The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-30
CELEBRATES ITS
5OTH ANNIVERSARY
Special Services Are Held at St.
Peters Catholic Church of
Mendoza.

st. Peters -CatnOllC cnurCHy OI WEI
| dota, celebrated yesterday the first half
century of it's existence. the present
| edifce being finished some time IN
1853, although diligent search of the
records fails to show the exact date or
the laying of the corner stone or the
completion Of the church.
| ST. Peters Is one of the oldest
| churches and is the oldest stone church
erected in the state. The parish is
| also one of the first, having been
| founded in 1841, when the diocese or
| Minnesota embraced all of the present
| state of Minnesota and all of the Da-
kotas to the east bank of the Missouri
river. Over this wide territory Bishop
| Cretin was the first bishop to preside.
The parish of what is now Mendoza,
was at first under the charge of Father
Rayoux, who at present is confined to
| his room by illness, due principally to
extreme age, for he is eighty-Six years
old. One of the disappointments of the
celebration of yesterday was the fact
that he was unable to be present.
When Father Rayoux began the
building of st. Peters, the congrega-
ton numbered only few families scat
tered along the bank of the river. All
about were the settlements of the, In
d1anS, many of whom, from time to
time became members of the stTug-
Cling frontier parish and attended it's
services. ssss9
The church itself, as it stands today
is, as to the exterior the same as when
first completed, except for the fact
that the parish residence, which was
formerly built as a part Of the same
building, Is now in frame house in
the rear, the former quarters of the
pastor being used as a sacristy.
Church overIooks Two Valleys.
The church stands little apart from
the village on the top of hill over
looking both the Mississippi and Min
nesota river valleys, and with its old
yellow sandstone, somewhat weather.
beaten by fifty years of wind and
storm, looks out on the modern city OPP
| posite with its railroad tracks and troll
| ley cars, like an ancient sentinel, Sc
rene in it's dignity of years and I'M
| touched by the rush and wllirl of mod
ern progress. - -
| When it was built, the railroad had
not yet touched the Mississippi river
at any point and was not to reach st.
Paul until twelve years later. in 1865.
! The trolley was as yet undreamed OF
and all the trade of the Northwest,
| consisting mostly of furs, still went
| down the Mississippi in boats, by which
means also all of the, early settlers
came hither. Fort Smelling was but a
stone block house with mere handful
of troops, st. Paul a struggling trading
post along the banks of the river and
Minneapolis still city of the future.
| the only settlement being at st. AM
thony Falls.
To the west and north was nothing
of the white mans save a few scat
tered trading posts in the Red river
valley and occasional military posts
| for the formers protection.
When the church was completed
Father Lucien Gaultier was appointed
| its first pastor, and on Feb. %, 1857,
Father A. Oster, who had come over
| from France, in 1854, at the age of
| twenty-five, was placed in charge.
Father oster Returns.
field In June, 1857, only to return to
his old parish on Aug. Z, last, forty
seven years from the time he left. Yes
terday the venerable priest now M r!.s
Oster, was one of the principal par
Upants in the celebration, conspic-
uous by his long beard, slightly touched
with gray, and his purple robes.a aie6
Following Father Oster came Father
Charles Robert. who is still living and
at present in France, leaving st. Paul
for that country about four weeks ago.
| Father Robert was succeeded by Far
Their c. GEMS, who, yesterday was the
celebrant at the solemn high mass IN
the morning, and who, at the afternoon
service, delivered short sermon in,
French on the significance and meaning
of the jubilee. =,
The rest Of the roll pastors for the
fifty years comprises Father p Glen,
non dead; Father A. Payette (dead).
Father Corufel dead; Father MUIR
| ray dead; Father o. P. Egan. OF the,
preaching order of Dominicans ldead):
Father L. Cornilis (dead); Father
Duane, Father Gmeiner, Father Ma
honey. under whom the interior of the
church was refitted and repaired, and
again Father Oster t-A~s -
Father Oster is at present planning
TO repair the outside of the building
without in any way disturbing the
original stone or construction, but to-
protect the stone from further corro-
sion by the elements
The services yesterday consisted of
solemn high mass in the morning, at
which Father GEMS was celebrant;
rather John Kennedy, deacon; Father
John O'Brien, Subdeacon, and Father
P. j. O'Conner, master of ceremonies. 1
Father Duane breaches.
The historical sermon was preached
by Father Duane, the dean of the sur
viving former pastors of the parish.
On the early struggles of the parish
and the history of the growth of the
Catholic faith in the Northwest, of
which St. Peters is in some sort typ
ical as well as being among the first. of
its churches.
The priests who took part in this
celebration marched in procession from
the parish house to the church, headed
by the professional cross and accom-
panied by acolytes and choir. Nearly
the whole population of Mendoza. with
the history of which, the church is
closely identified attended the service
as well as a large number from ST
Paul and Fort Smelling.
After mass the visiting priests and
few friends had luncheon on the lawn
between the church and the parisi,
house. and in the afternoon aft
o'clock, vespers was sung In French.
Father Gems preaching the sermon
The services concluded with the sbene-
diction. After the church services the,
priests held an informal reception of
the old settlers present, and remi-
nlscences of the old times were freely
INDUCED in.
Much to the regret of all present
Father Ravoux could not attend. and
Archbishop Ireland, who had intended
10 be there, was obliged to start East
day before yesterday and he was also
missing from the celebration Tn avar,,