Frederic Baraga
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Alma mater | University of Vienna |
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Relatives | Antonija Höffern (sister) |
Irenaeus Frederic Baraga (June 29, 1797 – January 19, 1868;
His letters about his missionary work were published widely in Europe, inspiring the priests John Neumann and Francis Xavier Pierz to emigrate to the United States.[1] In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI declared him "Venerable."[2]
Early life
Frederic Baraga was born in the
He was the fourth of five children born to Janez Baraga and Marija Katarina Jožefa née Jenčič; among his siblings was his sister Antonija, who would later become the first Slovenian woman to immigrate to the United States.[6][7] Upon her father's death, his mother inherited an estate at Mala Vas, plus a substantial fortune. His mother died in 1808, and his father in 1812. Frederic spent his boyhood in the house of Jurij Dolinar, a lay professor at the diocesan seminary at Ljubljana.[6][8]
Baraga grew up during the
Priesthood
Baraga attended
In 1830 Baraga answered the request of Bishop
In 1837, he published Otawa Anamie-Misinaigan, the first book written in the Ottawa language, which included a Catholic
In 1843 Baraga founded a mission at L'Anse, Michigan. During this time, he earned the nickname "the Snowshoe Priest" because he would travel hundreds of miles each year on snowshoes during the harsh winters.[10] He worked to protect the Indians from being forced to relocate, as well as publishing a dictionary and grammar of the Ojibway language. Although these works have important historical value, they are not recommended as basic resources for the language today.[11]
With the collaboration of many native speakers, Fr. Baraga also composed around 100 Catholic
Through the texts Baraga published in his missionary years, the Slovenes learned about aspects of Native American culture and the United States.[14]
Bishop
Baraga was elevated to bishop by
On July 27, 1852, he began to keep a diary, written in several languages (primarily German, but with English, French, Slovene, Chippewa, Latin, and Italian interspersed), preserving accounts of his missionary travels and his relationship with his sister Amalia. During this time, the area experienced a population explosion, as European immigrants were attracted to work in the copper and iron mines developed near Houghton, Ontonagon, and Marquette. This presented a challenge because he had few priests and attended to immigrant miners and the Native Americans. Increased development and population encouraged the improvement of transportation on Lake Superior.
The only way to travel in winter was on snowshoes, which Baraga continued to do into his sixties. He was particularly challenged by the vast diversity of peoples in the region, including the native inhabitants, ethnic French-Canadian settlers, and the new German and Irish immigrant miners.[10] Difficulties in recruiting staff arose because of many languages; while Baraga spoke eight languages fluently, he had trouble recruiting priests who could do the same.
Baraga traveled twice to Europe to raise money for his diocese. He was presented a jeweled cross and episcopal ring by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The bishop later sold these for his missions.
Baraga wrote numerous letters to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith describing his missionary activities. The Society published them widely as examples of its missions in North America, and they were instrumental in inspiring the priests John Neumann and Francis Xavier Pierz to come to the United States to work. In time, Baraga became renowned throughout Europe for his work. In his last ten years, his health gradually declined; he became intermittently deaf and suffered a series of strokes. In 1865 Baraga wrote to Pope Pius IX in support of the canonization of his former confessor, Clement Hofbauer.[9] He died January 19, 1868, in Marquette, Michigan.[10] He is buried there in a chapel constructed for him at Saint Peter Cathedral; he formerly reposed with other bishops of Marquette in the cathedral crypt.[10][17]
Selected works
- Frederic Baraga's Short History of the North American Indians, edited by Graham MacDonald (Calgary: U of Calgary Press, 2004). "Originally published in 1837 in Europe in German, French, and Slovenian editions, and appearing here in English for the first time, Frederic Baraga's Short History of the North American Indians is the personal, first-hand account of a Catholic missionary to the Great Lakes area of North America." – Jacket
- Chippewa Indians, as recorded by Rev. Frederick Baraga in 1847 (New York: Studia Slovenica, League of Slovenian Americans, 1976)
- A Dictionary of Otchipwe Language Explained in English (1853); revised by other in 1878; republished as A Dictionary of the Ojibway Language with a foreword by John D. Nichols (Minneapolis: Minnesota Historical Society, 1992)
Legacy and veneration
Baraga was declared
- The village of Baraga Township, Baraga County, and Baraga State Park(all in Michigan) were named for him.
