The Irish standard., 1908-07-25

priest of. Coda living example Of q
true Christian life both to priests and
people.
with him there was no display.
with quiet modesty he went his way
doing good-walking in the footsteps
Of his divine master, 'hlameless as a
steward of Cod
Fifty years as a faithful and wise
servant in the discharge Of his pas
toral duties!
TN the days Of his young priesthood
the church of the Northwest was in
its infancy.
"A scattered few here and there Of
various nationalities mingled with the
race whose name meant cruelty and
ignorance and savagery.
THE young priest, feeling that his
mission in the Northwest was both
to civilized and savage. commences
to study the various languages
needed. and the happy results Of his
labors bear testimony to the value of
his mission
Mgr. Joseph F. Buh, the venerable
prelate, enjoys, after a long life
fraught with sacrifice and the ac-
complishment Of much good, the rare
happiness of celebrating his. golden
jubilee Of priesthood. He was born
on March IT,. 1888, in Austria. His
boyhood days were spent at his faith
er's home in the rural district of
Luenje. 1t was there that pious and
Godfearing parents laid the foundation
Of his future successful career by in
stilling into his young heart the first
and essential principles Of religion and
patriotism.
In pursuit Of higher education he
attended the high school and provin-
cial seminary in the city Of Laibach,
where, on July Is, 1858. he was or
dained to holy priesthood by the Ri
Rev. Aloysius Wolf, for the diocese Of
Laibach.
During his pastorate Of three years
at Lasterbach and three years at
Ratec, he heard from missionaries OF
the spiritual needs of the emigrants
and the scarcity of missionaries in the
New World. especially among the
Indians of the Northeast. In 1864, upon
the special request Of Father Francis
Pirz, the first missionary Of Northern
Minnesota, he came to the diocese OF
st. Paul, then comprising the present
state of Minnesota and the Dakotas as
far west as the Missouri river. Dur
ing six months he remained at the
bishops house preparing several theo-
logical students for holy orders. In
November Of the same year Bishop
Grace appointed him to assist. Father
Pirz in the missions at Crow Wing
Mimi
In January. 1865. he went to the
Indian village situated on Lake Win
| 1AApAeoSAAioA, vi Tile OO1uc1 VI bJlS pres
ent Itasca and Cass counties, where
he spent several months acauaintins
himself with the Chippewa Language
and customs. Here for the first tins
Father Buh experienced the usual
hardships of the Indian missionary
who devotes his life to the spiritual
as we'll as material uplifting Of the
children of the wilderness. To live
among primeval forests, deprived Of
the melody of his native tongue, to in.
habit the Wigwam of the Indian, ant
to share his crude and unsavory mea
of maize and game, and in all this tt
be suspected and treated as g. sp,
of the hated white man, takes a greater
motive than earthly gain and honor
Early in the spring of the same veal
the Indians left their winter caml
for their usual fishing expedition
With a stealth and cunning found onl,
among the natives of America, the!
made the necessary preparations, ant
before Father Buh could realize thei
intent. they padded away III thei
canoes. leaving him alone en- thu
abandoned camping grounds a SECOND
Crusoe, with the babling Winnib!gshisi
in front and the uninhabitable wilder
ness behind him. After wandering TO
some time along the lake shore, h,
encountered an Indian scout. who
after many entreaties, consented t,
direct him to settlement of whites
That same summer he took charg'
of the settlement at Belle Prairie
Mimi, from where he attended to tn,
spiritual wants of the whites and In
dians of Morrison. Todd, Mile Lac
and Crow Wing counties. AS the