The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-09-19
ALASKA BISHOP
GIVES ACCOUNT
OF HIS DIOCESE

The laying of the cornerstone OF
the parochial school Sunday was a
historic mark in the progress of Alas
ka and more particularly was another
monument to the determination and
energy Of one man, Rt. Rev. Joseph
Raphael Crimont, S. j.. bishop of
Alaska, says the Juneau Empire.
The war delayed plans for the fine
parochial school now nearing COM
pletion here, and some doubt was ex-
pressed whether the building should
go ahead in the face Of the readjust-
meDt problems and the uncertainty
Of conditions. But Bishop Crimont
never hesitated for an instant. Large
in the faith that the money would
be provided, he said go ahead. In
the Extension Magazine of May is
an illustrated article about Alaska
containing an interesting sketch of
the bishop and his work in Alaska
but does not cover the results accom-
piished, from which the following is
clipped:
F'In 1904 Father Crimont was made
project apostolic of Alaska, which is
the highest ecclesiastical position in
district where there is no bishop,
and on July Is, 1917, he was conse-
Grated bishop of that vast and unde-
veloped territory. Bishop, l said
to him after he had told me of the
bitter hardships and the cruel depri-
vations that he and his brother priests
must put up with in that portion of
Gods vineyard, why don't you tell
the story of your difficulties to the
Catholic people of the States?
I WILL he replied, but how
Little did the good bishop think
that just about that time we were
wondering what would be our topic
for this months chat; and so, with
out Informing him of our need, we
naively suggested that on the way
to Baltimore he spend the time in
writing the story for the readers OF
the Extension Magazine. Read it for
yourself as it was sent to us in the
scholarly script of this apostolic man
who is continuing in Alaska the work
that Don ROsco started in Italy:
1.-The larger and better portion OF
our Eskimo flock at Nome and Mary's
Igloo, the pride and hope of Fathers
Bernard and Lafortune, has been
wiped out by the plague. There
remain the orphans to care for We
laid, last year, the foundations Of
new mission at Hot Springs, ninety
miles north of Nome, where we
meant to establish a larger center of
Christian civilization and Catholic
life for the natives Of the Seward
peninsula, with boarding schools for
boys and girls, and better homes for
our people, the location being ideal
as far as the country permits, for
self-suppOrt from land cultivation,
fishing, trapping, hunting and fuel
facilities. I have no report as yet Of
the situation on King island and on
DiOmedi island, nor on the southeast
oc+ IF III
etc.-eXcept that those regions
have suffered greatly. At St. Michael
besides the heavy toll of death
among the native population, the Ur-
sCline convent has been reduced to
one treasure was saved, viz the
blessed sacrament. The fate of st.
Mary's mission at Akularak, whose
district spans the distance between
the mouth of the KuskOkwim, is in
the hands of our friends in the
United States. 1t depends on them
whether or not workers and funds
shall be forthcoming. The council
of the missionaries in northern Alas
ka have been driven to the conclu-
sion that the field must be aban-
doned. Many of our missionaries
such as Treca, Bornum, Muset, Par
obi, Robaut, Keys, Lucchasi and De
Ion have spent there all the measure
of ZEAL sacrifice and privation, which
the most heroic worker of the gos-
pel can give, and yet the results