- The Diocese of Ljubljana began construction of the Baraga Seminary in Ljubljana in 1936. However, the building was unfinished on the outbreak of World War II in 1941.
- A street in Milwaukee is named for Baraga.
- An Ontario Provincial Plaque is located on the grounds of Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church (Goulais Bay, Ontario), which was built by Baraga[19]
- A memorial sculpture of him by Jack E. Anderson is located in L'Anse, Michigan.
- Bishop Baraga Catholic School was named for him in Iron Mountain, Michigan.
- Bishop Baraga Catholic School was named for him in Cheboygan, Michigan.
- In 1846, Baraga erected a wooden cross in Schroeder, Minnesota, at the mouth of the Cross River, in thanks for his safe landing during a storm on Lake Superior. It has been replaced with a granite cross.
- At the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, a shrine in the church has been dedicated in his honor.[20]
- A bronze statue of Baraga in Grand Rapids honors his efforts in 1833 to establish the first Catholic mission in that location.[21]
- Baraga is the namesake of a network of six Catholic radio stations serving northern Michigan and is based at originating station WTCK licensed to Charlevoix with its main studio located near the Cross in the Woods Catholic Shrine in Indian River.
- The U.S. Postal Service issued a 13-cent commemorative postcard honoring Baraga in 1984.[22]
References
- ^ Kelly, Brian (September 29, 2009). "The Snowshoe Priest: the Servant of God, Bishop Frederic Baraga". Catholicism.org. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ Bishop Baraga Association. "Venerable Frederic Baraga's History".
- ^ Staff. "Baraga, Frederic 1797–1868". Wisconsin History. Wisconsin Historical Society. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ Taufbuch. Dobrnič. 1770–1799. p. 147. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ISBN 1-931709-52-1.
- ^ a b c "Friderik Irenej Baraga (1797–1868)". Slovenska biografija. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ Glonar, Joža (2013). "Höffern, Antonija, pl. (1803–1871)". Slovenian Biographical Lexicon (in Slovenian). Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c Verwyst, Chrysostom (1907). "Frederic Baraga". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ a b c Bishop Baraga Association. "Venerable Frederic Baraga's History". Diocese of Marquette.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Pope declares Bishop Baraga venerable". The Compass. Diocese of Green Bay. May 18, 2012.
- ^ Staff. "Fr. Baraga's 1853 Ojibwe Dictionary". Wisconsin History. Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ Larry Martin: Ojibwe Language Hymnary Project
- ^ Venerable Frederic Baraga
- ISSN 1492-1421.
- ^ Chabot, Larry (January 2002). "On This Spot: The Baraga Legacy". Marquette Monthly. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ Cheney, David M. (January 21, 2012). "Bishop Ireneus Frederic Baraga". Catholic Hierarchy. Self-published. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to the Baraga Chapel". Bishop Baraga Association. Bishop Baraga Association. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints". Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
- ISBN 0920474500.
- ^ "Bishop Baraga shrine". Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
- OCLC 9975013. Archived from the originalon March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ Plut-Pregelj, Leopoldina, & Carole Rogel. 2010. The A to Z of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, p. 36.
Further reading
- Baraga, Frederic (1990). The Diary of Bishop Frederic Baraga: First Bishop of Marquette, Michigan. Translated by Joseph Gregorich and Rev. Paul Prud'homme. Great Lakes Books.
- Ceglar, Charles A. (1991). Baragiana Collection. Hamilton: Baragiana Publishing.
- Lambert, Bernard J. (1974). Shepherd of the Wilderness: A Biography of Bishop Frederic Baraga. Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press.
- Verwyst, P. Chrysostomus. Life and Labors of Rt. Rev. Frederic Baraga, First Bishop of Marquette Mich. Milwaukee: Wiltzius, 1900.
External links
- Bishop Baraga's pastoral letter
- Bishop Baraga's Pastoral Letter to the Indians
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- St. Peter Cathedral and Bishop Baraga Archived March 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- Fr. Baraga's 1853 Ojibwe Dictionary
- Father Baraga's cross Archived September 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- Works by Frederic Baraga at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Frederic Baraga at Internet Archive