The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-08-26

bloody wars Even Protestant writer's
declare that Father DeSmet was the
most sincere friend that the Indians
ever had. This renowned missionary
died at ST.. Louis, May %, 1873, at
the age of u years and was laid te
rest in. the cemetery of the Jesuit
Provincial house at Florissant, 6
suburb of st. Louis. Jesuits worked
also among the whites. One car
form some estimate of the tireless
labors Of the Jesuit missionaries from
the Baptismal Register still pre-
served at St. Peters Mission, which
shows that, there were 2,732 indiana
baptized at that one mission between
the years 1856 and 1879. But these
missionaries were, equally as active
amongst the early white settlers in
assisting them to build commodious
church edifices at Fort Benton, Havre.
Lewiston and large brick churches at
Billings and Helena, which became
the pro1Cathedral of Helena diocese;
also at Missoula, which church they
still retain, but on account of the
limited number of Jesuit Fathers they
generously surrendered the missions
at Billings and Helena when Bishop
Brondel came to Montana. They also
erected substantial converts, schools
and churches at half a dozen Indiar
missions which are. still used for the
original purpose for which they were
built, namely: the civilization as well
as the christianization of the
aborigines, who were the first owners
of the soil and the only genuine Amer
leans. ----.~>
Vicariate of Montana. In the early
part of June, 1877, the Right Rev.
James O'Connor, Vicar Apostolic
of Nebraska, visited the Vicariate of
Montana, which was Entrusted to his
care. He was the first Bishop that
had charge of the growing church in
this new territory. He gave con-
firmation at Virginia City, the first
city that he visited, then he went to
Helena, Fort Shaw, st. Peters Mis-
sion, Fort Benton and all the differ
ent Indian Missions in charge of the
Jesuits and Sisters of Providence.
Bishop O'Connor was seer and spoke
Of the future prospects of the church
in the Treasure State, in the most
glowing terms. In a letter to Father
Paladino, dated Omaha, Nebraska,
March 81, 1879, the Right Rev. Bishop
penned the following appreciation of
the excellent work done for religion
in hxr tho Eofh oe 10
Society of Jesus: "You and l may
not live to see it, but the day is not
distant when Montana will be one of
the most fruitful and flourishing, as
well as the most beautiful portions of
Gods vineyard, and this will be owing,
in a great measure, to the labors and
virtues of those who have already:
borne the burdens and heats of the
day." Bishop Lehman testifies that
the prophetic, words of Bishop O'Con-
nor have been fulfilled, to a great ex-
tent, even at the present time, but
that more glorious development
awaits the Church, in this progressive
commonwealth, in the near future.
Rt. Rev. j. B. Brondel. D., D., was con-
secrated Bishop of Vancouver, British
Columbia, by his classmate, Bishop
Charles Segers, December Ia, 1879. On
April 81, 1883, Bishop Brondel was
named administrator of the Vicariate
of Montana to succeed Bishop O'Connor
and the following March Z, 1884, Pope
Leo XIII erected this Vicariate into a
diocese with Helena as the episcopal
see and Bishop Brondel as it's first
incumbent. The new Bishop discov-
cred that over one-third, or $4,000
out of the total population of 10000
of the new territory were Catholics:
that there were four secular priests
and II Jesuits; there were four hos
pitfalls and 16 churches, besides con-
vents and schools for the Indian chill
dren; also two parochial schools and
two academies for white children.
During the twenty years of Bishop
Brondel's umbency, the church made
rapid strides, SO that at the time of his
death, November 3, 1903, there were
So priests and IS churches with a
Catholic population of $4,000, out of a.
total population in the whole state of
250, 900. The Jesuit Fathers attended
to the spiritual wants of the. Catholics
efGreat Fallssfrem its first settlement
until 1890 when The first church was