The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-30

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Tfs betfnning Of the local history 81
tn Missesia mission may be traced
iftpM ~ Hell's Gate settlement. Here
AsoAnrch Tor the white settlers was
srssssds IN 1858 by Father U. Grassi.
~ NJ ttnae III charge OF the India,,
sSsiseipn Of 81. 1gnatius. In the spring
ogIoe9 two fathers from the mission
Of sAint Peter were appointed to this
new field, the Hell's Gate district, at
least for the. time being. Some one
recording the fact at the time added
tn ptayerful hun,or: A porta inferi
er.le. nomine, animas eorum. (From
the gAae Of hell. d Lord, deliver their
souls.C Record books were still scarce
In tho Indian missions at that date. as
the entry Just quoted appears in the
ragistAr, Of baptisms for the mission of
Ct. Peter. III
eathsr Ravail;, First Here.
The <wo fathers assigned to Helrs
Gate were Anthony Ravalli and Cam
iAQs Inaoda, but as they were hardly
q week there when Father c. Imoda
was recalled and sent to- Helena.
Father Ravalli is properly the one
entitled to the credit OF being the first
resident priest on the Hell's Gate and
1assos,ia mission. There he resided
close on three years, doing much good
both ~ q Jealous missionary, as we'll
~ O. skillful physician. In the former
capacity he went about looking for
souls to save: In the latter he was
more frequently sought after, people
coming or being brought to him from
near and from afar, to be relieved in
their bodily ailments. His abode, a
little log cabin by the church. was
thus frequently turned into an infirm
AIRY. and may be said to have been the
first private hospital In this part OF
Sh6~ 6ona&ty. Hardly ono entered 1t
who did not come out improved. re-
ralrsd. mended and sometimes, II we
can use the expression, made all over.
both body and soul.
During his stay at Helrs Gate.
FokhsR Ravalll dispensed the ministra-
tons Of religion, not only to the few
Catholics Of that settlement. but also
to- thoSe at the lower end OF the valley.
our Erenchtown people, and likewise
TO 4 couple Of families at Missoula, at
. this time still, in Its infancy. On his
moving up to st. Mary's the spiritual
care Of the whole district fell to
Father Menetrey. who off and on held
II tor q number Of years.
Mlssoula, In the meantime, was
gradually forging ahead. and by 1863
60 It had outgrown and left behind
both the Hell's Gate village, from
which II had sprung. and Frenchtown.
But somehow to these older settle
usents had fallen the privilege Of hav-
ing. not only churches. but also a
father to attend them. The Catholics
Of Misaoula had no other church ia
ciiiuss than st. Michael's. at Helrs
0atA
This proved great inconvenience.
but matters could not be remedied.
Priority. ~ well as possession, SUBJ
stAntiated in churches already built
insufficient number Of laborers on the
field: higher authorities. very chary
Of any new step. apt to weaken OF
hamper missionary work among the
Indians. and lastly the nearness OF
the two localities all seemed to CON-
bine to hinder giving the people OF
Missoula some better advantage fol
the. ptacttce Of their religion.
Accident Causes Change.
An accident, not without clear indi.
cations OF it's having been prompted
from. on high. caused the first move
in this direction.
Mother Caron, the mother genera
Of the Sisters Of Providence. in 1877;
came from Montreal to Montana Il