Marquette League
Encyclopedia
From 1904 to 1991 the Marquette League served as a Roman Catholic fund-raising organization in the United States that supported Catholic missions and schools among Native American
s in the United States.
founded the League in New York City
, in May 1904, and two months later, it received a Papal blessing from Pius X. Ganss was a fundraiser for the ‘’Preservation Society’’ of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions
, and he founded the League as a fundraising auxiliary of the Preservation Society. However, the Preservation Society ceased in 1922 while the League continued to thrive.
In collaboration with the Bureau, the League distributed the funds and in-kind donations it raised for missions, mission schools and students. It built new missions and satellite chapels and maintained them with supplies; it trained and maintained catechists; and it provided scholarships to students and clothing to the needy.
The League had a lay directorate of 25 members, chosen at first from among local councils of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. To further its work, it established branch organizations in several northeastern U.S. cities, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It charged an annual membership fee of $2.00 and published ’’The Calumet’’ as a fundraising newsletter from 1913 to 1958. Notable members included Eugene A. Philbin
(1904–1919), Monsignor William Flynn (Director General, 1925–1936) and Rev. Bernard Cullen (Director General, 1937–1957).
During its first six years (to 1910), aid from the League provided for the establishment of mission chapels in several states. They included Arizona
among the Hopi
people; South Dakota
on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
and the Rosebud Indian Reservation
among the Oglala
and Brulé
Lakota people respectively; Nebraska
on the Winnebago Indian Reservation among the Winnebago
people; and North Dakota
on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation among the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
. From 1952 to 1958, the League also recruited lay volunteers to serve at missions and schools throughout the United States.
The League disbanded in 1991.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s in the United States.
History
Rev. Henry Ganss of Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
founded the League in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, in May 1904, and two months later, it received a Papal blessing from Pius X. Ganss was a fundraiser for the ‘’Preservation Society’’ of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions
Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions
The Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions was a Roman Catholic institution created in 1874 by J. Roosevelt Bayley, Archbishop of Baltimore, for the protection and promotion of Catholic mission interests among Native Americans in the United States.-History:...
, and he founded the League as a fundraising auxiliary of the Preservation Society. However, the Preservation Society ceased in 1922 while the League continued to thrive.
In collaboration with the Bureau, the League distributed the funds and in-kind donations it raised for missions, mission schools and students. It built new missions and satellite chapels and maintained them with supplies; it trained and maintained catechists; and it provided scholarships to students and clothing to the needy.
The League had a lay directorate of 25 members, chosen at first from among local councils of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. To further its work, it established branch organizations in several northeastern U.S. cities, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It charged an annual membership fee of $2.00 and published ’’The Calumet’’ as a fundraising newsletter from 1913 to 1958. Notable members included Eugene A. Philbin
Eugene A. Philbin
Eugene Ambrose Philbin was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was New York County District Attorney from 1900 to 1901.-Life:...
(1904–1919), Monsignor William Flynn (Director General, 1925–1936) and Rev. Bernard Cullen (Director General, 1937–1957).
During its first six years (to 1910), aid from the League provided for the establishment of mission chapels in several states. They included Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
among the Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
people; South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
and the Rosebud Indian Reservation
Rosebud Indian Reservation
The Rosebud Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States. It is the home of the federally recognized Sicangu Oyate, also known as Sicangu Lakota, the Upper Brulé Sioux Nation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe , a branch of the Lakota people...
among the Oglala
Oglala
Oglala may refer to:* Oglala Lakota, or Oglala Sioux, a Sioux Nation sub-band of the Western division * The Oglala National Grassland of Nebraska* Oglala, South Dakota, a town located in Shannon County, South Dakota...
and Brulé
Brulé
The Brulé are one of the seven branches or bands of the Teton Lakota Sioux American Indian nation. They are known as Sičháŋǧu Oyáte , or "Burnt Thighs Nation," and so, were called Brulé by the French...
Lakota people respectively; Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
on the Winnebago Indian Reservation among the Winnebago
Winnebago
Winnebago can refer to:* The former name of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin*A popular brand of recreational vehicles, manufactured by Winnebago Industries, of Forest City, Iowa...
people; and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation among the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, are a Native American group comprising a union of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara peoples, whose native lands ranged across the Missouri River basin in the Dakotas...
. From 1952 to 1958, the League also recruited lay volunteers to serve at missions and schools throughout the United States.
The League disbanded in 1991.
Further reading
- League Records, Historical Note/Scope and Content, Marquette University Special Collections and University ArchivesMarquette University Special Collections and University ArchivesThe mission of the Department of Special Collections and University Archives of Marquette University is to collect, arrange, describe, preserve, and service records of enduring historical value for research, instructional, and administrative use...
, Marquette UniversityMarquette UniversityMarquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
,- The Indian Sentinel, 1905–1937.