Francis Xavier Pierz
Encyclopedia
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and missionary to the Ottawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
and Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
Indians. Because he was also responsible for attracting large numbers of Catholic German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
s to settle in Central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, he is referred to as "The Father of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on September 22, 1889, out of territory that had been evangelized by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz...
".
Early life
Father Pierz was born on November 20, 1785 to a peasant family in Godica, near the CarniolaCarniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
n town of Kamnik
Kamnik
Kamnik is the name of a municipality in Slovenia as well as the town that serves as its administrative, cultural, economic, and educational center. The municipality is in north central Slovenia. It encompasses a large part of the Kamnik Alps and the surrounding area...
in the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
. He entered the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in the fall of 1810 and was ordained on March 13, 1813 by Bishop Antonius Kautschitz. Two of his brothers also became priests.
After seven years as assistant pastor
Assistant pastor
An assistant pastor is a person who assists the pastor in a Christian church. The qualifications, responsibilities and duties vary depending on church and denomination....
of the mountain parishes of Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora is a town and a municipality on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps...
and Fužine
Fužine
Fužine is a village and a municipality in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia.-Demographics:The total population of Fužine is 1,595, in the following settlements:* Belo Selo, population 52* Benkovac Fužinski, population 33...
, he was appointed parish priest of the villages of Pece and Podbrezje
Podbrezje
Podbrezje is a village in the municipality of Naklo in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. It has become a single settlement, but is actually made up of what were, before the Second World War, the three separate villages of Dolenja vas, Srednja vas and Podtabor. The settlement lies on a terrace...
. After years of attempting to improve farming methods among the poor farmers of his parish, he published the book Kranjski Vertnar (The Carniolan Gardner) in 1830. His efforts led to his being awarded a medal of honor by the Carniolan Agricultural Society in 1842.
Missionary
In 1835, Pierz departed for the missions of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after years of eagerly reading the letters of the Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n missionary priest, and future Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, Father Frederic Baraga
Frederic Baraga
Frederic Baraga, Servant of God was a Slovene American Roman Catholic missionary, bishop, and grammarian.-Early life:Frederic Baraga was born as Friderik Irenej Baraga in the manor house at Mala Vas no...
. He arrived in the Diocese of Detroit
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...
on September 16, presenting his credentials to Bishop Frederick John Conrad Rese. As Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, had already frozen, Father Pierz was prevented from immediately joining Father Baraga in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and was instead assigned to the Ottawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
Indians of Cross Village. In the summer of 1836, Bishop Rese transferred him to the mission of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
, where Father Pierz fought to keep the struggling mission alive, while sailing to other missions around the shores of Lake Superior.
On June 28, 1838, he was finally able to visit Father Baraga at La Pointe, Wisconsin
La Pointe, Wisconsin
La Pointe is a town in Ashland County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The town includes all of the Apostle Islands. There is also an unincorporated community named La Pointe on Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands . The population was 246 at the 2000 census...
. After a very friendly visit, Baraga persuaded Father Pierz to re-establish the mission at Grand Portage, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The formerly great trading post had been deeply affected by the decline of the fur trade, but the Ojibwa Indians who continued to live there had turned to harvesting the fish of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
and selling their catches to the American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
. A "half breed" agent for the company, Pierre Picotte, had been carefully instructing them in the Catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
and preparing them to join the Catholic Church. Father Pierz's letters describe being deeply impressed by how easily the Ojibwa of Grand Portage embraced Catholicism.
It has been written since that Father Pierz did his best work in the short time he was stationed at Grand Portage. He arranged for the clearing of a plot of farmland which, in keeping with Indian ways, was owned and worked in common. The produce was sold to nearby white miners. A school was founded for the children of the mission. His letters provide a vivid glimpse into daily life on the mission. The missions at Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Isle Royale
Isle Royale
Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes, located in the northwest of Lake Superior, and part of the state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale National Park....
were also under his jurisdiction. But in October 1839, he was ordered to leave Grand Portage and take over the missions surrounding Harbor Springs, Michigan
Harbor Springs, Michigan
Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,567 at the 2000 census.Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse on...
. He remained there for 12 years.
