The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-04-13

The Priest: His Work and
Life
western part of this country. 1t was
| in the year 1897 that Father John NJ.
| de Salvatierra crossed the sea sepa-
rating California from New Mexico.
! Here almost without knowledge of
the language, he brought the Light OF
| Christ to the savage. The Indians at
| first were hostile and believed that
| the priests were Adventures after
| their pearl-fishery as others had been.
| The savages attacked the priests with
great fury; but they convinced the
| Indians of their goodwill, and that
they brought peace, and thus won
| their friendship. These priests soon
| mastered the language of the tribe,
and won souls to the true God Set
| Elements were made and missions
| established throughout the greater
part of the West. Among the mis-
sions were Loretto-Combe, st. John de
Londo, and st. Francis Xavier of Bia-
undo. AS these early missionaries
travelled about in this wilderness they
frequently had to learn new languages
or dialects, perchance one tribe
would speak the Laymone and another
the Monqui dialect
In California.
With the advent of Christianity the
priests also taught the rudiments of
building and farming, and they estab-
lished excellent schools Previous to
establishing the missions, or in 1912,
| the Jesuits arrived in California In
1858 the Jesuit Fathers Salyatierra
and Eusebius kino went to LaPas
Father Kino was a learned astrono-
mer. In short time all of Lower
California was converted. In 1701-03
| north OF California on the Colorado
| River. In the year Father Consag
| explored the Colorado River, with the
intention of establishing other mis-
sions for an overland route from
| Sonora to California.
The work Of the JeSuits was con-
tinued until 1867, when the missions
were turned over to the Franciscans,
of the Royal College of San Fernando,
at Mexico. They were under the care
of the project, Father Junipero Sierra,
the Founder of San Francisco, and
known as the Apostle of California, -
who embarked at Loretto, Lower Cali
fornia in April, 1853. In the year
! 1859 the mission of San Diego was
established About 1771 the Francis
| cans were succeeded by the Domini-
| cans in several of their missions.
! After fourteen years labor Father
Junipero Sierra founded fifteen Indian
missions and villages of Spanish
! Colonists. He died in 1884.
In 1889 Marcus de Mia, an Italian
/ Franciscan, visited the section of the
| country new known as Arizona, and
penetrated to the ella Valley and
about May % he advanced within
sight of Zuni, erected a cross and
claimed the country for Spain.
When Coronado marched to the
coast he left missionary friars to con-
vert the natives. The, Jesuits first
1 visited the Pueblo Indians, in the year
1900, but did not remain.
These early missionary priests un-
| derwent untold hardships for Christ,
4 often suffering from hunger and
thirst; they penetrated into the wilds
of an unknown section of the country,
enduring martyrdom for the same
Christ that died for them
1 The martyrs of the New World
| stand out sublime in the history of
this country. Among the number of
priests who gave their life for Christ
are Fathers Diegi de Penalosa, 1547,
John B. Sequra, 1870, Michael de
Aunon, 1897, Maximus Leclerq, 1886,
Sebastian Rale, 1924, John Diaz, 1881.
More than fifty priests suffered mar.
| tyrdom for bringing the Gospel to the
saVages of the New World. The first
jesuit to receive the crown of a mar
tyr was Father Peter Martini, in 1866.
4 Down through the list Jesuits, Fran
ciscans, D0minicans, Secular priests,
all were ever ready to die for Christ.
Among the Lepers.
| What the Catholic priests did for
God in the early days, their success
sors are willing to do to-day To the
Island of Molokai, went Father
Damien; he penetrated into this
loathsome settlement of lepers with
out any self-protection, and instilled
into the hearts of the unfortunate peo-
4 pie the truth that God had not for
saken them. Father Damien taught
them cleanliness, and installed a
4 system of sanitation; out of ruin he
rebuilt hope-not hope of an earthly
cure, but Hope of a divine one in the
| life to come Father Damien sacri-
feed all for these poor lepers, and
died a victim to the disease April IS,
1889. Even after his death his char
acter was assailed, false charges
were made against him, but right and
truth will n1movc fT.iIlna1lb To-dav