The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-04-19
THE PARISH PRIEST OF THE
NORTH POLE.
1t Sounds Startling Enough, But
There Are Few Applicants
for 1t.

for 1t.
Father Joseph Bernard, S. j., is the
parish priest of the North Pole, ana
unique as the distinction is, few are
striving to rob him of it. His parish
is a little affair of eleven thousand
square miles, and he is rector ana
curate. sacristan, teacher and house
keeper. There is no church in the
world that is farther north than his
little chapel of Our Lady OF Lourdes
in Alaska. There is no Roman Catn-
olic priest nearer the North Pole than
this heroic missionary, whose life is
filed with the greatest hardships and
priyations. To call it an existence is
putting it all too pleasantly.
Father Bernard has been up IN
Alaska for six years. The story OF
his sufferings would bring tears to
YOUR eyes, but Father Bernard is too
busv to realize how badly off he is. In
1907 his superiors sent him there TO
found a mission for a camp OF about
one hundred Eskimos. For three
wears he lived in shack built OF
boards, canvas and tar paper. Try and
think how nice and coy he must
have been in his canvas house up In
the Arctic Circle. Try to imagine
how a proposition would strike you
to live in a canvas house, say in
weather as cold as it was last win
ter. There were many holes in his
little cabin, and he humorously says
thew afforded good ventilation, but
when the thermometer is 65 degrees
below zero ones thoughts do moi
dwell on ventilation. One day some
water split on the floor, and being a
good housekeeper he Immediately ran
for a cloth to wipe it up, but before
he was able to get the cloth as far as
the floor the water had frozen anc
he had to scrape it off with his axe
This one incident speaks volumes FOL
the comfort of his howell.
But Father Bernard does not seen
to realize the discomfort at all. He
does not ponder on the fact that Du'
few would be willing to step into his
shoes. He even speaks humorouslJ
of the poor food he has to eat
stewed muskrats and stale bread form
his diet, but as he naively confesses
people lose their sense of taste after
they get up in northern Alaska. He
bakes four loaves once month, anC
he allows himself one loaf week
He never eats more than that, even
though he may, for breadmaking uT
there is a heroic act. The last LOAF
is pretty bad, but like the rest OF the
batch it finally disappears
Now, you who are reading this in
your comfortable home, surrounded
by your family and friends, stop fol
one moment and think. Put yourself
in his place. How long do you think
YOU would last in that frozen North
among Eskimos, and a wilderness OF
snow and ice, and without even the
bare necessities of life? He has been
there seven years, and he has suffered
everything save freezing to death, and
that for him would be but the begin
ming of an eternal life. And more
than that, he has the prospect OF
spending his life up there. The path
less SHOWS of the Arctic will be the
scenes of his labors, and the rough
and uncivilized, though kind-hearted
Eskimos his only parishioners; finally
when God has called him to Himself
the Arctic winds of the North viii
sing his lonely requiem, and the froz
en- SHOWS will watch over his I'm
marked grave. And not only must
his own fervor burn brightly, but he
must kindle the faith into the hearts
of the people over whom God has
placed him. And you must help him
God has let you read this for a pur
pose. His cry of distress has trav
eled thousands of miles down the
country that you nigh help him. Goo
has put his case before you be
cause you must help him. He
needs an orphanage up there, and he
will accept anything you give him
'My fur hat" he writes the society
els passed around for anything, nick
els, dimes and dollars"
The Church Extension Society, 113;
Mccormick building, Chicago, is Fa
Their Bernard's refuge. Anything yor
wish to have him receive, the society
will readily transmit to the good and
jealous missionary.