Minnesota
In Spring, 1852, after a series of disputes with his Bishop, Pierz secured a release from the Diocese of Detroit and departed for the newly founded Minnesota TerritoryMinnesota Territory
The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota.-History:...
. There Bishop Joseph Crétin
Joseph Crétin
Joseph Crétin was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cretin Avenue in St. Paul, Cretin-Derham Hall High School, and Cretin Hall at the University of St. Thomas are named for him....
was desperate for priests to serve his vast diocese.
Father Pierz was assigned a vast mission field, comprising the whole of Minnesota north of the Twin Cities. He established his headquarters at the drunken boomtown of Old Crow Wing, now the location of Crow Wing State Park
Crow Wing State Park
Crow Wing State Park is a 3,119 acre Minnesota state park at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers. The park interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, one of the most populous towns in the state in the 1850s and 1860s...
. He traveled between his missions on foot, carrying on his back all that was necessary for saying Mass. The Ojibwa dubbed him, "Old Man, Black Gown," and viewing him as a man of great power, occasionally stole his socks as a folk remedy against rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
.
Promoter
After the Treaty of Traverse des SiouxTreaty of Traverse des Sioux
The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux was a treaty signed on July 23, 1851, between the United States government and Sioux Indian bands in Minnesota Territory by which the Sioux ceded territory. The treaty was instigated by Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of Minnesota Territory, and Luke Lea,...
was signed in 1851, much of southern and central Minnesota was declared open to settlement. Father Pierz, noticing that settlement was by Protestant Yankees, began actively promoting Minnesota settlement among German-American Catholics. Writing in newspapers such as Der Wahrheitsfreund
Der Wahrheitsfreund
Der Wahrheitsfreund or Der Wahrheits-Freund was the first German-language Catholic newspaper in the United States and one of four German newspapers in Cincinnati, Ohio. Published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, proceeds went to the St...
(The Friend of Truth), based in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, he wrote glowing descriptions of Minnesota's climate, its soil, and its large tracts of free land.
In May 1855, the first wave of German, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
er, and Slovene settlers began to arrive in large numbers, staking out claims throughout what is today Morrison County, Benton County, and Stearns County, Minnesota
Stearns County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile . There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
. With his bishop unable to finance his work, Father Pierz began to rely on the Ludwig-Missionsverein and the Leopoldinen-Stiftung for desperately needed funds. Both organizations had been formed to finance Catholic missionaries abroad and were mainly funded by the Bavarian
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
House of Wittelsbach and the Austro-Hungarian House of Habsburg.
Finding himself unable to single-handedly look after both the settlers and the Ojibwa, Father Pierz pleaded with Bishop Crétin to send more priests to assist him. The Bishop responded by writing to Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
Boniface Wimmer
Boniface Wimmer
Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B. was a German monk who in 1846 founded the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, Saint Vincent Archabbey, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, forty miles southeast of Pittsburgh...
of Saint Vincent Archabbey
Saint Vincent Archabbey
Saint Vincent Archabbey, was founded in 1846 by Father Boniface Wimmer, OSB, and is the oldest Benedictine monastery in the United States.The Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey operate and teach at Saint Vincent College and Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, located ...
in Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States, approximately southeast of Pittsburgh.The city population was 7,634 as of the 2000 census . It is located near the Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999...
. On May 21, 1856 a party of five Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
priests disembarked from a steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
at Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
Sauk Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,213 people, 3,921 households, and 2,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,234.1 people per square mile . There were 4,017 housing units at an average density of 878.7 per square mile...
. Saint John's Abbey
Saint John's Abbey
Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota is a Benedictine monastery affiliated with the American Cassinese Congregation. The Abbey was established following the arrival in the area of monks from Saint Vincent Abbey of Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1856. Saint John's is the second-largest...
traces its foundation to their arrival. Father Pierz, unable to be there to greet them, had left behind a letter for the party's leader, Father Demetrius de Marogna. The letter formally transferred his missions in and around Sauk Rapids to the jurisdiction of the Benedictine Order.
In 1863, Father Pierz sailed for Europe to recruit additional priests for the Minnesota missions. Among those who returned with him were Father Joseph Buh, Father Ignaz Tomazin, and Father (later Bishop) James Trobec
James Trobec
James Trobec was the third Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud, in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.Born in Slovenia, Trobec was ordained a priest on September 8, 1865...
