Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-01-20
By ELMO


"A they each share in the de-
velopment Of the new COM
munity. They each have a marked eff
feet upon the civic and social life of
the pioneer people. One phase--ma-
terial achievements dramatized. The
other-the church-too often is sub
commerce. Material success writes its
own story and erects its own monu-
ments. The church, as IL was con-
stituted in the pioneer community, was
quiet, unassuming, the servant of all,
the salvation Of the needy-not only
for spiritual aid, but more often than
not for lift along the daily path.
man leaders and ministers with COM
passionate and full understanding of
human frailtieS, the church was the
foundation Of the pioneer community
upon which the much admired struc-
ture of material achievement was built.
The church represented all denom-
nations and all schools of religious
upon who was first to plant the seeds
Of religion in the particular pioneer
community. In every case, however,
and regardless of denomination, the
impulse was the same-primartly the
propagation Of the Christian religion;
but with a keen realization of the fact
that physical well-being was the open
sesame to a mans spiritual being.
It happens that in Montana the
Jesuit fathers we're the pioneers of
religion, To students Of Montana his
tory the story is well known of the
three Flathead Indian expeditions to
st. Louis urging the Black Robes to
bring the white mans God to the In
dams.
To Bitter Root in 1841
Father Pierre j. De Smet. Belgian
Jesuit who had been for some time
with the Pottawatomie Indians In
Kansas, was sent to the mountains in
response to the F1athead appeal. In the
fall of 1841 with two italian priests,
three lay brothers and several other
men. he reached the Bitter Root val
was said under tree on the bank OF
the river about a mile south OF the
present Stevensville bridge, and that
Father De Smet cut the date, his name
and those Of the others on the tree.
The erosion of nearly five score years
has taken the tree away, and the eX-
act spot no longer Is known.
neer home for the faith-the mission
Of st. Mary's. So enthusiastic was
Father De Smet over his new field
that he sought to rename all the phys
ical features of the country. The river
was called St Mary's. The high peak
of the Bitter Roots west of the river
also was called st. Mary's-today IT
lookout station is atop it: He even
named the Clark's Fork river, along
which he had travelled, the st. lgna-
thus, honoring the patron saint OF the
Jesuits.
For long such names served; but as
white men peopled the valley tne
names originally given by Lewis ana ad
Clark and the white trappers returned
to general and official use.
After the mission-the central sec
ton of the present st. Mary's church
AT Stevensyille-Was completed Father
he Smet brought COWS and seeds from
Colyille, Wash In 1912 land was
plowed and the seed planted for the
first tillage Of the soil in what Is no"
with St. Mary's a going concern,
Father De Smet felt the need OF sub
stantial aid in furthering his work He
betook himself to Rome for an inter-
view with Pope Gregory XVI: AS ne
went about the holy city telling the
story Of his new field. Father DeSmet
met Father Antony Ravali. to Whom
he impaired his own entn 1a.hsr Dor 3oi
Bitter Root valley.
Deserving of Memorial
While all pioneer Catholic shrines
in western Montana may. be cailea
memorials to the pioneering Father
De Smet, st. Mary's at Stevensvllle IS
a monument to the devotion and WORK
Of Father Ravalli He was fully De
serving of the shaft OF pristine marole
at his grave in St. Mary's churchyard.
To him the people of the valley gave
a bit of the recognition due him IN the
naming of Ravalli county. ,,,,
Born at Ferrera, Italy. May 10, l6l1,
Father Ravalli truly was dedicated 10
his destiny. Trained IN the priest
hood, a graduate in bellies lettres,
teacher, student OF medlcne anu
pharmacy, he was also adept IN the
Use of humble tools. and an artist OF
much ability. At St. Mary's he gave
layishly of all his talents to the hap
piness and well-being Of his people,
both red and white.
Newly arrived from Italy, Father
Ravalli at once began making tne
mission and its surroundings more nve-
able for those whom 1t served. ne
fashioned machinery to operate a SET
Of millstones brought from beig Sa,,,.
the grain grown in the valley. Inc
stones now are in the state historical
No scrap of iron or other useable
material that came to the mission was
ever wasted, back in those preclvlilZa,
ton DAYS. It was carefully boarded
and, either by Father Ravalli's hand
or Under his direction, was fabricated
into the many things needed to equip
the mission, its hospital, or to serve
some community purpose.
perhaps the good father discovered
that his ability as physician was as
much in demand as any Of his other
talents. At any rate, a small log pulo.
Ing was turned into hospital. using
The the crude materials at hand. Father
Rayalli equipped his wilderness home
Of healing, made his own stretchers
and other accessories, and admins.
tered without distinction to all who
came, His practice ranged from pres.
ence at birth as a physician, as priest
at the Christening, again the healer
caring for the ills and the hurts OF
lekA NNyHftHanfn