The love and commitment of Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga to the Native Americans of Northern Michigan are a testament to Baraga’s character and authenticity in living his vocation to the priesthood.
In 1830, then-Father Baraga, a native of Slovenia, moved to America for missionary efforts. His efforts had a profound impact on the Native Americans.
He established missions in present-day Petoskey, Good Hart, Harbor Springs, the Leelanau Peninsula — now St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish — and throughout the Upper Peninsula. Connecting with the Ojibwe, Ottawa and Chippewa communities, he evangelized and catechized thousands of Native Americans.
Although he had daily struggles, he was determined to proclaim the Gospel. Two of his diary entries depict some of these hardships:
“The winter is very severe in this desolate country. Some days were so cold that I almost could not finish the Mass that had begun.”
“It was certainly terrifying … all alone in a dark, frightfully cold night without fire … exhausted. Now what was I to do? There was no other choice but to go on or freeze.”
Formation
“Bishop Baraga was taught the Catholic faith from an early age. He was taught to be generous to others with his time and material possessions,” explains Lenora McKeen, who serves as executive director of the Bishop Baraga Association.
“At nine, he was sent to a boarding school to study for ‘the examination,’ which had a fluency requirement of six languages and a passing score to move to the next level of schooling.
“The school, however, was full, so Baraga never attended a boarding school. Rather, he stayed with family friends who tutored him during the school year,” she continues.
Baraga took the exam for the first time at 16 and passed on the first attempt. In 1816, he entered Vienna Law School at 19 and graduated in 1821. Influenced by now St. Clement-Mary Hofbauer, Baraga began priestly formation.
Frederic Baraga was ordained to the priesthood in 1823 where he spent the next seven years ministering in Europe. It was at that time that Bishop Edward Fenwick of Cincinnati made a plea for priests to come to the ‘New World’ and minister to the people. Baraga responded and left for America in December 1830.
Missionary Zeal
“He gave up everything to come to America and live amongst the natives so he could teach them the faith,” says Lenora. “He could have had a much easier life as his family was considered nobility. He always said the salvation of one soul is worth all the money in the world.”
Shortly after arrival in America, then-Father Baraga built a church in Manistique and established his first mission in present-day Harbor Springs. His passion to spread the word was influential in the classroom setting, too, as he served at St. Peter School, later renamed Holy Childhood of Jesus School in Harbor Springs. Father Baraga taught catechism and pastored the church.
“His sincerity, humility and piety earned him the love and respect of the natives. By the end of 1831, Father Baraga had baptized 131 Natives,” she reflects.
Father Baraga’s burning zeal transformed L’Arbre Croche into a model Christian community. He heard confessions almost every day. On Sundays and holy days of obligations, there were three other services besides Mass. During the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the entire village received the sacraments.
In a letter to his sister, Amalia, dated March 10, 1832, he wrote, “It is unspeakably joyful and consoling to me to be here … I cannot sufficiently thank God for my coming here where so much good can be done.”
“He woke every day in the summer at 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. in the winter to pray for three hours before beginning his work, and then he worked until 9 or 10 in the evening,” notes Lenora.
He was commonly referred to as the “Apostle to the Chippewas” and “Snowshoe Priest.” Bishop Baraga’s devotion to the communities of Northern Michigan exemplifies the Eucharistic sacrifice in which Christ sacrificed himself for the salvation of humanity.
Baraga sacrificed himself for the salvation of others. On numerous instances, he battled the harsh elements to evangelize and catechize to ensure the natives had a spot at the Eucharistic Banquet of Christ.
“There are numerous accounts of his travels that he was fortunate to survive,” explains Lenora. “He was blown 75-plus miles off course in a canoe on Lake Superior as he was headed around the peninsula. He and his Native guide finally landed at Cross River, where they erected a cross in thanksgiving. On another trek from Ontonagon to Rockland, he almost froze to death when he was trying to deliver medication to a widow with four sick children.”
Lenora adds: “Bishop Baraga believed the Natives needed property to homestead so they could raise their families. In L’Anse, he purchased property and split it amongst several Ojibwe families.”
“In 1857, an attempt was made by the Indian agents to force the Native Americans off that property. Relying on his legal training, he went to L’Anse and deeded the property to the families and Chief Assinins.”
Father Baraga was elevated to the Episcopate in 1853 by Pope Pius IX and was made the initial bishop of the newly established Diocese of Marquette in the Upper Peninsula.
“His episcopal motto ‘Unum est Necessarium’ (One Thing is Necessary) from Luke 10:42 demonstrates the zeal and fervor Bishop Baraga had for the faith. As long as you have God at the center of your life, you have all you need,” she reflects.
Legacy
Bishop Baraga passed into eternal life on Jan. 19, 1868. His life and legacy demonstrate profound examples of trusting in God’s grace.
At the time of his passing, he was fluent in eight languages. He had translated and printed a prayer book in both Ottawa and Chippewa that was used by missionaries in Duluth and Green Bay and was highly prized by the Ottawas, Chippewas and Menominees. In 1853, he published the Otchipwe Dictionary so the families could learn to read and write their language and others could learn it to communicate with them.
In Marquette, you will find the Baraga Chapel attached to St. Peter Cathedral. Bishop Baraga is laid to rest in the sarcophagus at the cathedral. Two blocks from the Cathedral are the Baraga Educational Center and Museum and the Bishop Baraga Association.
“Over 150 years after Baraga’s passing, we continue to talk about him and experience his impact,” says Lenora. There are numerous schools, roads, parks and towns named after him.
He serves as a role model to many. Bishop Baraga had 17 plus seminarians that followed him to America, and three went on to be bishops. Another was seminarian St. John Neumann, who was inspired after reading Bishop Baraga’s missionary accounts in the Leopoldine Society’s publication Berichte.
With excitement, the faithful honor and learn from the beloved, black-robed cleric of profound heroic virtue.
The canonization process is a four-step process, and currently Baraga is halfway. He was declared Venerable in 2012. A potential cure needs to be accepted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to beatify and another potential cure accepted by the same body for canonization.
To celebrate Bishop Baraga and pray for his canonization, Baraga Days 2024 are planned for Sept. 13 and 14 in Gaylord. Learn more here: Baraga Days 2024
