 |
| Father Pierre deSmet |
Before he had seen any white men and before there were
horses in the northern Rockies, Shining Shirt, a medicine man of the Salish
tribe, prophesized the arrival of pale-skinned men in long, black skirts. They
would teach them a new way of praying and how to reach the place of happiness.
This prophecy was reinforced years later when migrating Catholic Iroquois from
Quebec confirmed the existence of white men in black robes (Jesuit priests) who
carried crucifixes, said the Big Prayer (mass) and did not marry. The Indian
religion was false and they would never reach the home of the Great Spirit.
The tribes of the Inland Northwest (Salish or Flathead, Nez
Perce, Coeur d’Alene) became obsessed with the desire for a Black Robe to come live
among them and teach this new religion. They sent a total of four delegations
over ten years to the Catholic Church in St. Louis and, finally, in 1841,
Belgium-born priest Pierre deSmet arrived. He established a mission and small
settlement in the Bitterroot Valley of what is now the state of Montana, and
named it St. Marys. Later, he returned to Europe to recruit additional missionaries,
among them Father Anthony Ravelli. Ravelli, born to a wealthy family in Italy,
brought with him a range of skills: pharmacist, doctor, artist, architect,
engineer. His talents are visible today in the mission church he built and
decorated in classic Renaissance style with paints created from local berries
and minerals. He sculpted statues of Mary
and St. Ignatius of Loyola, and used
a hand lathe to carve the altar rail and baptismal font.
 |
| Saint Marys Mission Church |
 |
| Cataldo Mission Church, Idaho |
St. Marys was the first of the Pacific Northwest
missions, but it was soon followed by others. The Cataldo Mission in the Idaho
Panhandle near Coeur d’Alene was established in 1850, and is the state’s
oldest, standing building. This charming, Italianate church is another example
of Father Ravalli’s ingenuity and workmanship, and is created from the simple
tools and local building materials available on the frontier at that time. He
faux-painted the altar to resemble marble, crafted chandeliers from tin cans,
and stained the ceiling with huckleberry juice. There’s not a nail in the
entire building.
 |
| Interior, St. Ignatius Church |
By far the most prosperous of the missions was St. Ignatius,
also located in Montana, north of present-day Missoula. It had a saw mill,
grain mill and school for boys. Later, the Jesuits were joined by the sisters
of Providence and Ursuline who established a girls’ school and hospital. In the
early 1890s, the need grew for a much larger facility and the current church
was constructed using a million bricks made from local clay. However, the
building’s most striking feature is the interior collection of 58 colorful
frescoes painted on the walls and ceiling. The artist, Brother Joseph
Carignano, was the mission’s cook and had no formal training in the arts.
All of these mission churches are National Historic Sites
and open to the public. St. Marys,
located in Stevensville, Mont., about an hour’s drive south of Missoula, is
open during the summer months only. Visitors are welcomed to explore the mission
grounds including a museum, visitor center, Father Ravalli’s cabin and pharmacy,
cemetery, Salish encampment, but a guide is required to view the chapel interior.
 |
| St. Ignatius on the Flathead Indian Reservation |
St. Ignatius, about an hour’s drive north of Missoula,
remains a functioning Catholic church located on the Flathead Indian
Reservation and is open daily. In addition
to the beautiful paintings inside the church, the grounds include original log structures
housing a small museum with mission and native artifacts.
 |
| Interior, Cataldo Mission |
The Cataldo church is the centerpiece of Old MissionState Park, 25 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, along Interstate 90. With
its pretty, hillside setting and charming rustic interior, it is not surprising
that it is a popular venue for weddings. Of the three missions, this one offers
the most extensive visitor center and museum. The first-rate exhibition, Sacred
Encounters, was organized by Washington State University and explores the complexities
of two intersecting cultures: European Christian missionaries, and indigenous
populations with a very different sacred belief system and lifestyle. Highly recommended.
