The Irish standard., 1905-07-22

The following description of the
recent Congress of Catholic Indians
at Rosebud mission in South Dakota,
was published in the last number of
the Omaha True Voice:
The ruddy sun dropped slowly down
behind the broad expanse of trackless
prairie, flooding the landscape with a
rich, mellow radiance, and illumining
the distant cross on the church at st.
Francis Mission until it fairly glowed
against the background of the gather
ing evening shadows. Stretched in
semi-circle about the church, long
a distance of perhaps half mile, as
ii, in their reverence, the children of
the forest were loath to approach
nearer the Holy of Holes to which
they had grown accustomed to look
for help in every trial. Each tent
mad it's family, now busy with the
lazy reflection on the days doings, or
iazier anticipation of the morrow's
developments. Lines of beef strung
from tent to tent, or along wagon
tongue supported by neck-yoke, the
rude fireplace before the door, the
litter of cans, bits of meat, bones and
other refuse, bespoke mode of liv-
ing which is passing from our midst
with the steady exodus of the red man
to the happy hunting grounds.
All day this strange people had been
busy with the concluding sessions of
tue Catholic Indian Congress which
convened at st. Francis Mission, near
Rosebud Agency, South Dakota, on
June 20 and adjourned on July z, to
meet next year on July 12 at Pine
Ridge Agency About eight hundred
men, women and children attended
the congress, many of them coming
three hundred miles across the open
country in covered wagon or on
horseback, following the rude trails
of the prairie, fording swollen streams
and exposed much of the time to a
steady downpour of rain.
The purpose of the congress was to
strengthen the bond of religion, and
afford an opportunity for the discus
sion of various important matters,
particularly the appropriation Of
tribal funds for educational purposes.
Bishop Stariha and Vicar General
Noessen were present on behalf of the
church, as were also number of
visiting clergy, including Fathers Am
brose and Bede, Benedictines, Father
Voegel, a secular Indian Missionary,
Father M. F. Cassidy of O'Neill,
Father Muyssen of Valentine. and
Father Mueller of Cedar Bluffs. Per-
feet order was maintained, and
though two Indian police were present
part of the time, they were not called
upon to make single arrest of any
Indian concerned n the congress-.
Du6An0o5 uSOCAA6o WOAO AOAu Al tAS
morning after mass, and the after
moons were largely devoted to various
sports, including horse racing, ball
playing, dancing, etc., and the renewal
C4 old friendships. Both clergy and
kldians were well pleased with the
Congress, particularly with the evil
dent religious fervor which permeated
Ill the proceedings.
The congress was set, a year ago,
or dates which included the Fourth
# July, and as the Indians have been
accustomed for many generations to
celebrate at about this time Of the
year what is known as "the big Sun
day in the middle of the summer
there were a number of rival attrac-
-tions, many of them purely pagan.
Father Digmann, s. j., Superior at st.
francis, was determined to break
away from the abominable practices
which attended these pagan >celebra-
tions, and hence, at the risk Of losing
many of the lukewarm Catholic In
dams, he strictly forbade the con.
gress to indulge in any of the exer-
cises to which the red men have been
accustomed from time immemorial.