumwa Tells of It's Growth.
SAYS FUTURE PROSPECTS BRILLIANT
Story Of the Early Days of Dubuque
Archdiocese and Work of the Mis-
sionaries as Told BY One of the
Catholic Clergy. ..4..,s 81 81:

ing half century promises to be even
more successful" says Rev. Father j.
F.Kempker, formerly temporary pastor
of St.Mary's Catholic church,in an az
ticle concerning the early days of cath
o]icism in Iowa. Rev. Kempker says:
In the same year in which our now
gloriously reigning pontiff, Pope Leo,
XIII was ordained to the priesthood,
the renowned pope of that day, Greg
DRY XVI, created the diocese Of Du-
buque.
"On April %, 1887, the fathers of the
third council of Baltimore sent a pc
tition to the holy father, asking for
: the erection of this diocese, with Very
Rev. Matthias Loras as the nrst bish-
: op; the request being granted on July
% of the same year, and on the next
September 10. Father Loras was con-
secrated bishop in the cathedral of
Mobile, Ala, by his friend, Bishop
: PORTER of New Orleans, La
''The new diocese included the terri
r tory bounded on the south by the
state Of Missouri, on the east by the
Mississippi river, on the west by the
missouri river and the limits Of the
territory. and ON the north by the
British possessions. 1t is therefore not
correct to include Nebraska and the
Rocky mountains in the diocese of Du-
buque in the early days.
But at that time, by arrangement
from Rome, the bishops were often ap-
pointed vicar generals of the neighbor-
ing dioceses. and in such capacity
provided for the spiritual wants of
the adjoining counties, as did Bishop
Loras for Wisconsin and Illinois, and
Bishop j. O'Gorman for the west Of
Iowa."
For more than two centuries this region
has been the home and hunting grounds of
the various Indian tribes of the Him.
Sioux, Winnebagoes, Tintons Lenapa,
Moingona. Pottawattamie, Iowa, Saukie
and Hasqunkie, whose continual wars of
determination had reduced their number
to some extent. However, 1t was estimat-
ed that the new bishop had about thirty
thousand Indians under his spiritual juris-
diction. During the first years the Indians
We're rapidly selling lands to the United
States government and emigrating west
whilst our own people came in such num-
hers that in 1910 the population was cst-
mated at 10000 and in 1850 at 100000. The
civic division for the present Iowa and
Minnesota was in 1884 Michigan Territory
In 1886 Wisconsin Territory, which in 1916
was made the state of Iowa up to the
present north boundary. and in 1S4S the
pieSeut NlluueSOli IeCclNSu her name as
state.
Even before the opening Of the nine
teenth century some traders and voyagers
had located in our state. These almost ex-
clusiyely We're descendants of the French
and adhered to the traditions of the an
cestral faith. But from the early begin
ming of the diocese people rapidly emigrat-
ed from Germany, Ireland and the east
ern states, and those early settlers, as a
rule, were generous in encouraging their
bishop and priests to organize parishes.
THE first white man who is known to
have visited this region was Father Mar
quette. who, on June II, 1878, rowed from
the Wisconsin river into the broad waters
of the Mississippi opposite McGregor, ac-
companied by NJ. Joliet and five Indian
horsemen, the whole party occupying two
birch bark canoes. He named the river in
honor Of the Blessed Virgin, de Ia Concep.
ton.
"Other priests who are known to have
assembled the river are:
Father Louis Hennepin, in the seven
teenth century.
Father Marest Jesuit, in the same
century
"In map from the Capuchin Monas.
terry in Dion, France, there is marked as
broad waters the river Des Moingona.
''Yrom the years 1928 to 1882 the follow
ing priests made missionary visits up and
down the upper Mississippi.
'.Rev. j. A Lutz. from st. Louis; Rev
c. f. Van Quickenborn, from Sangamon
river, Illinois; Rev. st. S. Badin, from
Bardstown, KY.
From the year 1882 the dominican Rev
Samuel Mazzucheli traversed the whole
region of Wisconsin and Iowa as mis-
sionary.
I'm the autumn of 1882 Bishop Rosatl
sent Rev. ]. p Mcmahon as pastor to Ga
lena, who worked there and in Dubuque
until the next June, when he fell victim
to the cholera. His successor in 1884
Father C. p. FitzMaurice, was taken away
by the same disease in three months.
Father Samuel MazZuchelli built the
first churches in Dubuque and Gaiena, be
sides many others, in these early years.
..At this time also n number of German
immigrants had commenced to assemble In
the southeast corner These were first Wis
tied by the Rev. P. p. Lefevre of Salt riv
en- Rails county, Missouri then since 1873:
by Father August Brickwedde from Quin
cy, in 1910 they received the Rev. Father
]. G. Alleman.
.When Bishop Loras learned the extent
of his jurisdiction, and that practically hi
HEI D WH Al T { n