.
Last years and death
In 1871, Father Pierz reluctantly accepted the limitations of age and retired to a parish at the French CanadianFrench Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
settlement of Rich Prairie, Morrison County (now Pierz, Minnesota
Pierz, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,277 people, 512 households, and 321 families residing in the city. The population density was 945.8 people per square mile . There were 522 housing units at an average density of 386.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.67% White, 0.39%...
).
In the Fall of 1873, he sailed for Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, where he intended to live out the last years of his life. After spending the winter at the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery in his native Kamnik
Kamnik
Kamnik is the name of a municipality in Slovenia as well as the town that serves as its administrative, cultural, economic, and educational center. The municipality is in north central Slovenia. It encompasses a large part of the Kamnik Alps and the surrounding area...
, he moved to Ljubljana, where he remained a permanent guest in the Archdiocesan Chancery
Diocesan chancery
A diocesan chancery is the branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government of a Roman Catholic or Anglican diocese....
. Father Pierz succumbed to senile dementia, dying on January 22, 1880. After a traditional Requiem Mass, he was interred in Saint Christopher's Cemetery, Ljubljana. This cemetery was razed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Father Pierz's remains now rest in an unmarked grave.
Legacy
Father Pierz continues to be fondly remembered in both his native land and in central Minnesota. A statue of him was dedicated in front of St. Cloud HospitalSt. Cloud Hospital
St. Cloud Hospital is a hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. It is a Catholic-affiliated, not-for-profit institution and part of the CentraCare Health System. The hospital has more than 4,300 employees, 380 physicians and 1,250 volunteers. It serves 640,000 people in a 12-county...
in 1952. He remains a popular figure in Minnesota folklore
Minnesota folklore
Minnesota Folklore, although its study and documentation has never been a priority among academics, is exceptionally rich. As the State has been the residence of such a wide variety of ethnic groups, Minnesota's folktales and songs are reflective of its history....
, with stories about him passed down among both the Ojibwa and the Catholics of the area. The town of Pierz, Minnesota
Pierz, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,277 people, 512 households, and 321 families residing in the city. The population density was 945.8 people per square mile . There were 522 housing units at an average density of 386.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.67% White, 0.39%...
is named in his honor.
In Slovenia, a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
monument to him stands in Podbrezje
Podbrezje
Podbrezje is a village in the municipality of Naklo in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. It has become a single settlement, but is actually made up of what were, before the Second World War, the three separate villages of Dolenja vas, Srednja vas and Podtabor. The settlement lies on a terrace...
, his last parish assignment before leaving for America. A massive collection of his letters and poetry are preserved in the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia in Ljubljana. Also, the Slovene Ethnographic Museum possesses a large number of rare Indian artifacts that were collected and donated by Father Pierz.
Quotes
"A missioner in America is like a plaything in the hand of GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Sufferings and joys alternate constantly. No conquest for the Kingdom can be achieved here without exertion and the sweat of one’s brow. Our dear Lord permits us to be humiliated and prepared by much suffering before he employs us as instruments of His mercy in the conversion of the Pagans and allows us to enjoy the comforts of soul their spiritual rebirth causes."
Legends
"I remember an incident of Father Pierz and a man named Dugal, the Government blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
at Crow Wing. This Dugal was quite pious but went on a spree once in a while - once a month. And Father Pierz would meet him in this condition and say to him in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, You are drunk again, my pig. Once, on a trip to Leech LakeLeech LakeLeech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir...
, Father Pierz got a hold of Dugal's supply of whiskey and only gave it out to him in small portions. Dugal begged for the bottle but Pierz said, No, no, you my pig. Dugal when drunk feared Pierz. Once as he saw Pierz entering a store and knowing he was under a good supple of liquor, Dugal hid himself under a buffaloAmerican BisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
robe. But Pierz chatted and stayed so long that Dugal finally gave up and, casting off the robe, said, Father, I confess!"
Resources
- Furlan, William. "In Charity Unfeigned: The Life of Father Francis X. Pierz," St. Cloud, Minnesota: Diocese of Saint Cloud, 1952.
- Voigt, Robert. "Crow Wing and Father Pierz," St. Cloud, Minnesota: Diocese of Saint Cloud, 1989.