, 1925-07-16
DEDICATION OF
DeSMET
MONUMENT 9Th

SeCtlOn OF the state over tne week
end of July 4th and 5th, the roads
were such hat very few residents of
Rawlins and Carbon county attempt
ed to travel them to Daniel, Wyo-
ming, where the unwilling n dedi-
cation of a monument, commemorate
ing that ceremony where mass was
held by Father DeSmet took place.
An excellent account of the meeting
on July 9Th appeared in the Rock
Springs Miner of Friday, July 10th.
The accoun is as follows:
On the edge of a bluff. hundreds
of feet above the valley of the Green
River. between 800 and 400 men and
women stood in the rain Sunday
morning to witness the dedication
of the memorial to Father Jean De
Smet, at the mouth of Horse Creek,
near Daniel.
Rain fell off and on during the
latter part of the service, and after
the prayers of the mass the skies
showered baptismal upon the kneel-
ing hundreds and a blessing upon
prairie, mountain and desert.
Mass was celebrated at 9 o'clock
Sunday morning, IS years after
Father DeSmet had first said mass
III lit pltSChNN VI lhotNiy
of Indians and frontiersmen. Stand
ing at the altar, on the spot where
the pioneer Jesuit priest had said
mass, Rt. Rev. p. A. McGovern,
bishop of Cheyenne, led the SER
vices. There in the open, with the
verdure of the great valley shroud-
ed now and Their in the mists of the
morning, with an occasional beam of
tho Snn piprpinp tho rain p1nn1S n
bit of the old spirit of the man who
first brought his religion to this
state stirred the blood of those who
knelt in prayer.
Rev. Michael Kenny. of New Or
leans. La. a member of the Society
of Jesuits, delivered the dedicatory
sermon from the granite altar, which
is to stand through the ages as a
memorial to FIR. DeSmet. explorer,
missionary and scholar.
In the black gown of the Society
of Jesuits, and standing where Faith
er DeSmet had stood before she first
gathering of Catholics in the state.
FIR. Kenny told of the work of this
man, who devoted his life to the In
dian. told of his indomitable spirit
and of the message of service and
Christianity which it carries to the
people of today. Standing beneath
the ross, decorated with the wild
flowers from the prairie of the
Mass" as at the first mass, the
whole was very impressive.
Early in the nineteenth century
three Jesuit missionaries were tor
tured to death by %Iriquois and HUI
ron Indians. Later, n of these
chiefs became converted to Christi
anity and worked among the lndi-
ans. So impressed were they by this
aboriginee missionary that they sent
messenger to st. Louis to obtain a
Jesuit or black robe" as the Je-
suits were called by the Indians.
The first expedition to st. Louis
never reached its destination. The
second was told that no missionary
was available at that time. Then a
third expedition of ENJOYS was sent,
but they were massacred by enemies
somewhere on the route. The fourth
was successful, meeting Father De
Smet on their way to st. Louis. He
returned with them to the monastry
in that city and arrangements were
completed for him to go to the North
west as a missionary among the In
dams. II was necessary for him to
20 to the Eastern states to raise
funds first. so hat IL was in April,
1870, before he was able to set forth
upon his journey into the wilderness
OF mountains and savages.
Following the oregon trail with
his train, II was the latter part of
May when he reached the rendez-
vous OF trappers and traders at the
mouth OF Horse Creek in what is
now Wyoming. Here he was met
by n large number of the Indians.
among whom he was to spend most
OF the remainder of his life. He
writes in his memoirs that more
than 1000 persons were at the rem
devious hat year Most of these
were of the Catholic faith. and on
the morning OF the first Sunday in
July. which was the fifth day OF
that month. he celebrated the first
solemn high mass in the history of
Wyoming and the territory adjacent
10 the states western boundary.
As the writer stood on the prairie.
high above the Green river (the Rio
Verde OF the old Spaniards) there
came a picture OF the first mass and
the preparations preceding It.. Down
in the valley below hunters. voyag-
ors, lndiuns-al We're making heir
persons ready for the great occa-
sion. a lucky few. perhaps. had
soap with which to cleanse their
bodies OF the CRIME OF n long winter.
while their less fortunate but cnvi-
IA noiEhbors secured themselves
with sand and water from the cold
streams. Buckskin clothing and /
shoes were IN the river bank. receiv-
Ing. probably. the first cleaning their
owners had ever administered. All
was activity, that their bodies might
be clcanscd ms well aa their souls.
Then n little group OF men scat
tered over the prairie. picking the
Wild flowers. which were in profu-
sion. taking them TO the recently
altar and laying their offer
~rcvcrontly upon II. Many of
these mon were thinking OF the Al
NAT NIA a. .A..- " -.