Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-11-15
The Centenary of the Birth of
Father Sierra and It's
Celebration.
November "a Declared a Legal
Holiday by Governor
johnson.
SAVED ten THOUSAND INDIANS

The centenary of the birth of
Father Sierra, who founded the
first mission in San Francisco, will
be celebrated by Catholic societies
throughout the United States, and
especially by those of California,
where November "a has been de-
cared a legal holiday by Gov.
Johnson. The remarkable and
heroic missionary zeal of the Cath
Ollie missionaries, to whom America
is indebted so largely for the dis
covery and exploration of this con-
tinent and opening it up to civilized
occupation, has drawn forth most
eloquent tributes of admiration
from non-Catholic historians and
must stand forever as monuments
Of the beneficent influences of the
Catholic church in America.
We have noted in these columns
hJw all the discoveries from the
North, East and South, and down the
Mississippi, have been made by
Catholic pioneers and missionaries,
and this date, which marks the
first Catholic mission established on
the Pacific coast, reminds us that
the first steps taken in opening up
the Far West to civilized influences
we're made by the same Catholic
pioneers of religion and civilization.
The founder of San Francisco and
the apostle of California was the
pious Franciscan, Father France ].
Sierra. He was born on the Island
Of Majorca, in the Mediterranean,
on November "a, 1913. He was
a \ ~ 90
and at the age of sixteen became a
member of the order. His native
talents developed most rapidly and
he rose to high distinction in the
order and became professor of
Theology, shonoring --the---title--be-
slowed upon him no less by his
pious example than by his brilliant
attainments. Like Fathers lie
Caron, Marquette and others, he
possessed the missionary spirit and
| resolved to seek in the New World
a field of labor befitting his Jealous
| spirit. After a stormy passage he
reached Mexico, and on foot pene-
trated to the capital, in company
with a party of fellow members of
the order, reaching the palace of the
Montezumas on New Years day.
1850. He labored here for many
years among the tribes of the Sierra
, Gorda, and was afterward ap-
pointed Superior of the band of
priests devoted to missionary labor
in Lower California.
In 1889 he accompanied the
military expedition of Galvez with
three other Frenciscans into Upper
fo I'm hn oh
of California. He established his
landing of the expedition. Mass
was celebrated in a tent, in front of
which a large wooden cross was
raised The Indians were pro-
itiated by presents and kindly
treatment, and the priests began to
learn their language and to teach
them civilized methods of living, and
in time thousands of the Indians
embraced the faith and conformed
| to its obligations with all the
| fervor of their nature.
At the very time when the
Declaration of Independence was
being drafted in Philadelphia those
| faithful priests were founding a
mission 5000 miles to the West on
the extreme boundary of the con-
tinent, on June 7, 1875, on the
present site of San Francisco, which
takes its name from the historic
event. The first building erected on
the site of the present beautiful city
was dedicated to the worship OF
God under the patronage of St.
Francis.
Father Sierra continued his holy
work for eight years, laboring
among the savage tribes. Before
his death he had established ten
missions and about 10000 Indians
had been baptized. At last he be-
came conscious that death was ap-
preaching. He went with trembling
steps to the little church, and on
his knees received the holy COM
munion. He gave word to the car
penter of the mission to make his
coffin. He was assisted back to his
bed and soon after peacefully
passed away. His death was
mourned with every expression OF
profound sorrow by all the missions
and by the Spanish authorities in
the war vessels in the harbor. He
died on August 30, 1884, at the