The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-07-26
written for The Catholic Bulletin,
by Rev. G. M. Weisenhorn, S. j.

The annual congress of the Catholic
Sioux Indians of South Dakota tool
place this year, July lila, at Oal
Creek, forty-two miles from St. Fran
els Mission, Rosebud Agency, South
Dakota. Four or five hundred tent!
were pitched about st. Peters Church
and it is estimated that nearly three
| thousand persons, representatives from
Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Lower Brule
Standing Rock, Yankton and Santee
Reservations were present at the cele
bration. An Indian Congress partakes
of the nature of business and socia
convention and of a peoples mission
as we'll. 1t can be said without hesi
tation that the Congress of this year
like those of other years, was sue
cessful in every respect.
Religious Services.
The mornings were given over
almost entirely to religious services
There were Masses in the church from
$50 to o'clock, during which hun
dreds approached the Holy Table with
a childlike reverence and devotion Ii
the evenings six missionaries were
kept busy until near midnight, hearing
confessions in the church and abou
the camp, whilst catechists stood be
fore the church door or went abou
the grounds exhorting all in lou(
voice to come to receive the sacra
ment of penance. The church was fal
too small to accommodate the crowds
| so a large bower made of branches O
trees had been erected, after tht
fashion of the Indians, as a shelter
for the more solemn religious exer
cises and for the business sessions o
the day. At one end of this bowe
a temporary altar had been set up; a
| the other was the official entranc,
through which, according to Indial
etiquette, every one who wished tt
| be present, must enter and leave
Here there was special Mass will
| sermon every morning at nine o'clock
during which the Indians joined heart
lily in the congregational singing o
hymns in their own tongue. The ser
| mons were preached in Dakota by Rev
Eugene Buechel, S. j., Superior of st
Francis Mission, Rev. Henry Grote
geers, S. j., Superior of Holy Rosar,
| Mission, Pine Ridge, s. D., Rev. P. F
Slain, S. J. and Rev. Henry Grothe
S. j., missionaries in charge of tn,
district. All these Fathers are know
for their skill in the pulpit, especial.
lbefore Indian audiences, nor did the,
detract from their reputation on thi
occasion.
Opening of Congress.
The solemn opening of the Congress
on July II was enhanced by th'
| presence of distinguished visitors il
the persons of Right Rev William II
Ketcham, President of the Bureau o
| Catholic Indian Missions, the Righ
| Rev. Thomas S. Lee, pastor of ST
Matthew's Church, Washington, d. c.
and a great-grandson of Charles Cal
roll of Carrollton, and Rev. Sylveste
Molony, pastor of st. Lawrence
Church, Chicago, Illinois.
| After the Mass Monsignor Ketcham
or Watching Eagle as he is affec
tionately styled among the Sioux
arose to express the pleasure that h
and other visitors experienced in bein
present at this magnificent gatherin
of Catholic Indians. He reminde
the Dakotas of the almost unexample
progress they had made during tn
| few years that Catholic missionarie
had been permitted to work anon
them, congratulated them on their &C
operation, and urged them to unit
and increased fervor that soon ther
might be but one Fold and one SheI
herd.
Then followed the impressive cere
mony of official welcome. All visitors
white and Indian alike, passed i
single file about the bower and shoe
hands with every Indian present, tn
men on one side and the women o.
/ the other. This over, they returne
to their places and stood to receiv
| a hearty handshake of welcome froI
each Indian as he passed. The nativ
dignity and deep sincerity of the Re
Man on occasions of this kind is
pleasant surprise to strangers unini
lated into the mysteries of Indian Gus
toms and manners. Yet they are n
more than true expression of chal
aeter which, with all it's flaws, ha
been sadly unappreciated and eve
slandered by superficial whites wht
because of their hostile attitude, wer
never granted intimate acquaintanc
with the Indian and were incapable {
judging him Alright. The ceremony {
handshaking lasted for an hour G
more, yet no one of those present bt
would have regretted missing that SO
emn manifestation of hospitality
I The afternoon and evening OF eac
! day we're taken up with business NEE
,ings in the grand arbor before tt